Last month, we reported that Opendoor — the startup that is taking on the real estate industry with its own platform for buying up homes and selling them on to interested buyers — filed to raise $200 million on a $3.7 billion valuation. Now, we can confirm that the round has closed, and it has […]
View More Opendoor raises $300M on a $3.8B valuation for its home marketplaceCategory: housing
Paris is suing Airbnb for illegal listings
Paris is one of the most popular destinations for Airbnb, but the city’s authorities are at odds with the company.
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, announced on Sunday the city would be suing Airbnb to the tune of $14 million, due to the alleged listing of 1,000 illegal rentals.
SEE ALSO: No, you can’t hide a security camera in your Airbnb rental photos and call that ‘disclosure’
Hidalgo made the announcement in French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, and said she didn’t take issue with Parisians who rent their home “a few days a year,” but those who treat it like a business.
“The problem is the multi-owners who rent all year round apartments to tourists without declaring them, and the platforms, accomplices, who welcome them,” she said. Read more…
More about Paris, Airbnb, Housing, Big Tech Companies, and Tech
View More Paris is suing Airbnb for illegal listingsWhy you need a supercomputer to build a house
When the hell did building a house become so complicated? Don’t let the folks on HGTV fool you. The process of building a home nowadays is incredibly painful. Just applying for the necessary permits can be a soul-crushing undertaking that’ll have you running around the city, filling out useless forms, and waiting in motionless lines […]
View More Why you need a supercomputer to build a houseWhy Japan’s giving out free homes, and how you can get one
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Ever dreamed about moving to Japan? The prospect is more enticing than ever because Japan is giving out homes for free, or at a very low price. It may sound too good to be true, but it’s not. There’s just one thing you’re going to need first, and there may be a catch. Read more…
More about Mashable Video, Japan, Housing, Population Decline, and Lifestyle
Airbnb pledges $10 million to New York charities
Airbnb this morning announced the launch of A Fair Share. The initiative promises to donate $10 million to seven organizations, including The New York Immigration Coalition, New York Mortgage Coalition, New York State Rural Housing Coalition Inc., Win, GMHC, CSNYC and Abyssinian Development Corporation. It’s not all just a goodwill gesture, however. As The New […]
View More Airbnb pledges $10 million to New York charitiesArchitects are building floating neighborhoods on city canals to create affordable housing for students
In Copenhagen, Urban Rigger is building affordable student housing out of shipping containers that float in the city’s canals. Read more…More about Mashable Video, Architecture, Denmark, Student, and Housing
View More Architects are building floating neighborhoods on city canals to create affordable housing for studentsRobots can build entire cities almost for free. These architects are making it happen.
Manuel Jimenez Garcia and Gilles Retsin are literally setting the foundations for an architecture of the future. They are co-founders of the Design Computation Lab at The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, where they work with…
View More Robots can build entire cities almost for free. These architects are making it happen.New York City report pins millions in rent hikes on Airbnb
A report from the New York City Comptroller’s office asserts that New York residents are paying hundreds of millions in extra rent linked to the effects of Airbnb. Naturally, the company bitterly rejects these findings.
View More New York City report pins millions in rent hikes on AirbnbRhino is getting rid of security deposits for rental apartments
Arguably the most frustrating part of renting an apartment, especially in an expensive city like New York, is dealing with the security deposit. One startup wants to make renting easier by getting rid of security deposits, with a solution that is beneficial for both renters and landlords. Here’s how it works: For a monthly fee Rhino provides your landlord with an insurance policy which… Read More
Letgo takes on Craigslist with addition of housing listings
Everyone wants to be the Craigslist killer. In November, Facebook expanded its Marketplace section to include partners’ housing rentals alongside secondhand merchandise, and today the number three shopping app letgo is doing the same. The company says that, starting today, its tens of millions of users can now quickly snap a few photos and add a description to list a housing rental or… Read More
Security robots are being used to ward off San Francisco’s homeless population
Is it worse if a robot instead of a human is used to deter the homeless from setting up camp outside places of business?
One such bot cop recently took over the outside of the San Francisco SPCA, an animal advocacy and pet adoption clinic in the city’s Mission district, to deter homeless people from hanging out there — causing some people to get very upset.
Silicon Valley game… Read More