Airbnb sued after host refuses to rent to family with children

Airbnb allegedly told the would-be renter that hosts aren't required to accept children and recommended that she look for housing elsewhere.

The suit alleges Airbnb violated the Fair Housing Act

The U.S. Justice Department has sued Airbnb for housing discrimination after a host refused to rent an apartment to a mother with three school-age children.

The department filed the lawsuit in San Francisco, claiming Airbnb violated the Fair Housing Act. The issue began when a host, Jarrod Blake, told Charisse Ylitalo that the apartment was not suitable for children.

The complaint alleges that Airbnb allows hosts to mark properties as unsuitable for children, which is discriminatory. Airbnb says it does not support discrimination and prohibits such practices, but the government is seeking damages and an order to prevent further discrimination.

Ylitalo said she had been looking for a temporary rental while her family prepared to move to Hawaii, where he husband had a new job. The complaint says that Airbnb advised Yitalo that hosts are not obligated to accept children and advised to look somewhere else. 

She said she wound up renting a property an hour's drive away, which was a significant disruption in her life.