Airbnb sparks controversy by removing listings in the occupied West Bank from its website November 20, 2018 Online rental service Airbnb has said it will remove from its website all homes in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The US firm said it made the decision because settlements were "at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians". Airbnb said that while domestic law permitted it to "engage in business" in the [...]
Fix the housing crisis and save the high street at the same time November 15, 2018 Two "crises" have dominated the headlines in the last year. The first is the pressure on housing, the challenges of the rental market, and the soaring cost of living, especially in big cities. The second is the so-called “death of the high street”, as shopping habits change and the retail sector struggles to keep up. [...]
Airbnb facing enquiry from HMRC over UK activity October 8, 2018 Online short-term rentals giant Airbnb is facing enquiries from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) about its tax situation. The company said in a note published on Companies House that it had been contacted by HMRC "regarding the application of tax laws or regulations" impacting its business. This is in addition to facing tax inquiries and proceedings about its [...]
DEBATE: Can traditional small-state conservatives justify imposing a new digital tax? October 3, 2018 Debate: Can traditional small-state conservatives justify imposing a new digital tax? YES, says Waqar Riaz, head of data-driven marketing at Cheil Europe. Few can argue with the idea that big business should pay its fair share towards public services like the NHS or education. Yet, as business has become increasingly global in nature, legislation has failed to [...]
Bereft of new ideas, Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party is dead set on sticking its head in the sand October 3, 2018 One of the most dispiriting aspects of the Labour Party conference, which ended last week, is how deeply conservative the political left has become. Its remedies for Britain’s problems look to the past and not the future. Far from embracing new technology, the left is hostile to it. This was not always the case. Labour [...]
Airbnb reveals its UK tax bill amid Tory calls for a digital services tax October 2, 2018 Airbnb paid just shy of £600,000 in UK tax last year, City A.M. can reveal, as chancellor Philip Hammond raises calls for a unilateral digital services tax on tech firms. In financial accounts seen by City A.M. and due to be published on Companies House later this week, Airbnb paid just £596,992 in corporate tax in the year [...]
Surge in Airbnb for business trips as travellers prefer flat rentals to hotels July 17, 2015 Do business travellers prefer Airbnb? The flat rental site has become a popular lodging option for cheap getaways – but now it seems Airbnb is on the rise for business trips as well. Rather than using it to source wacky budget holidays – whether you fancy an Alaskan cabin in the woods or a Mongolian [...]
“Upmarket Airbnb” Onefinestay beds $40m funding from hotel group Hyatt, Intel Capital and others June 29, 2015 A London startup which offers Airbnb style rentals with the full service of a top end hotel has bedded $40m (£25.5m) in funding to fuel expansion. Global hotelier Hyatt has invested in the London-founded startup, along with Intel Capital, Quadrant Capital Advisors and angel investors Joss Kent, Richard Chen, and Mark Dempsters, in the series [...]
Londoners can now rent out their spare rooms using AirBnB, thanks to a change in rules May 26, 2015 It is now completely legal for Londoners to let out spare rooms using sites such as AirBnB, thanks to a change in rules. Until now, you could be slapped with a £20,000 fine for renting part of your home out for fewer than 90 nights without getting planning permission first, but everyone is now [...]
Airbnb is about to muscle in on the professional property management business May 19, 2015 Flat rental site Airbnb may have built its reputation on the sharing economy – but with a valuation of about $20bn, it was only a matter of time before it got into the professional property management business. Read more: Escape it all – the 21 most deliciously remote Airbnb rentals Now, it's been reported the [...]