Suddenly, the business practices of Airbnb seem to be under attack in many locations—including one of the company's most lucrative markets.

Katie Benner reports: "Hours after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York signed a bill that would impose steep fines on Airbnb hosts who break local housing regulations, Airbnb filed a federal lawsuit contending the new law would cause it 'irreparable harm.'"
"The heightened battle in New York follows lawsuits that Airbnb has filed against its hometown San Francisco and in Santa Monica, Calif., which have both moved to fine the company for illegal listings," according to Benner, in a gesture to the broad scope of Airbnb's legal battles. Airbnb has also been banned in Berlin, while fighting legal battles in Amsterdam and Barcelona. One exception is the city of New Orleans, which recently legalized (with strings attached) Airbnb rentals in much of the city.
However, given New York City's huge market for short-term rentals, the "New York law is particularly worrisome for Airbnb," according to Benner. Airbnb's legal complaint "the company contends that the law violates the company’s constitutional rights to free speech and due process, as well as the protection it is afforded under the Communications Decency Act, a federal law that says websites cannot be held accountable for content published by their users."
The article includes a lot more detail about the political battles and negotiations leading up the state's adoption of the law, as well as a preview of the battles to come.
Joshua Brustein and Christian Berthelsen provide additional coverage of the new law and the resulting lawsuit in a separate article for Bloomberg.
FULL STORY: Airbnb Sues Over New Law Regulating New York Rentals

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Opinion: Transit Agencies Must View Service Cuts as Last Resort
Reducing service could cripple transit systems by pushing more riders to consider car ownership, making future recovery even less certain.

‘Smart Surfaces’ Policy Guide Offers Advice for Building and Maintaining Urban Tree Canopies
Healthy, robust tree canopies can reduce the impacts of extreme heat and improve air quality.

New Jersey Lawsuit Targets Rent-Setting Algorithms
The state of New Jersey is taking legal action against landlords and companies that engage in what the state’s Attorney General alleges is illegal rent fixing.
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