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Re:Airbnb Is a Risky Neighbor by wyager on Friday June 20, 2014 @11:12PM (#7924021)
>It would be a dream come true for me someone prosecutes AirBnb and puts the founders behind bars.

What have they done wrong? Made it easier for people to share living space? God forbid people make tools that make travel easier and more accessible.

Re:Airbnb Is a Risky Neighbor by sheetjs on Friday June 20, 2014 @11:22PM (#7924046)
AirBnB violates NY's illegal hotel law (e.g. http://www.scribd.com/doc/142650911/Decision-and-Order-for-N...). AirBnB actively promotes in New York (they have been actively airing ads on local TV) and made no effort (at least, when the issue first flared up) to make users aware of the relevant laws.
Re:Airbnb Is a Risky Neighbor by wyager on Friday June 20, 2014 @11:24PM (#7924052)
OK, so they broke NYC law. I probably do that 25 times a day. So does everyone else. Did they do anything morally wrong? I mean the developers, not the people renting their apartments.
Re:Airbnb Is a Risky Neighbor by bradleyjg on Friday June 20, 2014 @11:37PM (#7924078)
These are not victimless crimes, the neighbors are the victims, and AirBnb is willfully facilitating illegal and antisocial behavior. That's plainly immoral.
Re:Airbnb Is a Risky Neighbor by neurobro on Saturday June 21, 2014 @12:11AM (#7924152)
Renting your residence to vacationers is antisocial now. Ok.

I have to wonder what proportion of Airbnb's transactions ever cause any kind of disturbance to anyone. If it's the rule rather than the exception that "vacationers" turn out to be party animals who tear up the place, it's surprising that tenants in prosocial environments would even continue to take that risk.

Re:Airbnb Is a Risky Neighbor by notlisted on Saturday June 21, 2014 @12:32AM (#7924202)
Let me clarify... the noise is one thing, the constant flow of people another, and the issue of not feeling/being secure yet another (and not the least). Add to that the effects it has on rents and available apartments, and you might see my point that regulation of illegal short-term sublets by tenants in an apartment building is indeed in need of regulation.
Re:Airbnb Is a Risky Neighbor by neurobro on Saturday June 21, 2014 @01:02AM (#7924254)
When I was an apartment dweller, the noise, constant flow of people, and feeling of insecurity (and silverfish) went with the territory because that's the type of place I could afford. If I had been in a nice, quiet apartment with pleasant neighbors, I would have been wary of being evicted for violating the lease unless the risk of my "guests" causing a problem was very low.

That's why I have to wonder what the real situation is. I see a few complaints about disturbances with nothing being done by the landlord (which is what I'd expect at my old slum apartment), but nobody complaining about being evicted for using Airbnb (which is what I'd expect if a tenant were to turn a nice apartment building into a party hotel, as some complainers insinuate).

In any case, this seems like a problem that already has a resolution: Evict people for subletting if the contract prohibits it, regardless of whether the customers were found on a web site or in the back alley.

Re:Airbnb Is a Risky Neighbor by avalaunch on Friday June 20, 2014 @11:40PM (#7924084)
Is the guy running a crack house doing anything morally wrong if he isn't selling crack himself - simply taking a cut from those that are?
Re:Airbnb Is a Risky Neighbor by wpietri on Friday June 20, 2014 @11:24PM (#7924053)
I don't mind a reasoned argument, but willful ignorance of viewpoints you don't like is an embarrassingly bad approach. It's transparently dumb.
Re:Airbnb Is a Risky Neighbor by wyager on Friday June 20, 2014 @11:46PM (#7924099)
>willful ignorance of viewpoints you don't like

Maybe it's not willful, and that's why I'm asking? Would you care to help alleviate my ignorance?

FWIW, I've actually heard a lot of viewpoints against AirBnB; I just think they're all poorly reasoned.

Re:Airbnb Is a Risky Neighbor by kaliblack on Saturday June 21, 2014 @12:13AM (#7924160)
> Would you care to help alleviate my ignorance?

People don't want to be regularly woken by strangers in their building.

Re:Airbnb Is a Risky Neighbor by wyager on Saturday June 21, 2014 @08:51AM (#7924841)
Well unfortunately, that happens in any apartment building. It's not specific to AirBnB. Anything else?
Re:Airbnb Is a Risky Neighbor by wpietri on Saturday June 21, 2014 @03:04PM (#7925780)
If it isn't willful, then you need to demonstrate that that you're not totally ignorant of the concerns people have. Educating yourself isn't our job; it's yours.
Re:Airbnb Is a Risky Neighbor by dominotw on Friday June 20, 2014 @11:15PM (#7924031)
>Made it easier for people to share living space?

Did you read the article?