Airbnb Clashes With Paris Housing Chief Over Ban Threat – Reports

The company’s response was apparently prompted by the city official’s intent to prevent Paris from being turned into what he described as an “open-air museum.”

An Airbnb representative has blasted a Parisian city council member, Ian Brossat, over his alleged attempts to ban the company’s activities in Paris.

"I know from surveys and polling that we are exceptionally popular in France at large and in Paris. Maybe not as popular as Mbappe, but we're really popular," Chris Lehane, Airbnb's head of policy, told AFP. "I've never been asked to be a political consultant to him (Brossat).  But taking on an issue where 20 percent of the people support you and 80 percent of the people oppose you is not a winning political hand."

Lehane’s comments came in response to Ian Brossat claiming last week that he would seek to outlaw home rentals in central Paris because services like Airbnb were allegedly forcing out residents.

Brossat also declared that he wanted to stop Paris from becoming an "open-air museum."

According to AFP, Brossat, who is expected to head up the French Communist party in the upcoming European Parliament elections, has a history of criticizing the rental company, and has even published a book called "Airbnb, the Uberized City."