(Bloomberg) – Airbnb Inc., the second-most highly valued San Francisco-based startup, is suing its hometown over claims the city's rental restrictions violate protections for internet companies and its free-speech rights.
The company is hoping to avoid thousands of dollars in daily fines it could face when a new San Francisco law takes full effect next month. The law, passed with a 10-0 vote by the city's Board of Supervisors, would require Airbnb to make sure that hosts on its platform have registered with the city.
'Flawed new ordinance'
"While we have attempted to work with the city on sensible, lawful alternatives to this flawed new ordinance, we regret that we are forced to now ask a federal court to intervene in this matter," the company said Monday in a statement. "This is an unprecedented step for Airbnb, and one we do not take lightly, but we believe it's the best way to protect our community of hosts and guests."
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- All PropertyCasualty360.com news coverage, best practices, and in-depth analysis.
- Educational webcasts, resources from industry leaders, and informative newsletters.
- Other award-winning websites including BenefitsPRO.com and ThinkAdvisor.com.
Already have an account? Sign In
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
