Its about liability and protection of the other people in the building. This type of law has a long history and a lot of things can go very wrong. This is a totally different story from Uber and the taxi industry.
I'm not sure it's all that different from Uber and the taxi industry:
* The medallion system gives owners something significant to lose it they become scofflaws, and while we all have horror stories about cab drivers, anyone who's traveled to Asia (or, for that matter, Italy) knows that we have relatively well-behaved drivers, even in the cohorts selected for worst incentives.
* The taxi companies are required to comply with rules that make taxis part of the fabric of transportation for the whole city (for instance, they're usually required to serve every destination within the city). Uber does not need to comply with these rules, and thus threatens not just cab companies but the transportation system as a whole.
I see your point and I guess I went a little far using "totally". In my mind, the governing factor in the taxi stories is a government created scarcity that results in some serious monopolies ($100,000 medallions). There is also a rather larger segment of private transportation other than cabs. The hotel / motel rules are less about scarcity than a history of really, really bad things happening.
People's homes are a pretty big issue in when threatened by neighbors that can destroy everything you own. People get the possibility of a car accident even if it can be much, much worse.
I'm reminded of that incident where the Uber driver hit & killed a kid, and the way Uber dropped the driver like a hot rock. After all, they've got nothing to lose!
Why does it need to be a criminal issue though instead of merely a civil contract law issue?
I would imagine that each landlord and each homeowner's association could come to their own agreements on what is and is not acceptable without the need for laws on the books.
"Why does it need to be a criminal issue though instead of merely a civil contract law issue?"
I get the feeling it is more the origin of the law as a business regulation that drives the criminal part. I too wish more things were handled as basic contract law issues.
I can understand not being pumped about having random people come and go if your neighbor is leasing out their place on a site like this regularly. As a traveler I like the service though.
