The problem is that Grewal, the owner of the house that was illegally sublet, isn't and never was Airbnb's customer in any sense of the word. There's no incenti

The problem is that Grewal, the owner of the house that was illegally sublet, isn't and never was Airbnb's customer in any sense of the word. There's no incentive to solve his problem and take down the listing. In fact, the incentives run the other way because the real Airbnb customer -- Grewal's tenants -- are generating revenue for the site. It would be very interesting if one of these municipalities changed their ordinance to make the booking agent (Airbnb, VRBO, etc) liable for any violation. And $20,000 per violation in Miami Beach does seem ridiculously excessive.