August 9, 2016
A couple rented out their Lower East Side apartment on Airbnb for the better part of July, and returned to find that more than $5,000 worth of their belongings had been lifted. Cops believe the Airbnb guest stole the goods, including a Louis Vuitton purse, an iPad, and a hair straightener. Police are investigating the alleged grand larceny, which they say took place some time between July 8th and when the hosts returned home on July 30th. It’s worth noting that renting out an entire apartment for fewer than 30 days is technically illegal under the city’s Multiple Dwelling Law. This hasn’t stopped Airbnb users in NYC from doing so, though—according to a partial Airbnb data dump late last year, 55% of all NYC hosts were renting out their entire apartments as of last December. Also in July, Airbnb guests reportedly lifted a combined $28,400 in possessions from two Williamsburg Airbnbs, in separate incidents. In one, a 25-year-old host living on Ten Eyck Street reported that her $800 Canada Goose parka, MacBook laptop, Samsung TV and $3,000 dollar Celine handbag had been stolen, valued collectively at $5,850. The other host, who lives in a Kent Avenue loft, reported an even more valuable theft: a phone, a kindle, a $10,000 camera, two Chanel bags, Chanel perfume, and jewelry, among other miscellaneous items, totaling $22,550….
Source: http://gothamist.com/2016/08/09/airbnb_robberies_nyc.php
Menu