Airbnb sued by US DOJ after mother with children denied rental

Rental was refused in 2020 due to claims that an apartment in Huntsville, Alabama, wasn’t suitable for children.

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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 host, Jarrod Blake, allegedly refused to rent an apartment to Charisse Ylitalo, a mother with three school-age children, in Huntsville, Alabama, in late 2020.

The complaint, filed in San Francisco federal court, states that Blake rejected the rental, claiming the apartment was not suitable for children.

The lawsuit alleges that Airbnb's platform allows hosts to designate properties as unsuitable for children aged 2 to 12 or infants under age 2, which the Department of Justice argues violates the Fair Housing Act’s prohibition on discrimination based on familial status.

Airbnb, while declining to comment on the lawsuit, reiterated its commitment to welcoming families and stated that discrimination based on familial status is not permitted on its platform.

Ylitalo had been seeking a temporary rental while her family prepared for a move to Hawaii, where her husband had secured a new job.

The complaint details that Airbnb informed Ylitalo that hosts are not obligated to accept children and advised her to find another rental.

This led to the family renting a property located an hour’s drive from Huntsville, causing significant disruptions.

The situation ultimately led to Ylitalo's husband returning to his former, lower-paying job in an effort to mitigate 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 U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, is identified as US v Airbnb Inc et al, No. 25-00348.