7 ms·

As a former employee, I don't agree with that. I know it's the prevailing sentiment on HN, but it's not the truth.

by brenden2 7y ago

freejazz 7y ago
You could give us a reason why
- holtalanm 7y ago
  not that I'm agreeing, but doesn't the burden of truth lie with the one who made the original claim about AirBnb not caring about laws historically?
  - freejazz 7y ago
    Right, but given that AirBnB listed illegal hotels and fought local governments in taking them down, it is fair to say they do not have regard for the law. Further, it is clear that a significant portion of their business relied upon such listings.
    - Giorgi 7y ago
      >fought local governments in taking them down Good. If law is stupid company must defend it's interest and at the same time - hard earning hosts too. I don't see which law is being broken if those are fought in court.
jascii 7y ago
That is a common sentiment. I would be interested to hearing some counter arguments, that might be more productive then just saying it's not true.
snarf21 7y ago
I think the opinion is that they exploit lack of laws in this area. Their business model is built to let people run essentially unlicensed hotels and rentals without those pesky restriction. They could easily prevent this but they have no interest in that. It is growth at all costs; who cares if "regular" people can't find apartments because people are buying them up as AirBNB properties. The regulations will eventually catch-up but it will take time.
- Giorgi 7y ago
  >who cares if "regular" people can't find apartments This is BS. Those "regular" people just want rental market to collapse so they can live in center of the city for pennies. It's nobody's business if someone rents apartment. If you can't afford it - you can't afford it.
MegaButts 7y ago
> but it's not the truth Unless you explain why, you're doing nothing to persuade anyone of anything other than employees at AirBnB disagree with the prevailing sentiment of HN. Having met the founders of AirBnB, I am incredibly skeptical of your claim, but I am willing to listen to what you have to say.
Mikeb85 7y ago
Of course it's the truth. There's literally rentals on there, right now, in the town I'm currently living in, that are illegal according to local laws. Airbnb doesn't de-list them, they just pretend they don't know.
- zackees 7y ago
  Laws pushed by large companies so that others can't compete against them and they are able to price gouge the customer. There is a large supply of housing that is available to customers that want to purchase it. The idea that two people can't make a consensual exchange of value is antithetical to a free society.
  - kyralis 7y ago
    No one's saying that two people can't make a "consensual exchange of value" of legal actions. I can't make a "consensual exchange of value" by paying a mob hitman to kill someone that I don't like. This is a good thing, and this is not antithetical to a free society.
    - Giorgi 7y ago
      Did you just compare listing illegal rental on some website to murder?
  - jariel 7y ago
    Laws are laws, your insinuation of general corruption isn't really fair, the onus would be on you to prove that. Both Uber and AirBnB knowingly break the law as part of their business model. Zoning doesn't allow the kind of business that AirBnB has, they just don't care. One could very well argue that maybe the laws need reform (as I do) but that's another story; the inherent ethos of YC et. al. is to err on the side of breaking the rules.
    - Giorgi 7y ago
      Shitty rules that don't serve people need to be broken. I want to see my property value go up, not down so some hipster developer can afford it.
dralley 7y ago
Why don't you counter the narrative by explaining why not?
bvandewalle 7y ago
Typical case of "It Is Difficult to Get a Man to Understand Something When His Salary Depends Upon His Not Understanding It".
tjalfi 7y ago
It’s a statement of fact. My town prohibits leases under a week but that hasn’t stopped AirBnb from accepting listings there.
- Giorgi 7y ago
  So?

As a former employee, I don't agree with that. I know it's the prevailing sentiment on HN, but it's not the truth.

freejazz 7y ago

You could give us a reason why

holtalanm 7y ago
not that I'm agreeing, but doesn't the burden of truth lie with the one who made the original claim about AirBnb not caring about laws historically?
- freejazz 7y ago
  Right, but given that AirBnB listed illegal hotels and fought local governments in taking them down, it is fair to say they do not have regard for the law. Further, it is clear that a significant portion of their business relied upon such listings.
  - Giorgi 7y ago
    >fought local governments in taking them down Good. If law is stupid company must defend it's interest and at the same time - hard earning hosts too. I don't see which law is being broken if those are fought in court.

jascii 7y ago

That is a common sentiment. I would be interested to hearing some counter arguments, that might be more productive then just saying it's not true.

snarf21 7y ago

I think the opinion is that they exploit lack of laws in this area. Their business model is built to let people run essentially unlicensed hotels and rentals without those pesky restriction. They could easily prevent this but they have no interest in that. It is growth at all costs; who cares if "regular" people can't find apartments because people are buying them up as AirBNB properties. The regulations will eventually catch-up but it will take time.

Giorgi 7y ago
>who cares if "regular" people can't find apartments This is BS. Those "regular" people just want rental market to collapse so they can live in center of the city for pennies. It's nobody's business if someone rents apartment. If you can't afford it - you can't afford it.

MegaButts 7y ago

> but it's not the truth Unless you explain why, you're doing nothing to persuade anyone of anything other than employees at AirBnB disagree with the prevailing sentiment of HN. Having met the founders of AirBnB, I am incredibly skeptical of your claim, but I am willing to listen to what you have to say.

Mikeb85 7y ago

Of course it's the truth. There's literally rentals on there, right now, in the town I'm currently living in, that are illegal according to local laws. Airbnb doesn't de-list them, they just pretend they don't know.

zackees 7y ago
Laws pushed by large companies so that others can't compete against them and they are able to price gouge the customer. There is a large supply of housing that is available to customers that want to purchase it. The idea that two people can't make a consensual exchange of value is antithetical to a free society.
- kyralis 7y ago
  No one's saying that two people can't make a "consensual exchange of value" of legal actions. I can't make a "consensual exchange of value" by paying a mob hitman to kill someone that I don't like. This is a good thing, and this is not antithetical to a free society.
  - Giorgi 7y ago
    Did you just compare listing illegal rental on some website to murder?
- jariel 7y ago
  Laws are laws, your insinuation of general corruption isn't really fair, the onus would be on you to prove that. Both Uber and AirBnB knowingly break the law as part of their business model. Zoning doesn't allow the kind of business that AirBnB has, they just don't care. One could very well argue that maybe the laws need reform (as I do) but that's another story; the inherent ethos of YC et. al. is to err on the side of breaking the rules.
  - Giorgi 7y ago
    Shitty rules that don't serve people need to be broken. I want to see my property value go up, not down so some hipster developer can afford it.

dralley 7y ago

Why don't you counter the narrative by explaining why not?

bvandewalle 7y ago

Typical case of "It Is Difficult to Get a Man to Understand Something When His Salary Depends Upon His Not Understanding It".

tjalfi 7y ago

It’s a statement of fact. My town prohibits leases under a week but that hasn’t stopped AirBnb from accepting listings there.

Giorgi 7y ago
So?