A Manhattan real estate brokerage raked in more than $21 million by using Airbnb to illegally rent out at least 130 apartments — including an entire building in East Harlem, according to a suit filed by the city on Monday.
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration says that five current and former employees of the Metropolitan Property Group, including president Sami Katri, arranged 13,691 stays involving more than 75,000 visitors from 2015 to 2018.
As part of the alleged scam, one broker created “at least 19 distinct Airbnb host accounts” using the names of his wife and her relatives, according to the Manhattan Supreme Court filing.
On Monday evening, The Post found a group of Long Island construction workers waiting to occupy an Airbnb rental at one of the buildings, 230 E. 30th St.
“Our employer got the place for us,” one said.
Katri’s lawyer, Douglas Pick, said Katri and his wife, co-defendant Shely Katri, “have nothing to do with Airbnb.”