I Was An Airbnb Hotel Tenant

Airbnb has found itself in a tricky legal tussle with the state of New York. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman sent the home renting company a subpoena on October 7, ordering Airbnb’s data for 15,000 users who have rented out their home or apartment in New York City.

This number accounts for fewer than 7% of the 225,000 Airbnb users in Manhattan alone. The city is demanding this data because it’s eager to smoke out people who are utilizing Airbnb to rent out rooms (and sometimes whole apartment buildings) like a hotel. Airbnb has since filed objections against the subpoena, arguing that a 2010 New York City hotel tax referenced in the summons is unconstitutionally vague.