I don't use them mainly because they put pressure on an already problematic property market (UK). Also, I don't want to stay in someone's house, especially if I'm going out with friends, the anonymity of a hotel room is heaven; pop that card on the door handle and close out the world until you've recovered enough to face the scary outside people.
Wasn't there a lawyer lady on reddit that sued Airbnb because she rented a studio unit that had indoor cameras? I following her posts until reddit decided to kill Infinity.
I left Reddit when they announced their API change because their mobile app and mobile web experience suck, and i wasn't confident in them keeping old Reddit around (I hate the new web UI).
Yeah! She didn't get very far with it. They kept running her around in circles. If we're talking about the same one.... I mean that's probably gotta happen a lot, really.
I've used one once by accident (booked through a different website) and it was just someone's spare room, which I found pleasant. Then they charged me for a beer that evening and breakfast the following morning, which I found bizarre. I mean it makes sense but it felt odd.
Was it like "Hey do you want a beer?" Or like... How does that even work? I've never interacted with any of the Hosts at an AirBnB - they never seem to be home, and they clearly go out of the way to avoid me.
They sent me a menu when they confirmed the booking and asked me if I wanted anything when I was there. They'd bought in soy milk I think it was because I'd asked if they had a vegan option, which was nice enough of them. I suppose these must've been the exception rather than the rule then.
They're great for group gatherings, not so much for individuals traveling. So when my family gets together (there's 20+ of us), Airbnb is way better (cheaper, large private gathering space, etc). If it's just us (wife and kids), and hotel room is plenty.
Thanks for your comment. I usually travel alone and was like "why would anyone subject themselves to AirBNB." I appreciate the context and perspective.
I do that anyway while staying there, except for the sheets (takes very little time), and I would probably do it anyway even if not asked (though I'd keep the sheets on the bed) because that's just common decency imo.
When I stay at hotels or rent cars, I do essentially the same thing, and I usually leave a tip because I know the cleaning staff get paid very little.
Same, and they usually don't want me to do anything to the bed. Trash on the way out and didn't be a pig.
There was a very out in the open camera in the living room of an Airbnb that I stayed in once and I really didn't care for it and hadn't noticed it in the listing. But, it was a basement suite of a family's own house and I guess they were just concerned. I started looking for that more specifically but glad to hear Airbnb banned them completely.
Yeah, I think I've only seen a camera inside once or twice, and only in the living room/dining room. Hotels do the same in common areas like hallways and dining areas. It's still not great, but it's at least understandable.
Hotels are often cheaper in destination areas, and you get the convenience of fucking room service. In a lot of destination areas, home ownership has rapidly declined in favor of permanent AirBnB rentals. Because why charge $3000 in rent per month to a tenant, when you can charge $350 per night and have AirBnB guests for 20 nights a month?
But it also means Airbnb has landlords getting even more greedy. Cleaning fees are often used as a way to directly increase the rental cost. Requirements for guests are increasingly restrictive. And the nightly rent is often so exorbitant that you can literally get a hotel and room service for cheaper.
Yeah, there's still plenty of places where AirBnB is competitive. When I'm in cities in France and Germany an apartment tends to cost about the same as a hotel room. Outside of cities hotels tend to cost a lot more.
I have priced out Airbnb vs. hotels quite a few times over the past few years at my spouses request. I have never stayed at any of them as they have always been much more expensive for shittier accomodations. It simply doesn't make any sense to me.
This past christmas, renting 2 hotel rooms at a nice hotel was cheaper than the worst dive of an Airbnb near my in-laws.
Yeah it's gone full-circle like the whole situation with streaming services becoming cable. Funny how the world works so similarly in different places.
I guess it depends on the area. In France, airbnbs are usually cheaper than hotels (especially if you're 2 or more). Plus having a kitchen means saving quite a lot on food compared to having to eat at restaurants or takeouts.
Never used an AirBnB and never plan to. The whole "you have to clean up after yourself" part is a major turnoff for me. I go on vacation to relax, not clean. I rather pay a little bit extra for housekeeping.
You pay extra at AirBnB to clean up yourself regardless. They all charge a cleaning fee of $100-200. Plus "Fees" if you don't do all of the cleaning yourself. It's total nonsense. The price is more hidden than a damn phone bill.
The whole "you have to clean up after yourself" part is a major turnoff for me.
I mean, yeah you're expected to be respectful of the space you're using. If you make a mess, you're expected to clean it up or pay an extra cleaning fee. There's a really easy way around that though - don't make a mess. Seems reasonable to me.
Right, but hotels don't expect you to take out the trash, wash the towels/bedding, or wash the water cups/ice bucket. Even if you don't make a mess you still often have to do those things on top of the cleaning fee you're paying.
Every Airbnb I've ever stayed in doesn't make me do any of that. Obviously if the trash gets full, I'd take it out, but it's never been a requirement. The furthest I've ever had to go with bedding/towels is to remove them from the beds and pile them up on the floor. Similar with dishes, I've only ever had to put them in the dishwasher, never wash them myself.
I've had the same experience, though I've only used a handful of them. It's definitely worth it for us since we use them for reunions, so there's >20 people staying there and we value the larger gathering areas. I never use them for just us (wife and kids) because it's not really price efficient.
That said, when I start in a hotel, I usually clean up after myself. I know the cleaning staff get paid poorly, so I leave a modest tip and do most of the tidying myself.
Not making a mess is fine. However, I don't make my bed at home. I don't want to do it when I travel. Messy bedsheets don't bother me. I don't want more responsibility when I travel than I have at home.
The problem is that there's a very valid reason to have those that has nothing to do with the tenants. There's no way in the world I'd have an outdoor pool without a security camera for liability reasons alone, let alone trespassers.
Good. These were common areas so personally I don't see too much of an issue, but the harder and more unsavory it is perceived to run Airbnbs the more our housing market can return to normal.
Up until now, AirBnB was more concerned about upsetting their providers. Now that local governments are starting to crack down, AirBnB now is more worried about staying in business. Especially if they end up on the losing end of multiple privacy lawsuits.
Airbnb is prohibiting the use of indoor security cameras in its listings globally, the vacation homestay rental company announced on Monday.
While the majority of its listings — more than 7 million worldwide at the end of last year — don't report having indoor security cameras, Airbnb said the policy change was made in an effort to prioritize the privacy of guests.
Previously, the company allowed indoor security cameras in common areas, as long as they were disclosed on the listing page before booking and clearly visible to guests.
"The update to this policy simplifies our approach and makes clear that security cameras are not allowed inside listings, regardless of their location, purpose or prior disclosure," read the statement.
The revised policy — which takes effect on April 30 — also includes more thorough rules on the use of outdoor security cameras and other devices such as noise decibel monitors, which are required to be disclosed before guests book.
In a 2022 interview with NPR, Thorin Klosowski — who at the time was privacy and security editor at Wirecutter — also recommends unplugging "anything that looks kind of fishy, whether that's an alarm clock or just a USB plug that seems random in the wall."
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