City Reverses Fine Against Man Who Rented Out Space Through Airbnb
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The City of New York has reversed a $2,400 fine against a man who rented out his apartment on the vacation rental site Airbnb.
Nigel Warren was fined by an administrative law judge in May, on the grounds that he violated a 2010 state law designed to crack down on illegal hotel operators, according to Airbnb.
Warren and his landlord appealed the ruling. Airbnb also spoke against the ruling, with a post by head of global policy David Hantman calling the decision "wrong on the law, and bad for New York." Hantman also decried headlines that appeared at the time of the judge's ruling, which claimed that Airbnb was "illegal."
But this week, the city's Environmental Control Board took the side of Warren and his landlord, agreeing that short-term rentals are permitted as long as a permanent occupant is present. Warren was not in the apartment when the room was rented, but his roommate was.
In another blog post late Friday, Hantman said the episode "highlights how complicated the New York law is." The San Francisco startup says it will continue to "work to clarify the law and ensure New Yorkers can share their homes" with travelers from around the world.
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