A day after a judge had ruled a previous demand for information about the service’s hosts was too broad, Bloomberg News has reported that, the New York’s attorney general issued a revised subpoena in a tax probe of home-sharing firm Airbnb Inc. Airbnb, which is based in San Francisco, lets its customers rent a couch, bedroom or even a house from a host and makes its money by charging a fee for each transaction.
A spokesman for New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Matt Mittenthal, has reported that according to Bloomberg News, “The time has come for Airbnb to stop shielding hosts who may be violating a law that provides vital protections for building residents and tourists.”
According to Yahoo News, Airbnb Inc. called the judge’s decision to squash the subpoena “good news for New Yorkers who simply want to share their home and the city they love.”
The judge wrote that there is evidence that “a substantial number of hosts” may be violating the law and tax provisions, while Airbnb Inc. failed to show the information request is “unduly burdensome” or that the host information is confidential. However, the subpoena as drafted was not limited to New York City or rentals of less than 30 days, nor did it take into account exceptions to the tax law, he wrote.
The law prohibits owners or renters of apartments in multi-unit buildings from renting them for less than 30 days unless they remain present, according to a report by Yahoo News.
“We are reviewing this new demand, but remain eager to work with the attorney general and we will continue to advocate for New Yorkers who simply want to share their homes,” an Airbnb Inc. spokesman, Nick Papas, said yesterday in a statement according to a report by Bloomberg News.
According to My Fox NY, “Should additional time be needed for the implementation of any changes or adjustments, the state will request it,” Assistant Attorney General Seth Branham wrote.
Image credit: www.time.com