3 ms·

This is especially ironic in light of the post-Sandy NYC-AirBnB "partnership": "Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Airbnb today announced the launch of a new platf

by kbutler 14y ago

This is especially ironic in light of the post-Sandy NYC-AirBnB "partnership": "Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Airbnb today announced the launch of a new platform to help connect victims of Hurricane Sandy with free housing options. Airbnb is now providing a platform to connect those who are eager to offer free housing to those who have been displaced by the storm." http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.c0935b9a57bb4ef3daf2f1c701c789a0/index.jsp?pageID=mayor_press_release&catID=1194&doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fom%2Fhtml%2F2012b%2Fpr401-12.html&cc=unused1978&rc=1194&ndi=1 http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.c0935b9a57bb4...

creativityland 14y ago
Didn't hear about this, interesting the article didn't mention it.
Zimahl 14y ago
I don't see any irony. Allowing someone to stay in your home as a guest is not the same as being paid for lodging. If AirBnB was there to facilitate people to open their homes for non-paying guests, none of this would be a problem. Although renters who rent out rooms outside of their landlord's permission are just asking for an eviction.
- anotherbadlogin 14y ago
  It is the same thing when you look at several of the excuses for the fines and crackdowns: 1. Neighbors "have a right" to know who their neighbors are and not have numerous people traipsing through. 2. Hosts may not have appropriate insurance. 3. Emergency authorities have no idea who's in the building.
- jvm 14y ago
  That was very much not the idea. People renting their apartments were in charging.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
matthewowen 14y ago
Not at all. As the article says, it's perfectly legal to rent out a room in your apartment, provided that you are also living in the apartment. The fact that some people use AirBnB illegally is neither here nor there.
danso 14y ago
Why is this "ironic"? Or are you saying that if BP steps in with a generous donation of gasoline supplies during a natural disaster, the government should give them more leeway in environmental regulations?
- kbutler 14y ago
  'A situation is often considered to be ironic (situational irony) if there is an "incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result."' (wikipedia)
  - danso 14y ago
    Right...so it would be ironic if the city banned airbnb as an operator. But that's not what's going on here. People are being punished for breaking laws, Airbnb is merely the vehicle used to do so.

by kbutler 14y ago

creativityland 14y ago

Didn't hear about this, interesting the article didn't mention it.

Zimahl 14y ago

I don't see any irony. Allowing someone to stay in your home as a guest is not the same as being paid for lodging. If AirBnB was there to facilitate people to open their homes for non-paying guests, none of this would be a problem. Although renters who rent out rooms outside of their landlord's permission are just asking for an eviction.

anotherbadlogin 14y ago
It is the same thing when you look at several of the excuses for the fines and crackdowns: 1. Neighbors "have a right" to know who their neighbors are and not have numerous people traipsing through. 2. Hosts may not have appropriate insurance. 3. Emergency authorities have no idea who's in the building.
jvm 14y ago
That was very much not the idea. People renting their apartments were in charging.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]

matthewowen 14y ago

Not at all. As the article says, it's perfectly legal to rent out a room in your apartment, provided that you are also living in the apartment. The fact that some people use AirBnB illegally is neither here nor there.

danso 14y ago

Why is this "ironic"? Or are you saying that if BP steps in with a generous donation of gasoline supplies during a natural disaster, the government should give them more leeway in environmental regulations?

kbutler 14y ago
'A situation is often considered to be ironic (situational irony) if there is an "incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result."' (wikipedia)
- danso 14y ago
  Right...so it would be ironic if the city banned airbnb as an operator. But that's not what's going on here. People are being punished for breaking laws, Airbnb is merely the vehicle used to do so.