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How Airbnb Earned Me $20,000 And A Restraining Order From My Landlord

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11–20 of 152 posts

Re: How Airbnb Earned Me $20,000 And A Restraining Order From My Landlord

#12
post #7

Again and again, people who use Airbnb to 'hack' the rental market get little sympathy from me when the chickens come to roost. If your landlord was interested in running a tenement home/boarding house/hotel, they wouldn't sign you into a year-long lease. Also, and I know this has been hashed out before on these comment threads but he's grossing $30k a year on the back of his landlord. The landlord has every right to…

"If your landlord was interested in running a tenement home/boarding house/hotel" - then he would have to staff it himself too, promote it and take the risk of no bookings. With a tenant he has someone making sure the place is looked after + he has a contracted income for the whole 12 months.

By the sound of this place, the landlord could probably do quite well out of airbnb. But in that case, why not just approach the guy and cut a deal or explain that he wants him out to rent the place himself?

Re: How Airbnb Earned Me $20,000 And A Restraining Order From My Landlord

#14
post #7

Again and again, people who use Airbnb to 'hack' the rental market get little sympathy from me when the chickens come to roost. If your landlord was interested in running a tenement home/boarding house/hotel, they wouldn't sign you into a year-long lease. Also, and I know this has been hashed out before on these comment threads but he's grossing $30k a year on the back of his landlord. The landlord has every right to…

I'm not even sure he was looking for sympathy. There's very little 'woe is me' in this story. I read it as a cautionary tale more than anything.

Re: How Airbnb Earned Me $20,000 And A Restraining Order From My Landlord

#15
post #7

Again and again, people who use Airbnb to 'hack' the rental market get little sympathy from me when the chickens come to roost. If your landlord was interested in running a tenement home/boarding house/hotel, they wouldn't sign you into a year-long lease. Also, and I know this has been hashed out before on these comment threads but he's grossing $30k a year on the back of his landlord. The landlord has every right to…

Shocked? He wrote: "My landlord had caught on..." and "The Airbnb printout looked idiotically flagrant..."

He seems quite aware of his position.

Re: How Airbnb Earned Me $20,000 And A Restraining Order From My Landlord

#16
post #12
post #7

Again and again, people who use Airbnb to 'hack' the rental market get little sympathy from me when the chickens come to roost. If your landlord was interested in running a tenement home/boarding house/hotel, they wouldn't sign you into a year-long lease. Also, and I know this has been hashed out before on these comment threads but he's grossing $30k a year on the back of his landlord. The landlord has every right to…

"If your landlord was interested in running a tenement home/boarding house/hotel" - then he would have to staff it himself too, promote it and take the risk of no bookings. With a tenant he has someone making sure the place is looked after + he has a contracted income for the whole 12 months. By the sound of this place, the landlord could probably do quite well out of airbnb. But in that case, why not just approach t…

Yes, though if the landlord had a hand in the operation I'd imagine it would have to be a legal business. This means taxes, insurance, wages, administration costs, permits that probably make it more trouble than its worth.

Re: How Airbnb Earned Me $20,000 And A Restraining Order From My Landlord

#17
post #8
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But people violate leases in little ways all the time. As long as the renters didn't cause any additional problems, I don't see what the big deal is.

$20,000 isn't "little ways".

I don't understand why the amount is important. He did not cause $20,000 in damages to the landlord. At most, he did $20,000 in damages to the hotel down the street.

Re: How Airbnb Earned Me $20,000 And A Restraining Order From My Landlord

#18
In general, I'd have to agree this is a clear violation of his lease and doesn't deserve sympathy, but have you guys seen the piles and piles of legalese in these New York City leases? The lease itself doesn't deserve sympathy! For example, my lease last year from a private landlord even stipulated I'm not allowed to go to court and must use arbitration instead. I didn't think through it well, but next time I'll know better. It didn't become an issue though.

Re: How Airbnb Earned Me $20,000 And A Restraining Order From My Landlord

#19
post #6
post #3

Title should read "How using AirBnB without first consulting my lease earned me $20,000 and a restraining order from my landlord."

But people violate leases in little ways all the time. As long as the renters didn't cause any additional problems, I don't see what the big deal is.

It's not up to you to determine what is a "little" thing and what's a "big" thing. It's up to the people who signed the contract. Apparently, the landlord thinks it's a big thing. In fact, I never met a landlord who didn't. They always verbally specified that I am not to run a boarding house, on top of it being in the lease. Probably because I was a college kid and well, rent to a college kid and you get a boarding house ...

Re: How Airbnb Earned Me $20,000 And A Restraining Order From My Landlord

#20
post #17
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$20,000 isn't "little ways".

I don't understand why the amount is important. He did not cause $20,000 in damages to the landlord. At most, he did $20,000 in damages to the hotel down the street.

No, he didn't. But he did do some damage. That's the nature of property, the more it's used, the more damage it accrues. By having "extra" people in the apartment, the property was being depreciated at a greater rate without compensation to the landlord.
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