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Airbnb Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) is suing New York City over a 2022 law that the company said creates an unofficial ban on short-term rentals in the city.

The law requires owners of properties seeking to engage in short-term rental to register with the mayor’s office and to disclose who else is living in the property. Owners also need to pledge they will comply with construction, maintenance and zoning ordinances. However, AirBNB claimed these requirements are anything but cut-and-dry.

“These restrictions are punitive and burdensome,” said Theo Yedinsky, Airbnb’s global policy director, in a press statement announcing the lawsuit. “For example, Hosts are not allowed to have internal locks on bedroom doors per OSE [Office of Special Enforcement] guidance. The city also requires hosts to certify compliance with several confusing city codes and does not allow hosts in private homes to rent their whole space while they are away.”

Yedinsky stated the company met with local officials but were unable to reach agreements to comb out compliance issues. He added that would-be hosts have been complaining to AirBNB about this situation, which includes a requirement to “share sensitive information about their household with OSE in violation of their right to privacy under the Fourth Amendment.”

Booking.com

Yedinsky called the city’s regulatory demands a “de facto ban on short-term rentals” and noted three local hosts have filed separate lawsuits against the city. The office of Mayor Eric Adams has not publicly commented on the lawsuits.

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