US Representatives demand answers from Airbnb CEO

US Representatives demand answers from Airbnb
US House of Representatives
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Written by Linda Hohnholz

US Representatives sent a letter addressed to Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky demanding answers and requesting information about misleading listings that have left customers in poor housing conditions. The letter seeks a meeting with Airbnb executives in the next two weeks.

US Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), along with Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Robin Kelly (D-IL), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO), and Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) demanded Airbnb explain its plans to deal with deceptive limited liability corporations disguising themselves as โ€œhostsโ€ on the platform to market short-term rentals out of compliance with local laws and the companyโ€™s own policies.

โ€œDespite Airbnbโ€™s stated โ€˜One Host, One Homeโ€™ policy, media reports have raised concerns about the proliferation of limited liability corporations on your platformโ€ฆ deceptive and misleading listings have also led to customers being scammed by โ€˜hostsโ€™ who abuse Airbnbโ€™s cancellation policies to trick guests into unsuitable housing conditions for monetary gain. While we appreciate that you have frequently stated that Airbnb has a โ€˜zero toleranceโ€™ policy, it also seems clear that you have failed to authenticate host identities in a way that would prevent bad actors from continuing to rent through your platform under false identities after being banned,โ€ the Congressmembers wrote.

The letter includes 20 questions intended to clarify Airbnbโ€™s policies and practices, including:

  • How the company intends to define a โ€œhost,โ€ and how the company vets its hosts;
  • How the company will enforce policy violations from hosts who mislead customers and the public about their identities or listings;
  • How the company will verify that units meet so-called โ€œbasic safety protocols;โ€
  • And whether the companyโ€™s efforts to categorize โ€œhigh-risk reservations,โ€ will consider age, race, gender, or other personal traits.

To see the full letter,ย click here.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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