

Save Airbnb in New York - kingofspain

Just had this email through from Airbnb:<p>Dear XXX,<p>I&#x27;m writing to ask you to help save Airbnb in New York.<p>As a guest who has stayed with a New York Host, you know how unique and local an experience that is. And you also know the majority of our hosts are just regular people making ends meet by renting out their own homes.<p>Now, that experience is under threat.<p>The New York Attorney General has subpoenaed the records of almost all of our New York hosts. We are fighting the subpoena with all we&#x27;ve got, but poorly written laws make for even worse enforcement. Unless you help to stop it once and for all, the laws may never get better and the threat to our New York community will continue.<p>A petition to change New York law already has over 40,000 signatures, and an Airbnb host, Mishelle, has pledged to personally deliver it to the New York Senate. Our goal is 50,000 signatures. We think with this many signatures, they will have to change the law.<p>Sign Mishelle&#x27;s petition to change the NY law and Save Airbnb.<p>Thank you for standing with our New York hosts. We can create a new world where people can feel at home, anywhere. Let&#x27;s create that world together.<p>Thank you for signing,<p>Douglas Atkin
Global Head of Community
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tokenadult
Disclaimer: I have not been a customer of Airbnb at any time, and it has been
a long time since I have traveled to New York City. As one member of the
general public among many here, why should I (or anyone) sign a petition to
ask for a law change to favor a particular for-profit business? What's the
general public benefit of favoring one business rather than another in New
York's pattern of regulation of short-term-stay businesses?

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mynewwork
I don't see how this is "favoring one business rather than another". Isn't
this just "A lot of people like and want X, therefore the law should allow X"?

I (as random citizen who neither uses airbnb nor owns a hotel) don't see this
at all as favoring a business as you suggest, I see it as giving people the
freedom to exchange goods and services as they want.

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calbear81
I'm not sure that I believe that a petition with "many signatures" will force
them to "have to change the law". Even if that were the case, the email says
this person stayed with a New York host, they are most likely not New York
residents themselves so how is this any leverage against politicians since
your vote doesn't matter to them.

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andrew_gardener
What law(s) do they want to change even? The email is very vague in that
regard.

