By Cecillia Kang | The New York Times
Chris Lehane, Airbnb’s head of global policy, appeared on Thursday before hundreds of American mayors with an enticing pitch: Team up with us to collect millions of dollars in taxes for you.
On Wednesday, however, the head of the hotel industry’s lobbying group had sent the same audience a very different message: Airbnb isn’t a good partner; it is breaking your city laws.
The heated battle between Airbnb, the popular room-sharing app, and the hotel industry is playing out in city halls across the country, including those in New York and Los Angeles, which have either passed or are considering restrictions on the service.
