I don't think AirBNB actually claims this guy doesn't exist - that's a clickbait gimmick. What they do claim is that he's in the minority, which I believe is true.
I'm an AirBNB host in NYC and I know a lot of other people who are too. We're all exactly the kind of people AirBNB wants -- we have places that occasionally are available/empty, and AirBNB has become a great way for us to make a few extra $$. I personally don't make a dime of profit off my place (I do, however, offset a good portion of my rent).
I know the bad actors exist, and I know we do need some form of compromise between "No AirBNB!" and "AirBNB free-for-all". Not sure what the perfect solution is just yet, but I m confident a good one can be found.
* Sub-leasing is legal in NYC, for medium-term rentals. You are free to sub-lease your place during your month in europe, you are not free to sub-lease it nightly to transients.
* Owner-occupied Bed-and-Breakfasts are legal, but carefully regulated.
If AirBnB restricted itself to listings in these two (completely legal) categories, no one would object to them.
I'm an AirBNB host in NYC and I know a lot of other people who are too. We're all exactly the kind of people AirBNB wants -- we have places that occasionally are available/empty, and AirBNB has become a great way for us to make a few extra $$. I personally don't make a dime of profit off my place (I do, however, offset a good portion of my rent).
I know the bad actors exist, and I know we do need some form of compromise between "No AirBNB!" and "AirBNB free-for-all". Not sure what the perfect solution is just yet, but I m confident a good one can be found.