Airbnb Is Being Sued For Incentivizing Renters To Violate Their Lease

Airbnb Is Being Sued

Airbnb Is Being Sued For Incentivizing Renters To Violate Their Lease

Another day, another lawsuit!  This one is a gem though, apparently from an apartment management company that probably just wants to get some free press coverage and take their anger out on somebody other than the people they rent to.  The company, Apartment Investment & Management Company (Aimco), is suing in California and Florida because it says that the company is deliberately encouraging people to break their lease.

In a statement by Aimco in relation to the lawsuit, the company said,

Aimco strives to provide exceptional customer service and to offer residents a safe living environment free from disruption.  All prospective Aimco residents undergo criminal background checks and credit history reviews before their acceptance as qualified renters.  When approved, Aimco residents sign the company’s Good Neighbor Policy as part of their lease – a promise of good behavior and consideration for their neighbors.  By contrast, those assisted by Airbnb to use Aimco property in violation of the Aimco lease are trespassers, with unvetted personal histories, and no vested interest in maintaining a peaceful community atmosphere.  On several occasions, these Airbnb supported trespassers have created safety, noise and nuisance concerns for Aimco’s lawful residents, including incidents of public drunkenness and fighting requiring police assistance.

The statement claims that the company contacted Airbnb in August, October, and December that some of the listings on the website represented lease violations, but that Airbnb has continued facilitating the “illicit subletting of apartments.”

In response to the lawsuit, Airbnb called it an “attack on the middle class by powerful interests” and that it “is wholly without merit.”

Now, this is pretty interesting and quite honestly, this management company seems rather absurd to be going after Airbnb.  Is their expectation that Airbnb should real through each individual’s lease to determine whether listing the property on their website would be in violation of that person’s lease?  My honest opinion is that the onus is on the renter to ensure that they are not in violation of their lease.  If a resident violates their lease and the building/company finds out about it, they should go after the resident if that is what they want to do.

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