A big regulatory victory for Airbnb happened this past Friday: the company has managed to win an appeal in New York City over a fine against a host called Nigel Warren, whose landlord was fined $2,400 in June after Warren rented out a room in his apartment. If the fine had stuck, it would have set a business-threatening precedent for Airbnb in the city. “This decision was a victory for the sharing economy and the countless New Yorkers who make the Airbnb community vibrant and strong. As I said last summer, the sharing economy is here to stay, and so are we,” David Hantman, Airbnb Global Public Policy Director said on Friday in a statement. The key, as Hantman points out, is that “as long as a permanent occupant is present during a stay, the stay does not violate New York’s short term rental laws.”
