Airbnb’s Response to Paris Lawsuit Is the Same Old Story
Photo Credit: An Airbnb listing in Paris. The city of Paris is suing Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms. Airbnb
Skift Take
Airbnb has crafted an ideal template for telling the same old story when it comes to dealing with short-term rental regulations around the world, and more cities just don't seem to want to hear it anymore.
Airbnb's No. 1 market in the world, Paris, is not happy with the platform's business operations.
The city is suing the online travel company, as well as its homesharing peers Paris Attitude and Wimdu, in a lawsuit that could have a lasting impact on how short-term rentals are regulated in major metropolitan cities.
Paris wants Airbnb and other platforms to ensure that any short-term rental listings on their sites without a formal registration number, as well as those that do not comply with the city's 120-day annual cap rentals, are removed.
If the city wins its case on June 12, up to 43,000 of Airbnb's listings in Paris, which account for two-thirds of its 65,000 listings, may disappear from the platform.
The city instituted a 120-day cap on short-term rentals in four of its 20 arrondissements in November. And in December, the city required Parisians who engage in short-term rental activity to have registration numbers.
Like many other major cities around the world, Par
