In this case, a landlord had her home sublet by her tenant without her permission on the AIRBNB platform for 534 days during 2016 and 2017, enabling her to collect €51,936.61.
This is a landmark decision in that it will put a definitive end to unlawful behaviour on the AIRBNB platform that could have harmed owners, users of the platform, property managers and hoteliers, all of whom I have defended for many years.
From now on, illegal activities will no longer be profitable for the platform, and if it does not control them, it will have to assume the prejudicial consequences, which amount to colossal sums. This decision was expected, it had to happen.
This decision is the fruit of a legal adventure lasting several years aimed at making the AIRBNB platform more accountable by allowing owners to recover illegal rents and by allowing any victim to sue the platform in the event of damage committed through its intermediary.
AIRBNB can no longer avail itself of the status of content host, which was not applicable to it and which enabled it to enrich itself through illegal activities.
The legal basis existed to make the web giants accountable, and the courts, guarantors of our rule of law, have ensured that it is respected.
The Goldwin team that worked on this case was made up of Jonathan Bellaiche
Here’s what the press had to say about it:
