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I think I'm done with Airbnb

editor

editor

hiraethified
Sure you can save a few quid over a hotel, but if you're staying for anything more than a couple of days the deals don't look so great seeing as your room's not going to get cleaned and you're unlikely to get fresh bedding unless you kick up a fuss.

Moreover, big business has quietly taken over a large chunk of the market. I'm in NYC and thought I was renting a room in someone's house. Turns out the 'superhost' is just someone who lives there for free in exchange for managing the property, and I'm one of three separate guests staying in a fairly small apartment. So it's more like a mini hotel with no en suite loo or security (the individual rooms aren't lockable).

I'm sure there's plenty of 'authentic' Airbnbs but I do feel a bit cheated with this one. Anyone have any thoughts on their recent experiences?
 
Plus I have a mate who lives next door to a family with screaming kids that he never gets respite from as when they go away they put their house on Air BnB. They don't even need the money.
 
Sorry to hear this editor. Was none of this mentioned in the description or feedback?

I once had a fairly terrible experience in an Airbnb where the feedback had definitely failed to point out the many unpleasant surprises I discovered on arrival which I was sure to make sure was noted in a very strongly worded negative review so at least some other sucker didn’t get done over.

No lockable room or private toilet sounds pretty disappointing.
 
Additionally there is this. Where's the quality control on actual maintenance? An Air BnB customer claims her husband died following having contact with their hot tub. Air BnB are shrugging their shoulders as it's not their responsibility. So anyone can be sent into a legionella death trap.

travelnoire.com

Traveler Sues Airbnb For $1.3 Million After Husband Dies From Contaminated Hot Tub - Travel Noire

A New Zealand woman is gearing up to sue Airbnb following the death of her husband. Sandra Bermingham, 54, was visiting Gozo, Malta with her...
travelnoire.com travelnoire.com
 
Airbnb was (still is?) illegal In New York so imagine it can be pretty sketchy. I’ve never liked the idea of not renting a whole property. I wouldn’t want to rent a room in someone’s “house” but know others who have and had no issues. My experience of using Airbnb to rent a whole house (not in NYC) has been positive.
 
Airbnb is another of those ideas that initially seems like a nice little idea (way for people to earn a few extra quid/dollars/yen, and travellers get a slightly more 'authentic' experience of where they're staying), but just like so many other things it's been mutated by capital into something that is doing real harm.

It's like Buy-To-Let on fucking steroids that have been taking steroids.

Not gonna lie, I've still used 'em from time to time, but I have started pivoting back to hotels (or YHA, actually, depending on what works out).
 
I've only used them a couple of times (unwillingly) and found them terrible TBH. And last Christmas, when I needed emergency accommodation near my flat for a couple of nights, the Travelodge near me was less than half the price of all the local Air B and Bs, all of which were tiny and a bit crappy looking, most of which didn't have their own bathroom.

When I did use them it was unwillingly because, while it started out as a great idea, it's become substandard hotels without the health and safety, staffing, soundproofing, planning permission or tax costs of hotels. One of the flats on next to my GF's flat is an Air B&B and some weeks it's like living next to a nightclub.
 
Magnus McGinty said:
If there's no actual checks it basically turns residential properties into commercial ones. No wonder nobody can buy or rent a house anywhere anymore.
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Eeeeeeexactly.

Some time ago, a mate was telling me how another of their mates was planning to buy somewhere near the Emirates (Arsenal's ground) to hire out to travelling fans.

"Can make a month's rent in a few days..."

Great, and what about those of us who, y'know, want somewhere to actually live? :facepalm: :rolleyes:
 
Maltin said:
Airbnb was (still is?) illegal In New York so imagine it can be pretty sketchy. I’ve never liked the idea of not renting a whole property. I wouldn’t want to rent a room in someone’s “house” but know others who have and had no issues. My experience of using Airbnb to rent a whole house (not in NYC) has been positive.
Click to expand...
The first few times I used Airbnb it was a genuinely good experience. We took out rooms in Berlin/Copenhagen/NYC years ago and the hosts were friendly and gave us local tips on where to go and what decent bars to check out.

This time I'm travelling on my own and I've never had an Airbnb with two other guests (who seem to scuttle off whenever I come in so it's like sharing a flat with ghosts). The host is very friendly and I don't blame her for taking on the job, but the property owner is going to be coining it in without having to worry about health and safety/legal requirements etc...

I'm sticking with hotels from now on.
 
Airbnb are a menace. We had the ground floor flat in our block rented out but absent landlord. Stream of guests, some more savoury than others, key safes just stuck on communal property, illegal as no planning consent is available, gas heating that was dodgy, parties and used by dealers one weekend. We made the landlords life difficult and it is now rented out normally to a family.
 
Magnus McGinty said:
If there's no actual checks it basically turns residential properties into commercial ones. No wonder nobody can buy or rent a house anywhere anymore.
Click to expand...
Yep. It went from a great way of providing cheap accommodation and a bit of handy income for like minded hosts into a capitalist wet dream with investors scooping up properties and pretending they're individual hosts.

Mind you, there's plenty of other reasons why people can't buy or rent properties right now.
 
I'm staying in one at the moment. Got the whole one bedroom flat to myself but the owners live nearby and they've checked in to see if I want clean towels or sheets or anything. I needed my own space and somewhere with a washing machine, so this worked best for me, but yeah I know it's shit and taking somewhere off the market that local people could otherwise rent and probably making the owners loads of money for doing basically fuck-all.
 
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I've only ever used AirBnB once which was in St Ives earlier this year. It was a converted loft that had been turned into a bedroom with an en-suite, a balcony and a lockable door with key. The host lived downstairs and we only ever saw him a couple of times. It was really nice if a tad pricey. My go to accomodation when I'm staying away from home in this country is Premier Inn, I've stayed in one loads of times including three times this year (and a fourth next weekend) and they are usually the first place I look at when looking for somewhere to stay. Mrs Q found the AirBnB and based on that one solitary experience I would probably be prepared to give it another shot. Definitely worth reading all the reviews.
 
MickiQ said:
I've only ever used AirBnB once which was in St Ives earlier this year. It was a converted loft that had been turned into a bedroom with an en-suite, a balcony and a lockable door with key. The host lived downstairs and we only ever saw him a couple of times. It was really nice if a tad pricey. My go to accomodation when I'm staying away from home in this country is Premier Inn, I've stayed in one loads of times including three times this year (and a fourth next weekend) and they are usually the first place I look at when looking for somewhere to stay. Mrs Q found the AirBnB and based on that one solitary experience I would probably be prepared to give it another shot. Definitely worth reading all the reviews.
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This. And went to a very nice travelodge in Southend the other week, to stop over before doing the broomway
 
iona said:
I'm staying in one at the moment. Got the whole one bedroom flat to myself but the owners live nearby and they've checked in to see if I want clean towels or sheets or anything. I needed my own space and somewhere with a washing machine, so this worked best for me
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Aye, this is def. part of the appeal for me, too. Still being able to live "like normal" to a certain extent.

Totally get why some might prefer hotels, and there are certainly aspects I enjoy too, but overall think I do prefer somewhere I can be pretty much self-dependent.
 
I can't eat out without it feeling like a horrible russian roulette due to really bad gluten intolerance so having access to a kitchen makes Air BnB a good option for me. But theyre clearly a factor in soaring house prices round here which has forced me to the least desirable bit of the valley.
 
Lord Camomile said:
Aye, this is def. part of the appeal for me, too. Still being able to live "like normal" to a certain extent.

Totally get why some might prefer hotels, and there are certainly aspects I enjoy too, but overall think I do prefer somewhere I can be pretty much self-dependent.
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The only thing close I've done is when I worked in Salford 30 odd years ago the company put us up in student halls as the students were away for the summer. I definitely felt like I was in someone else's room (and was!).
 
I stayed in one Airbnb in Bayswater just before lockdown which was advertised as a "boutique hotel" but was essentially a homeless hostel. The guy in the next room purposely set off the smoke detectors at 6 every morning by cooking onions to prove a point (that he had been in there too long). Wasn't great.
 
It's good for us because we can find somewhere that's self-catering and where we can bring the dog.

It's also bad for us because it's completely fucked housing costs and availability of rental homes for actual people here in Devon. The village I grew up in recently made the national papers as a candidate for the first community to be completely emptied out by second homes and holiday lets.
 
Stayed in one flat in Genova belonging to some kid who had gone off on a gap year to India. His ancient parents let us in to the place. Sadly he hadn't bothered to clear out the fridge before he left, three months before we got there :(
 
I use them a lot when I holiday in Wales as I like being able to self cater. They don't seem to be as good value as they once where plus the obligation to clean it on check out irks me.
 
I should give a shout to the good hosts like my Mum who is a super host on Airbnb with great reviews and she is genuinely just doing it for a little extra income to make ends meet. It’s literally her own cottage which she completely vacates when guests are booked in and she always has clean sheets, towels and everything you’d need and has never not got a 5 star review to my knowledge.

I’d imagine New York is rife with dodgy setups like this. It’s such a magnet for opportunists taking advantage of the demand and supply.
 
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