‘Wolf of Airbnb’ accused of running illegal rental out of posh NYC padBy Priscilla DeGregory
March 21, 2022
A flashy wheeler-dealer who calls himself the “Wolf of Airbnb” has been carrying out an illegal short-term rental scheme in a luxury Midtown Manhattan condo building, new court papers allege.
Konrad Bicher, 30 – who has been targeted over similar issues in about 20 other cases – was slapped with the new Manhattan lawsuit for allegedly using a 450 W. 42nd St. rental unit to host illegal stays through Airbnb and offering up the posh pad even on an hourly basis for music videos and photo shoots.
Bicher’s “modus operandi is to enter into leases for Manhattan residential apartments or, as here, worm his way into occupancy, and run a type of ‘bust-out’ operation,” according to Monday’s supreme-court lawsuit seeking more than $1.5 million.
“That includes renting the apartment out as a profit center through Airbnb, Peerspace and other similar platforms for short-term rentals, failing to pay rent, using the pandemic and laws related thereto to delay any proceedings, and to vacate on the point of eviction,” the filing alleges.
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2022/03/21/wolf-of-airbnb-accused-of-running-illegal-rental-out-of-nyc-pad/
