Prostitutes are using Airbnb- a website where people can rent their homes to temporary lodgers- to service their clients as an alternative to pricey hotels
A 21-year-old call girl told the New York Post that the escort service she works for uses Manhattan apartments rented through the website.
"It's more discreet and much cheaper than The Waldorf," the woman, who did not reveal her name, told the newspaper. "Hotels have doormen and cameras. They ask questions. Apartments are usually buzz-in."
The escort service is able to keep its operation a secret by having employees use their own Airbnb accounts to rent apartments. The lodgings, mostly in Manhattan's Financial District or Midtown, cost $200 to $400 per day and are charged to prepaid debit cards.
"[They] probably save $200 to $300 a night by not getting a hotel," the call girl told the NY Post. "It's really good for business."
In addition to apartments, Airbnb allows people to rent out places like boats and tree houses across 192 countries, according to its website.
But the service's reputation has been tainted by the alleged sexual encounters.
Jessica Penzari, a publicist, told the NY Post she unknowingly rented her West 43rd Street apartment to a woman who was looking for a place to service her clients.
"She told me that she was in the Army and needed a place to hang out before she got shipped out," said Penzari, who rented out her apartment from March 21 to 23.
Penzari received a call from the police about a woman who got cut by a client over a disagreement about the price of his "massage." Penzari came home to find leftovers from the escapades, including "at least 10 condoms," the NY Post reported.
Airbnb, which is currently under investigation for unrelated charges of hotel tax evasion, said it is working with the NYPD to look into the alleged scandal.
"The entire hospitality industry deals with issues like this, and we have zero tolerance for this activity," the company said according to the newspaper.
