[stfsbrb]

Amazing that you got downvoted for this. The comments in this thread which are cheerleading "disruption" are completely glossing over the issues of taxes and regulations. Other startups are out there making good faith attempts at following the law and competing fairly. Why does HN seem so eager to collectively give AirBnB a free pass?

[miguelrochefort]

These new services simply make the regulation and taxation issues more and more obvious. You can't stop technology, you can't stop innovation. Once you acknowledge that, you realize that laws have to adapt to new realities.

[crdoconnor]

Um, why exactly can't Airbnb help its hosts abide by the laws?

It's a $250 tax. It does not exactly seem onerous to have them provide a reminder and a simple 1, 2, 3... list of how to make sure that they are legal in the area they are hosting in. Maybe even a way to pay directly as part of signing up.

In this instance, it's really not the law that needs to adapt to reality, it's airbnb.

[BrentRitterbeck]

Exactly! Just because you have an idea for changing things doesn't mean that you operate in a vacuum where real-world rules don't apply anymore. This seems like something that's going to involve some negotiating, some real face-to-face time. They're going to have to get out from behind a few monitors to solve this problem.

[chm]

In a healthy system, that's what should happen.

In the meanwhile, people should pay their taxes!

[jacquesm]

> Why does HN seem so eager to collectively give AirBnB a free pass?

It may have something to do with AirBnB being one of the two top YC backed companies (the other is dropbox).