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Millions in uncollected taxes. Numerous lawsuits. Alleged misinformation campaigns.
Airbnb is engaged in a “block-by-block guerrilla war” against local governments, per interviews with 20 city officials, hosts, and experts. Let's break it down: 1/ wired.trib.al/XLuKb1L
Airbnb is engaged in a “block-by-block guerrilla war” against local governments, per interviews with 20 city officials, hosts, and experts. Let's break it down: 1/ wired.trib.al/XLuKb1L
Airbnb is the undeniable giant of the short-term rental industry. The majority of listings in the US are on its site. The company has spent millions of dollars fighting regulations in the short-term rental sphere. 2/ wired.trib.al/XLuKb1L 
In the past 5 months alone, Airbnb has spent nearly $1M to overturn regulations in San Diego & has sued Boston, Miami, and Palm Beach over rules that require Airbnb to collect taxes or remove illegal listings. Officials say it's hurting communities. 3/ wired.trib.al/XLuKb1L
Last year, San Diego passed new rules regulating vacation rentals and requiring companies like Airbnb to charge taxes. Airbnb shelled out quite a bit opposing those regulations. Follow the money: 4/ wired.trib.al/XLuKb1L
Airbnb has worked to strip cities of their ability to pass ordinances regulating short-term rentals. Case in point: Nashville. Airbnb helped draft a TN law that did just that, donated to the bill's sponsor and spent $225K-$350K lobbying for its passage. 5/ wired.trib.al/XLuKb1L
Palm Beach County tax collector Gannon has been cajoling, threatening, and ordering Airbnb to collect taxes for its hosts since 2014. Five years, three lawsuits, and millions in unpaid occupancy taxes later, she’s still trying. 6/ wired.trib.al/XLuKb1L
Airbnb maintains that in most places it isn't responsible for charging guests occupancy taxes (like hotels do). They say that's hosts' problem. But hosts say they can't ask guests to pay extra at check-in without them thinking they're being scammed. 7/ wired.trib.al/XLuKb1L
As Airbnb's popularity soars, all those missing tax dollars from guests that would have stayed at hotels or B&Bs adds up, exacerbating issues for cities that depend on those funds for public works projects. 8/ wired.trib.al/XLuKb1L
