Why Airbnb Is Terrible
Posted Aug 2, 2016, 12:14 PM UTC
1042
I do agree with some more oversight and regulation. Specifically so it stays with people just renting 1 or 2 homes, not tons of homes. If we allow that, our whole real estate market will become a renting market with just a few actually owning the properties. Look at any other business model. Capitalism drives towards monopoly without regulation. And the history record for monopolies treating people fairly is not great. (and obviously some markets work better as a monoply, buy still needs regulation or they run amok)
As for reviews and bad experiences, that can happen anywhere (hotel or airbnb). I don't think people "overrating" airbnb is a real problem. And the whole orgy freak fest, thats a risk you take when renting. Be it hotel, airbnb, or actual full fledged rental properties. Its not something that just happens with airbnb. What happens in airbnb happens anywhere.
The risk is on the owner of rental property. Why should it be on airbnb? Thats like saying a hotel hires an advertaising agency and then we should punish the advertaising agency when "renters go bad".
Airbnb can be a great thing, but it does need to be regulated so it doesnt kill the real estate market for non high class individuals. It should be regulated so you cant have a multitude of property listings and only can rent out so many days before you become a full fledged hotel and fall into that catergory for regulation.
9
Yep, I live in New Orleans and it's a big problem.
3
I agree with some of what you're saying here - but ownership (investments in real estate) won't be more concentrated because of air bnb. I would assume that is a false premise all together.
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Why would a limit on the number of homes being rented make sense? We don't limit the number of apartments a regular property owner can rent out.
The regulations you are suggesting are not in line with the way our society is set up. There isn't anything stopping me from buying 10 houses next to each other and renting them all out. This would "kill the real estate market for non high class individuals" no more than someone doing the same thing with Airbnb.
I'm not saying I disagree with what you're proposing, but if it were to exist, it should apply to regular properties as well.
And, if you weren't aware, a large portion of our real estate market already is "a renting market with just a few actually owning the properties".
-1
To clarify, I'm not saying limit the number of homes being rented through airbnb, I'm saying at a certain level regulate them as a landlord/hotel style business. We dont limit number of properties a landlord rents out, again I never said limit. But suggesting different regulation for different levels. Landlords have different regulations (or just have) than airbnb renting.
Renting out houses for long term leasing is way different than short term airbnb renting.
airbnb is a new market that is separate than standard lanlord long term leasing. The reason it could create a huge surge is because its extremely easy to get into with basically no regulation.
I'm saying once someone starts buying up properties and airbnb'ing them, there should be a line where its no longer just a person renting out their home or vacation home, but a full fledged business and should be taxed and regulated as such.
Its like selling cars. You do one here and there, not a big deal. You start selling a ton, it should be regulated and taxed as a dealership.
I dont get your last point. So since were already transitioning to a real estate market already adverse to people trying to own property themselves, we shouldnt worry about anything thay makes it worse? I feel just because somethings bad doesnt mean you should just let it get worse or use the argument "its already bad," to go against someone trying to make it better.
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A limit to the number of houses someone can rent on airbnb doesn't make sense. Anyone renting out their property on airbnb, no matter how many they have, is operating a business. They should all be taxed and regulated as such. Just like I can't get away with operating a restaurant out of my house without regulation, I shouldn't be able to operate a hotel.
My last point was arguing that you aren't actually going to make it (the problem of property being unaffordable to own) better through the regulation you're proposing.
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I agree with more regulation overall, but just like cars, think you can do one or two before you're treated like a large business. I think there should be basic regulation on the one or two property people and then more in depth on the large business model.
I never said it would make property affordability better, just that unregulated (left as it is now) airbnb would make property affordability worse.
1
As someone who will have a new construction rental unit as part of my home (primary, full time residence) I'm all for more regulation. Airbnb started out fine with people renting out basements and mother in law apartments, accessory dwelling units in their back yards and it was fine. As the video states, rich people buying up dozens if not hundreds of units, displacing long term residents and pricing out the long term residents that made the area so desirable to begin with is wrong on a level that can't really be argued.
Seattle is in the process of enacting regulation that thankfully acknowledges the benefit to homeowners of short term rental whereby you're exempted from a large portion of the regulations if you have a single listing and only rent out of your own home. Anything beyond that and maybe another investment property is tantamount to running your own mini-hotel at the expense of your local neighborhoods and neighbors and should be heavily regulated if it's allowed at all. Honestly I say that if you want to rent out, say, five or more separate properties on Airbnb you should need a degree in hospitality and hotel management just like you would to run any other decent hotel.
Leave Grandma alone to earn some supplemental income from her basement apartment, but get rid of the "independent entrepreneurs" who are causing her to be priced out of her home in the first place.
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USA's no Hostel policy probably makes AirBnB more important here than pretty much anywhere.
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Most major US cities have hostels. Just not to the degree Europe does.
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For some reason Washington DC had only one last year and now has 10. A few from 25$.
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This video is like a John Oliver bit, but without the jokes....
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At what point does something become not a comedy piece, but an editorial interspersed with some halfhearted jokes?
2†
well, i do have an issue against airbnb and uber having an advantage by not paying the same degree of taxes as hotels and taxis. just think they are operating lets say at a 15% advantage, give them 5-10 years and every other business will die out, because it outcompetes the traditional businesses, by paying millions lesser in taxes, if at all. And if they paid the same amount of taxes, it wouldnt have the problem of making property more expensive, because obviously there would be fewer airbnb once they were on the same playing field.
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But, Airbnb is paying the same transient occupancy tax that hotels need to pay in many places. For example, Airbnb is paying a 14% tax for SF rentals, but that's the same amount a hotel in SF would charge.
The tax varies for different locations, but I'm assuming its matching what a hotel in that city would charge.
This hotel tax issue is something Airbnb critics used to harp on, but ever since Airbnb has been paying that tax and indeed paid back taxes on years it didn't charge that tax in places like SF, critics are still finding new reasons to criticize Airbnb.
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So, is Cracked just really bad at making hit pieces, or is AirBnB actually totally fine? Nothing in that video seemed significantly beyond the pale.
0†
He's missing some important information like the verification system. and the idea that people "are incapable of leaving a bad review" is a crock of shit.
-1†
He's not, really. The platform allows for negative reviews, but studies have shown that the vast majority of Airbnb renters say they feel guilty to criticize someone after staying in their home. The distinction to be made there is that those same people would have no problem tearing into a hotel which is perceived as a nameless, faceless corporation. People just feel guilty blasting someone online especially after having met them face to face.
I've heard horror stories from coworkers about bad Airbnb stays and they still left at least 4 star reviews. It's just an interesting phenomenon.
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I bet people will learn though. If not soon then in a decade.
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I wouldn't feel guilty. Every Airbnb I have been in has been fantastic. Even made a few life long friends in CO.
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Guests do have the option of leaving private feedback on their hosts just for Airbnb. So if there was an issue they didn't feel comfortable addressing with the host, they can tell Airbnb directly.
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The issue isn't with a lack of recourse for the renter, but people's unease with complaining about an individual person the same way they'd leave a scathing review for a hotel. It stands to reason that Airbnb knows about this phenomenon and actively exploits it to claim that "if things are so bad why is there an incredibly low percentage of negative reviews"? They know exactly why, because people feel guilty complaining or otherwise doing something that could harm the host. It just makes the vast majority of people feel guilty when they needn't.
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What 'studies have shown that the vast majority of Airbnb renters say they feel guilty to criticize someone after staying in their home?'
I know that's what the Cracked video claims, but I'm reading the Boston University article they referenced, and that claim isn't in the published article. The article gives out four possible reasons for Airbnb's higher ratings, but not that reason.
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That was absolutely my biggest issue with this video. If I have a bad time at an Airbnb or in an Uber, you can be sure as fuck I review it negatively.
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Speaking to the global trend of rising property prices (both renting and buying).
I am not sure whether airbnb is responsible for that in every city.
This video clearly demonstrated it was having an adverse affect in LA, NYC and SF but I am uncertain as to whether it has a significant impact on property prices in other large cities around the globe.
The price of renting and purchasing property has risen to almost comical levels in all capital cities in my country (Australia) and I am seeing the same phenomenon occurring in Canada, particularly Vancouver and GTA (Greater Toronto Area).
The thing that baffles me is, there is no real value left in cities apart from being where work is concentrated. If you can work somewhere else, the city does not have any of the perks that they used to offer in terms of entertainment.
So the city property value has become insanely overvalued and it's only real drawer is proximity to jobs. Once those jobs move away from that city ... well, I would have to assume the price would go down.
It's a very frustrating and upsetting topic for me because a home is a place of joy, relaxation and comfort and yet it's been turned into an asset, an object for investment.
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I've been saying for a while that many provinces/states/etc need policies that spread jobs around, not concentrate them in a few big cities. That takes the pressure off the housing market. We were all supposed to be tele-commuting by now.
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Someone once had a bad experience run for your lives!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Have you actually watched the video? There's significantly more to what they're saying than the anecdote at the start.
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Actually watched it and needless to say I was not impressed with their scare tactics. Watch it again and contemplate the irony of this fake truth coming from a site called cracked.
-5
This guy stands on a platform that we're "incapable of giving bad reviews to other people." what a load
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Fucking paid for crap. Crappy video! GET FUCKED.
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You are 100% right. This video was clearly paid for and biased. AirBNB is an awesome company that provides an awesome service. Downvoted the video and upvoted your comment.
2
So, did I get this right: Airbnb=bad; Couchsurfing=good
-14
It scares me that in 2016, the two companies that have made the biggest changes in my daily life (uber as rider, Airbnb as guest) are being so heavily regulated in such a ridiculous manner. Luckily I live in a city where I pretty much just need to pay my taxes on 'hotel income'. But elsewhere, it blows my mind how hard cities are going after Airbnb when it clearly provides such a great value and experience for their customers
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are being so heavily regulated in such a ridiculous manner
huh? the point of the video is they aren't
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nobody watches the videos anymore
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That's why you shouldn't argue with paid PR people.
It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!
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Nice, stealing u/dieselz comment over at airbnb subreddit. Thought airbnb would hire some better astroturfers.
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Lol, never had my comment stolen before! Word for word no less!
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Fucking paid for crap. Crappy video! GET FUCKED.
-17
So, did I get this right: Airbnb=bad; Couchsurfing=good
-18
comments in this thread... WTF, seriously Airbnb brigade much