The US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Airbnb on Friday, accusing the company of housing discrimination under the Fair Housing Act.
The case stems from an incident where a landlord, Jarrod Blake, allegedly refused to rent an apartment to Charisse Ylitalo, a mother of three school-aged children, in Huntsville, Alabama, in late 2020.
The complaint, filed in San Francisco federal court, says Blake refused the rental, claiming the apartment was not suitable for children.
The lawsuit alleges that Airbnb’s platform allows hosts to label properties inappropriate for children ages 2 to 12 or infants under 2, which the Justice Department argues violates the Fair Housing Act’s prohibition on family status discrimination.
Airbnb, while declining to comment on the lawsuit, reiterated its commitment to welcoming families and said no marital status discrimination is allowed on its platform.
Ylitalo was looking for a temporary rental while her family prepared to move to Hawaii, where her husband had secured a new job.
The complaint states that Airbnb informed Ylitalo that hosts are not required to accept children and advised her to find another rental.
This led the family to rent a property located an hour’s drive from Huntsville, causing considerable upheaval.
The situation eventually led to Ylitalo’s husband returning to his former, lower-paying job in an attempt to soften the impact of the move.
The lawsuit seeks damages and an injunction requiring Airbnb to take steps to prevent future discriminatory practices. The case, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, is identified as US v Airbnb Inc et al, No. 25-00348.
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