An “unscrupulous” Airbnb host is being sued by the city after he allegedly converted four apartments into illegal hotel listings that misled renters, placing them in hazardous living conditions, according to the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement (OSE).
The lawsuit was brought against David Schuchter De Oliveira by OSE on behalf of 10 unnamed plaintiffs who detailed horror stories of being duped into staying in illegally converted apartments in Manhattan, sometimes with dozens of other guests at the same time. Schuchter De Oliveira rents, but does not own the apartments, three of which are located in rent-stabilized buildings, per a city spokeswoman.
One plaintiff, David, said he was led to believe he was renting a room in a young couple’s guest bedroom with quality amenities and access to a shared living space, bathroom and kitchen.
“I first sensed something dubious about the host/listing when the key pick-up instructions sent me on a clandestine mission, several blocks from the apartment, to pick up keys from inside a small lockbox attached to a public telephone booth,” he said, adding that he realized it was an illegal Airbnb as soon as he walked into the apartment.
David said the two-bedroom unit had been converted into a hostel-like hotel with five bedrooms, each with their own lock, one bathroom and no common areas.
“Each bedroom was furnished to sleep up to six people, except for the kitchen which had been converted into a bedroom with a single bed,” he added.
7 comments:
This is it. Airbnb must be destroyed. This proves that the ratio of veral opportunistic scumbag "hosts" to honest people trying to earn extra money on the side (airbnb's spurious claim) is incomparably high.
If there really needs to be a full on sting on Airbnb abusers, they should check out Averne in Rockaway Beach, Bushwick and and towns east of Main Street along the 7 line. Although I would not be surprised if there was a glut of violating landlords in Flushing, since that town has become hip now, believe it or not.
GOOD!
Nail the SOB!
Many people have said this but we need MORE enforcement NOT less !! Practically every other neighborhood in Queens has at least dozens of cases similar to this one. UBER is hard to stop but AirB&B can be stopped.
>This proves that the ratio of veral opportunistic scumbag "hosts" to honest people trying to earn extra money on the side (airbnb's spurious claim) is incomparably high.
How does one example prove that?
Even 100 examples wouldn't prove that, you'd need a widespread study.
Genius solutions for everyday problems:
Get a list of Airbnb abusers, the ones that want to warehouse foreign travelers like
JFK during a snowstorm.
Refer this list to the Department of Homeless Services.
Airbnb + Homeless = a win for all
The landlord will be cured of his greed with the constant repairs he'll need on his apartments.
The homeless will be incentivized to find an apartment and job to get out of the cruddy rathole passing as housing.
...you're welcome!
Harry Haller
"How does one example prove that?
Even 100 examples wouldn't prove that, you'd need a widespread study."
I am not capable of doing a widespread study being a layman commentor on a local blog, but just the fact that this scumlord put a mattress in a kitchen and passed it as a motel room just proves Airbnb still aren't vetting their hosts accounts. Because they clearly don't give a shit.
I am going to do a post on Assholebnb soon, it will have links of other cities worldwide that this cancerous app is fucking with.
I can give you two other examples, Jona Rechnitz, de Blasio's first agent and former donor and buddy ran an illegal airbnb hostel that the DOB ignored for a while and there was a building on 31st and 5th that was shut down recently.
NYC should be banned Airbnb (and any other heavily populated area), plain and simple. This bullshit "shared economy" is TOTAL CRAP and people have been fooled into this shit, because the only true winners are the ones that own Airbnb, Uber, etc.
A total scam being thrown at folks.
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