‘Wolf of Airbnb’ accused of running illegal rental out of posh NYC pad
A flashy wheeler-dealer who calls himself the “Wolf of Airbnb” has been finishing up an unlawful short-term rental scheme in a luxurious Midtown Manhattan rental constructing, new court docket papers allege.
Konrad Bicher, 30 – who has been focused over related points in about 20 different circumstances – was slapped with the brand new Manhattan lawsuit for allegedly utilizing a 450 W. forty second St. rental unit to host unlawful stays by way of Airbnb and providing up the luxury pad even on an hourly foundation for music movies and picture shoots.
Bicher’s “modus operandi is to enter into leases for Manhattan residential flats or, as right here, worm his approach into occupancy, and run a kind of ‘bust-out’ operation,” in line with Monday’s supreme-court lawsuit in search of greater than $1.5 million.
“That features renting the condominium out as a revenue middle by way of Airbnb, Peerspace and different related platforms for short-term leases, failing to pay hire, utilizing the pandemic and legal guidelines associated thereto to delay any proceedings, and to vacate on the purpose of eviction,” the submitting alleges.
It's towards the regulation in New York Metropolis to hire out a whole condominium for fewer than 30 days in such buildings.
Bicher has beforehand been accused of comparable claims within the different lawsuits, in line with the Actual Deal.
Requested why he calls himself the “Wolf of Airbnb,” Bicher responded in a textual content to the outlet, “The Wolf of Airbnb: It means somebody who's hungry and ruthless sufficient to get on high of the monetary ladder. They examine the ferocity to that of a wolf, as a result of wolves are territorial, vicious and present no mercy when provoked.”
Bicher’s social-media accounts have included pictures of him having fun with non-public jets and unique locales, the outlet mentioned.
The most recent swimsuit towards Bicher was filed by constructing landlord forty second and tenth Associates LLC. It says Haley Frey signed a lease for unit 43B beginning Might 19, 2019, however a number of months later, in August, she added Bicher as an occupant on the condominium and that the pair began working unlawful short-term leases out of it.
The truth is, Frey hasn’t even been within the forty second Avenue constructing because the July 2019 move-in date, the swimsuit claims.
Beginning in November 2019, doormen on the constructing began noticing that friends with suitcases and typically digicam tools had been repeatedly coming and going from the rental – an incidence that saved up for the subsequent couple of years, court docket paperwork allege.
On Might 2, 2020, a visitor didn’t know the title of the one who supposedly lived within the condominium and instructed the doorman they had been staying there by way of Airbnb, the swimsuit says.
Fewer than two weeks later, an individual going to the condominium claimed to be Frey — regardless of the concierge noticing that they didn’t appear like the picture that was on file for the supposed resident, the lawsuit claims.
However the particular person headed to the elevator, claiming, “Konrad mentioned it’s OK,” the doc says.
One other time, on Sept. 3, 2020, somebody requested for the important thing to the unit and shortly after, 16 extra folks got here with digicam tools, the swimsuit claims.
Two extra folks visited in September, prompting the owner to find that Bicher had a list on Peerspace for a $97 hourly rental with a minimal of three hours — and that its 15 critiques included one by an individual who used the pad for a movie shoot, the lawsuit says.
“There was an ever-changing forged of strangers with baggage coming out and in of the condominium for short-term stays,” the submitting alleges. “Defendants would depart notices to constructing personnel that these short-term transients had been their ‘friends,’ and would depart cloned copies of key fobs.”
The constructing notified Frey that solely lease-holders might go away keys for friends, prompting the defendant in an Aug. 5, 2021, e-mail to say that Bicher was her husband, the swimsuit claims.
When constructing administration lastly despatched a cease-and-desist letter to Frey, she responded in a March 4, 2022 e-mail, “Can we work out a settle [sic] settlement to pay me to depart? In any other case, I’ll hold the unit for years and litigate,” the lawsuit alleges.
The landlords are suing Frey and Bicher for $1.5 million plus no less than $10,000 in authorized charges.
In different circumstances, Bicher allegedly claimed he couldn’t afford hire when dealing with eviction proceedings, forcing to be placed on maintain all whereas he was allegedly granted pandemic reduction funds to the tune of $141,875, the swimsuit claims.
An Airbnb spokesperson confirmed that Bicher is not on the platform.
It was unclear if Bicher has a lawyer for Monday’s lawsuit. A lawyer who has repped him in his different circumstances didn’t return a Submit request for remark.
Working telephone numbers for Bicher and Frey couldn’t be discovered.
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