Airbnb:just pay your taxes and follow the law and shut up

[Jacque67 7,328]

http://gawker.com/airbnb-just-pay-your-taxes-and-follow-the-law-and-shut-1782818356

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

I almost wanted to use their services a few days ago, but I forgot how much they discriminate against folks...

[Jacque67 7,328]

Airbnb knows that its long-term future depends on reaching a stable arrangement with local governments. Collecting taxes is really no sweat for Airbnb, considering the companys fantastically profitable business model. It is valued, for example, at significantly more than the Hilton Hotel company, without needing to own, staff, or operate any hotels. But the hotel industry is actually the least of Airbnbs worries; more significant are cities themselves (and their angry residents), particularly those in which affordable housing is a constant near-crisis. In New York City, a new report says, Airbnb listings took about 10% of the citys available rentals off of the market. That is quite clearly an unsustainable situation in a city that lacks enough affordable housing for its full-time residents. And collecting 8% taxes will not solve that problem.

Airbnb needs to be taxed and regulated. Airbnb needs to be collecting taxes and ensuring that its users are only renting out apartments that are allowed to be rented out. Its absurd and insulting for a $30 billion company in such an enviable business position to act as if it can do nothing to see to it that its users are not undermining the very stability of municipal housing in cities around the world. Airbnb gets paid for all those listings; if the listings are illegal, so is their business model. Enabling regular people to make some extra income from their apartments is a good and useful thing. Enabling landlords to turn vast swaths of neighborhoods into off-the-books hotels is not. Airbnb doesnt necessarily have to be the enemy to housing advocates. Their tax revenue can pay for a lot of housing. And, whether you like it or not, their business model is here to stay. They just have to stop acting like they dont operate according to the rules of planet Earth.

[Rob L 3,811]

I almost wanted to use their services a few days ago, but I forgot how much they discriminate against folks...

Tell me more.......

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Tell me more.......

I never dealt with them personally, but the stories are out there.

http://fusion.net/story/308759/airbnbs-racism-problem-isnt-going-away-any-time-soon/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2016/06/01/airbnb-bans-north-carolina-host-racism/85252190/

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0ahUKEwiyoOSgtM7NAhXD4SYKHZAODBEQFggzMAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Ftech%2Fnews%2F2016%2F06%2F06%2Fairbnb-openair-diversity-racism-airbnb-connect%2F85490536%2F&usg=AFQjCNE5WxTIhlxCzanUKPrnhhpgOJFxwQ&sig2=LFAQwK2lZlgpgGQC70F_ig

http://qz.com/706767/racist-hosts-not-hotels-are-the-greatest-threat-to-airbnbs-business/

#AIRBNBwhlieblack was trending a few months ago. That's why I didn't go with them.

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

Everything is Racist

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Everything is Racist

Pretty much. Glad you're starting to admit it.

[Rob L 3,811]

Everything is Racist

That may be true, but Federal law dictates that there is no discrimination in housing based upon race.

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

That may be true, but Federal law dictates that there is no discrimination in housing based upon race.

True but if the company just hooks people up, then I don't think it's fair to label the company racist because a few private owners said something stupid, any more than it is to label McDonalds because some clerks at a few restaurants attacked customers

[Jacque67 7,328]

True but if the company just hooks people up, then I don't think it's fair to label the company racist because a few private owners said something stupid, any more than it is to label McDonalds because some clerks at a few restaurants attacked customers

Freedom comes with responsibilities unfortunately.

[Boiler 46,374]

No different to many many services, ABB is just a booking service, there are many others out there.

They do collect taxes in certain areas, struck me as odd that this would be the responsibility of the booking service.

When there were newspapers they offered the same sort of service.

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

Freedom comes with responsibilities unfortunately.

Freedom is just another word for nothing left to loose

[Jacque67 7,328]

Freedom is just another word for nothing left to loose

Amateur!!! Much more complex!

Must loose my britches.

[Rob L 3,811]

True but if the company just hooks people up, then I don't think it's fair to label the company racist because a few private owners said something stupid, any more than it is to label McDonalds because some clerks at a few restaurants attacked customers

I don't think it is fair to label Abb.racist, but this is their issues to get ahead of and manage.

[Jacque67 7,328]

This is a scam. Slumlord paradise. Pay ya taxes!