Should We Use Airbnb? 8 Troubling Problems You Didn’t Know
What are the troubling, lesser-known problems with Airbnb and similar platforms? Here on my blog I always say, “As Invisible Tourists, we want to support locals of the places we visit, not make their lives more difficult.”
In recent years, the use of home-stay accommodation has exploded internationally. Sitting on the sidelines with one watchful eye monitoring this trend, as usual I decided to be a bit of a skeptic before jumping on the bandwagon and investigate the little-known facts about using a service like Airbnb for myself.
Despite its growing popularity there are some pretty troubling issues with Airbnb and their similar counterparts, leading many to ask if there are any ethical alternatives to Airbnb? Here I’ll reveal what it’s like to lift the lid on the hidden Pandora’s box of this craze – the results may surprise you, as they did me!
Yes, loads of people use Airbnb all the time without issues and that’s fine. Different people prioritise different things because there are different types of travellers. Many of my fellow travel bloggers could get you discounts on your first Airbnb booking and that’s fine, too.
In saying that, there is a time and a place for these services so I’d rather speak about the unpopular truths buried under the discount codes that are worth considering before booking a stay with a homestyle accommodation service like Airbnb.
NOTE: I first published this article in March 2018 and have updated it since to reflect more recent events. It was regarded as an unpopular opinion at the time. Be sure to read my concluding comments for my overall thoughts on short-term homestay services.
Airbnb problems: Important reasons to reconsider using these services
I can totally hear people questioning my logic… They’re thinking, “But, aren’t you all about travelling like a local and helping people learn how to not look like a tourist? Then what’s wrong with renting a local’s place on Airbnb? It’s harmless and it’s cheaper than hotels, right?”
Ermm, not exactly.
There’s a saying, “Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it” so truth be told, I have stayed in an Airbnb before. I was with a group for a girls’ getaway and my friend had booked the accommodation on our group’s behalf.
The place was fine (although I prefer to have my own bed rather than share with a friend!) However due to the facts I discuss below, it just wasn’t for me and may not be for others as well.
Let’s start with a few questions:
- Do you value your precious travel time, hate inconveniences and prefer to play it safe with accommodation rather than put yourself in a position that could have been avoided when you travel?
- Do you also prefer to enjoying everything a city has to offer without feeling like you’re getting in the way of locals going about their daily lives?
If you answered yes to these questions, you’re likely to prefer hotels and other forms of traditional accommodation. If you answered no, the below facts may give you reason to reconsider using homestay accommodation services like Airbnb for your next trip.
While Airbnb’s slogan is “travel like a local,” there are some dark truths that actually make life more difficult for the locals they claim to support.
Let’s get into it!
1. Airbnb could be illegal in the city you’re visiting
This is a pretty surprising and very important point. Just because there are listings for a destination doesn’t mean the host and Airbnb are abiding by the local laws. For instance, here are some facts that might make us think twice about using Airbnb and similar services in the below major cities.
These are just a few examples and definitely not the only places where Airbnb is problematic. I highly advise doing some research into the destination if considering using Airbnb for accommodation:
Airbnb problems in New York City, United States
Did you know in 2014 that 72% of reservations made in New York City were illegal?
The New York state attorney general’s office released a report on Airbnb listings that revealed this unfortunate fact. Local laws in New York make it illegal to rent an entire apartment on Airbnb for less than 30 days, as this helps to keep the long-term supply of property available to locals. Despite this, New York City is one of Airbnb’s biggest markets where listings under 30 days are available to tourists.
“Airbnb consistently undermines the City’s efforts to preserve affordable housing, and regularly attempts to thwart regulations put in place to protect New York City residents.” ~ statement from NYC Council members Helen Rosenthal and Jumaane Williams.
Airbnb problems in Barcelona, Spain
What are the Airbnb in Spain problems? Almost half of holiday rentals in the country’s second-largest city of Barcelona are unlicensed according to the council, which makes them illegal.
In 2016 Barcelona fined Airbnb €600,000 for refusing to adhere to local laws by continuing to advertise unlicensed properties. As a result, Catalonia’s capital has a team of inspectors who wander the streets sniffing out illegal rentals using designated apps that cross-reference licences with advertised properties. This helps to identify illegal properties and gives authorities the power close down the premises, boot out occupants and fine the owner €60,000.
“Barcelona exists for its people. The priority is it’s a place to live.” ~ Janet Sanz, Barcelona Housing Councillor.
TIP: Read my crucial Barcelona travel tips to not look like a tourist when visiting.
Airbnb problems in Paris, France
In 2015, 44% of advertised properties on Airbnb were permanently available for rental, despite laws in France’s capital stating that holiday rentals are capped at only being available for 120 days of the year.
The survey that revealed this disturbing fact triggered raids across Paris and fines of up to €25,000 for hosts. However, the authorities are now looking to increase this fine to €100,000 like Berlin (see below). It is now necessary for hosts to obtain a registration number from the Town Hall so authorities can monitor the 120 day cap is not exceeded and so hosts cannot avoid paying taxes.
Airbnb problems in Mexico City, Mexico
Due to Mexico’s lax travel regulations during the pandemic, Mexico City saw an influx of remote workers (known as “digital nomads”) in addition to tourists.
This surge in visitor numbers in need of accommodation caused a 40% increase in rent prices in popular neighbourhoods, pushing out long-term locals and small businesses in favour of more profitable short-term Airbnb rentals.
It also caused a change in the social fabric of some communities, where trendy coffee shops popped up to cater to their new American or European guests.
Additionally, the local local government has recently signed an initiative with Airbnb to continue to boost remote worker numbers in the city, which in turn will add to the housing crisis.
Airbnb problems in Japan
The recent explosion of visitors to Japan looking to travel on the cheap meant Airbnb’s started popping up in unzoned areas to capitalise on the new demand.
Being an ultra-conservative country, locals filed an overwhelming number of “tourist pollution” complaints: unruly tourists coming and going at all hours, hosting noisy parties in otherwise quiet neighbourhoods and disrespecting local customs.
In June 2018 the Japanese government resorted to tackling illegal Airbnb and similar homestay accommodations across the country (known as “minpaku”) by requiring hosts in legally zoned areas to obtain a minpaku license, placing 180-day quotas on when properties can be available to rent and shutting down those who did not comply. This crackdown is said to have cost Airbnb $10 million.
READ MORE:
Crucial Paris Travel tips to Not look Like a Tourist
4 Days in Paris Itinerary: Complete Guide for First-Timers
Issues with Airbnb in Berlin, Germany
Germany’s capital got so tired of Airbnb creating a rental property shortage for locals they created a law entitled “Zweckentfremdungsverbot”…
A bit of a tongue-twister, right? Roughly translating to “Anti-Airbnb” this law bans short-term leasing of properties to tourists without a city permit. Hosts in Berlin can be fined up to €100,000 for disobeying this law and you could be left without accommodation if your host is busted.
Airbnb issues throughout Europe
In 2019, ten European cities banded together and sent a joint letter to the European Commission highlighting the flaws of services like Airbnb. Cities who suffered from “explosive growth” of short-term Airbnb listings – Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Bordeaux, Brussels, Krakow, Munich, Paris, Valencia and Vienna – demanded the Commission address this issue during their next agenda.
Many Other Destinations: Illegal Subletting
Another disturbing trend with unregulated accommodation is illegal subletting. Did you know recent statistics in Australia revealed that 35% of Airbnb listings are by people who don’t even own the property, and do so without the knowledge of their landlord?
“Think of what you’d say to a neighbour if they were to ask who you are and why you’re staying there… Awkward.” ~ Alyse.
While tenants may not see an issue with secretly renting out their spare room on Airbnb for extra cash, there are risks involved for both the tenant and property owner. What the tenant fails realise is they could actually be in breach of their leasing agreement by having additional people reside in the property.
This leads to exceeding the number of people residing on the premises, handing out security keys without authorisation, no applicable insurance for issues related to subleasing, more issues regarding illegal subletting here. A tenant subletting without the permission of the property owner can result in eviction.
2. Airbnb can have negative impacts on locals’ quality of life
This is one of the lesser-known Airbnb problems. Tourists hiring a place on Airbnb to enjoy a “cheaper” holiday actually pushes rent prices up for locals who need to live in the city. Tourists are visitors competing with locals for accommodation. The only difference is locals need it long-term, but hosts can charge tourists more for short-term stays so this is way more appealing to some.
For instance in 2018 on the Spanish island of Palma de Mallorca, tourist lets sharply increased by 50% due to demand, which in turn lead to residential rents rising by 40%. This made housing unaffordable for most local residents and pushed them out. As a result the island voted to ban Airbnb listings to make housing affordable for residents who needed to live and work.
Making the conscious decision to save a few bucks on a trip should not come at the expense of an actual local’s way of life. As invisible tourists we want to support locals of the places we visit, not make their lives more difficult!
Residents are also concerned raised Airbnb complaints about the constant stream of different tourists bumping their luggage up and down stairs in apartment blocks as well as coming and going at all hours. For long-term residents it’s easy to empathise that all the thumping and noise is bound to get annoying.
As someone who lives in a city where over 200,000 properties sit vacant due to landlords not renting them to locals (or anyone at all), I’ve seen first-hand how this has negatively impacted the rental market by causing prices to skyrocket as long-term rentals for locals become scarce. It isn’t really fair (or arguably ethical) on the local population trying to get by.
It’s also becoming known that some Airbnb hosts are treating their rentals as businesses. Padlocks or combination touchpads on doors rather than keys, instructions stuck around the property and “No Smoking” signs are dead giveaways that the Airbnb is being treated as a permanent holiday rental, which I mentioned previously under point #1 is probably an illegal listing. What happened to just renting out a spare room?
3. Privacy is never guaranteed
So, your host has also allowed friends to crash at their place during a stay and failed to mention it at any point. This may put a damper on the romantic weekend away planned with a partner, as the intimate moments they were hoping for may not be so intimate after all!
Recently, some stories have emerged about Airbnb hosts using sneaky hidden cameras in the bedrooms of their rentals. If that oddly-placed object or random smoke alarm appears to have a little webcam lens on closer inspection, that thing could be hooked up to the internet and the host is watching guests’ every move.
This became such a huge problem for guests, in March 2024 it led Airbnb to announce the ban of indoor security cameras for properties listed on their platform. Airbnb hosts found violating this policy would be permanently removed.
Alternatively, in a hotel we aren’t going to be left surprised with an unexpected stranger when returning to our room after a long day of sight-seeing. The likelihood of being spied on in a hotel room is much less of a risk. A hotel doesn’t need to spy on guests because they have insurance cover. It’s never ok to film someone without their consent.
4. You’re at the complete mercy of the host
One of the common Airbnb host problems? Even if a room is showing available, the host has the right to change their mind and cancel a booking at a moment’s notice. Personally, I prefer to be prepared and organised, and being left in limbo a few days before a trip – with all other accommodation in the area being sold out – literally sounds like my idea of a nightmare.
In another example, imagine arriving at an Airbnb only to find two people already there hanging curtains, a TV left face-down on the lounge and a strong dog odour throughout. Animal fur, hair and dust were all over the house, it clearly hadn’t been cleaned in very long time, mouse droppings were in the kitchen and other accommodation options nearby were all sold out. Here’s how Airbnb treated these guests in this actual situation.
Airbnb have thousands of complaints about how they can’t really do anything to assist guests who are left stranded. In contrast, hotels have a lot to lose from this and will find guests a room or compensate somehow if they’ve taken their money.
Let’s not forget the potential issue of a host running late to meet a guest to exchange keys. This unaccounted-for delay could seriously affect the guest’s travel plans and may lead to missing a crucial flight or train to their next destination. With a hotel, checking in and out times are made clear. During that period there is always someone at the front desk when we need to leave, so it’s simple to plan our journeys.
There isn’t always time to wait around for someone to race from one side of the city to the other to collect keys!
With many Airbnbs, hosts require guests to do the washing up, take out the rubbish and may leave them with other obligations they need to fulfil before checking out. We do all that at home, sometimes it’s nice to forget about that during a holiday.
READ MORE:
How to NOT Look Like a Tourist in New York City
7 Completely Annoying Reasons Why Mykonos is Overrated
Tourist vs Traveller: Why Invisible Tourist (Not Invisible Traveller?)
5. Lack of safety and security regulations
Consistent standards and regulations are lacking across Airbnb rentals as they are basically private properties. Due to this hosts don’t have to follow the same strict regulations that hotels do like fire, security and safety. What fire and other types of hazards are there in a rental? Can we tell from the photos?
As mentioned earlier, illegal subletting sees a tenant distribute unauthorised copied keys to short-term visitors, resulting in unknown people in a residential block having access to building amenities. This can be a major security concern for other residents in the building who are there legally.
People who list on Airbnb also don’t have to pay for the same insurances that hotels do, therefore if anything were to happen Airbnb may not cover guests at all. This also includes theft of cash/valuables from the property, whether it was from the host, other guests or as a result of a break-in. Is there even a safe or secure place to store our valuables during your stay?
Additionally, some of the properties may not be very child friendly which is sometimes only possible to be discovered on arrival.
6. Bait and switch
This is one of the most annoying Airbnb problems. If you’re not familiar with this sneaky tactic, bait and switch refers to the generally illegal act of “baiting” a guest into paying for a rental that is substituted for an inferior one later down the track. The intent is never to provide the rental in the great location with amazing photos the guest paid for.
If a host is being a bit shady, they may contact the guest close to their arrival date to inform them of the change. As it’s so late-minute, the guest may be left with no other option but to accept the sub-standard accommodation they offer instead, sometimes even for more money! Know your rights if this happens to you.
You’re not obligated to accept their new offer. If your host is asking you to switch without officially changing the reservation on Airbnb, you’ll need to ask the host to cancel your reservation so you can get a full refund. If you have further issues, you’ll need to immediately call Airbnb so they can resolve the problem for you or find another place to stay, which may prove difficult if all other accommodation in the area is sold out at the time.
This fraudulent trend is becoming more and more common with Airbnb. Sure it’s also possible this can happen with smaller hotels as well, but is less likely as hotels have much more to lose by participating in this dirty practice.
You can read some Airbnb bait and switch stories here and here to give you an idea of what could happen.
7. There’s no reception, housekeeping or room service
While this may not be a deal-breaker for some, there are unseen benefits. Hotels employ dozens of locals to take care of things like housekeeping, reception, concierge services, kitchenhands and the like to keep the place running smoothly. To me, providing locals with jobs is quite important and staying in a hotel supports this cause.
Additionally, the lack of a reception area with an Airbnb means checking in and out with a host may not be flexible enough to suit a guest’s travel plans. I was unbelievably annoyed when arriving at what was listed as a hotel in Onomichi Japan with rooms only to discover it was an Airbnb…
There was nowhere to leave luggage, no one to help in an emergency (the phone number provided had no English speakers — which is fine, if I was expecting it), a combination lock on the door that other people could know…
This was several years after I had first written this article and I reserved it through booking.com. The listing was so deceptive it even fooled me, it never mentioned any of these things. I would never have booked it otherwise.
8. Do tourists really need an entire kitchen (and house)?
A lot of the time tourists don’t really need an entire house or apartment with a kitchen when they’re travelling short-term. Isn’t visiting a new place all about getting out there and experiencing local, authentic food? In turn this helps to support local jobs and businesses.
If not supporting locals in other ways through cultural experiences and spending, cooking some noodles in an Airbnb in an effort to save money doesn’t really help anyone. Hotels, aparthotels and other traditional forms of accommodation can also provide the basic amenities needed for a stay.
Additionally, booking an entire apartment or house on Airbnb means tourists could be inadvertently taking away long-term accommodation from a local. If the rental is being run as a business by a company who has multiple property listings, it’s usually wise to steer away from it as it goes against the original idea that Airbnb was founded on — a property owner renting out a spare room.
What a lack of tourism does to neighbourhoods overrun with Airbnb listings
Now for the hidden Airbnb controversy. As we all know, in 2020 tourism completely ground to a halt due to a global event that shall not be named. This helped to starkly amplify the issues caused by short-term rentals for even the most stubborn of deniers.
When it comes to the often unseen disadvantages of Airbnb, let’s examine the knock-on effects caused by the absence of tourism in destinations that had high percentages of unregulated accommodation listings.
Airbnb issues in Lisbon, Portugal
In the early months of 2020, there were 22,000 Airbnb listings in Lisbon. A sudden lack of tourists meant the majority of these sat empty for months.
Urban geographer Luís Mendes from Living in Lisbon stated, “[2020] has helped expose the negative aspects of Portugal’s recovery from the financial crisis, which was driven by real estate and tourism rather than a focus on the basic needs of local people.”
This excellent article about overtourism in Lisbon, Portugal highlights the need and urgency for sustainable cultural tourism if you’re interested in learning more about the topic. Unfortunately, this issue is not unique to Lisbon and is further proof of why being an invisible tourist whilst travelling is win-win for everyone.
Airbnb issues in Barcelona, Spain
Local authorities are seeking to repossess empty short-terms rentals. If vacant properties don’t re-enter the long-term rental market for local residents, new legislation allows authorities to purchase them outright at 50% of the market value.
The plan for seized properties is to be rented by the city as public and subsidised housing, while potentially fining the owners from €90,000- €900,000 for properties left vacant for 2 years.
Airbnb issues in Athens, Greece
According to local residents in Kaisariani, Athens, their neighbourhood actually became a “tourist hotbed” full of Airbnbs rather than a residential area.
Airbnb issues in Paris, France
As one of Airbnb’s top destinations globally, tourism to Paris took a huge hit. According to the Deputy Mayor of Paris, the city “needs to use the pandemic to address affordable housing and supply.
In the four central arrondissements of Paris, a quarter of all properties are now no longer homes but purely short-term rentals for tourists. As a result the city is planning to hold a referendum on the future of Airbnb listings.
Airbnb issues in Dublin, Ireland
One of my Ireland travel tips for tourists is to avoid unregulated accommodation such as Airbnb. Due to increased demand in short-term listings from tourists and limited supply, Dublin saw rents for local residents skyrocket and more than double from 2011 – 2019.
The sudden lack of tourists in 2020 meant 64% of short-term Airbnb listings in Dublin rushed to enter the long-term rental market instead. Great news for locals, at least!
Concluding why we should reconsider services like Airbnb
Sure, there certainly are benefits of using Airbnb if it’s done in an ethical and legal manner.
Thousands of travellers use the platform without ever having an issue. I’m not here to dispute that and I’m certainly not saying ALL hosts are bad – it’s neither fair nor accurate to paint everyone with the same brush. Besides, this opinion piece is not about that. It’s about questioning whether a service like this should be allowed to continue unregulated.
There is a time and a place for homestay accommodation. For instance, in rural areas where accommodation choices are slim services like Airbnb can actually help locals. In major cities where there already is plenty of regulated accommodation, whole property rentals by hosts listing multiple properties should be avoided in order to help preserve local life and their culture.
If short-term rentals have taught us anything, it’s now very clear that they create the likes of a horizontal hotel that spans the breadth of a city, pushing out local residents.
I do think that initially the idea of Airbnb was fantastic a few years ago, where hosts would share a room of their home with a visitor who wished to experience the city like a local. Unfortunately, there are always people looking to make a quick buck, exploit the system and ruin the experience for everyone.
On an interesting (and maybe ironic) note, in the summer of 2023 Airbnb launched a new “Airbnb Rooms” initiative. Deciding to get back to their founding roots, this service allows travellers to rent out spare rooms rather than whole properties to save money. Do you agree with their reasoning?
As someone who values time more than anything else when travelling, the explosion of illegal listings, risks and ethical issues associated with Airbnb and the like do not outweigh the benefits of staying in a hotel for me personally. Considering that a pair of YouTubers also pranked Airbnb by listing a dollhouse and made $3,000 worth of bookings, it really begs the question of how much listings are actually checked.
By ignoring local laws, causing negative impacts on locals’ quality of life and lack of consistent standards, I believe unregulated homestay accommodation is unethical and I’m sorry to say for these reasons cannot support it.
What are your thoughts on these Airbnb problems? Do you feel the same? Let me know in the comments below! If you found this article helpful or you learnt something new, please share it or take a look at my popular travel guides and itineraries and my book for more ways to help you NOT look like a tourist on your next trip.
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Until next time,
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Thank you for such a thought provoking article. I need your help if you can …. I live in a town t cottage in a tiny village and the cottage next to mine has been bought and converted into a holiday let. The owners have never lived there and are offering the cottage as part of their wider business. The local council are hesitant to action any demand for planning permission for change of use as the owner is very skilled at finding loop holes and is stating that although it is a holiday let it is still being used as a dwelling akin to a family home. They are marketing it on their business web page and although self catering will provide meals at £75.00 per person. Their terms also allow for stag and hen parties.
Please do you know of any legislation or information that might help me battle this
Thank you in advance
Oh gosh Dominica, I’m so sorry to hear that! Unfortunately I don’t know of any British legislation that could help you, surely there has to be something you can get them with? I know in many countries short-term holiday rentals should only be available for 180 days of the year (as an example). If you find these new owners are allowing guests full time surely your council would have to intervene?
Alyse, I’m sorry but there are so many flaws in your thesis here.
One- Lets throw the baby out with the bathwater. One host is bad so lets shut it all down.
Two- Abnb has gone full throttle for one main reason of which you – it looks like youre a single travellor (although you mention you know how it is??) which is the first red flag. TRY AND FIND A HOTEL THAT CATERS TO FAMILIES for a reasonable price. Many families especially with young children DO need a kitchen and lounge. Many of them. Hotels have never catered to them and still to this day its hard to find something. ABNB caters to this fantastically. and its where they shine.
You state “not all hotels are studios that dont cant cater to families” no-not all- BUT 99%. You havent travelled much if thats what you think. You also erroneously say theyre taking money off the locals. Really? ever added up the cost of a family of 5 eating out 3 meals a day for a few days? especially when younger kids diets are tricky? No- i didnt think so.
Your negatives are directed at individual cities and their problems and bad hosts- period. Hotels have run a campaign to get rid or ABNB, just like Spotify- something new has come in to upset the cartel and they are upset. But they havent done a thing to fix what the problems really are.’
Not one point youve made here fundamentally points out ANYTHING wrong with ABNB or VRBO et al. Youve just pointed out how some hosts have not done the right thing. And not once have you made any real ideas of practical regulation. Oh and ABNB is nothing new. It was just organised by real estate agents – now owners can control this and once again knock out the middleman.
The main Hotels you say are the best thing to do- wrong – apart from some staffing- they contribute not much towards the local economy in any way. They have tax breaks/incentives/ pay no council tax /buy their food and products from usually an outside source and are tax structured in a way that minimises what they pay and contribute. Thye use transfer pricing and booking done in another country are also not subject to tax.
ABNBs quite rightly should not be run by big businesses- good point. Lets keep it that way. But again youre trying to shut down them all down for those that dont do the right thing.
Oh and cindy- Hosts are NOT allowed to relist a property they have cancelled for no reason. if they do the dates are blocked.
Airbnb are far from perfect in their responses and fixes- But why are they targeted when there are many other sites which offer the same thing? Why havent you taken to task Hotels for not offering more family accomodation and more accomodation that you dont need or want a turn down or change of sheets every night? Hotels are living in the dark ages and need a kick to change their offering.
This is a just a lazy one sided biased article which effectivly says “yeah there a couple of good holiday lets out there but most of them are bad and should be stopped and the houses all given back to the people and ill tell you what you can do and how often you can go out, where you can stay and how much you can spend”
Hi Glenn,
You don’t have to agree with all my points, and that’s ok. As I’ve stated numerous times, the point of this article is to raise awareness of issues unregulated short-term rentals have caused for locals. And by the replies to this article from hundreds of people from all locations around the world, many see the same issues as I have.
As I’ve mentioned in other replies to comments here too, I have travelled solo, as a couple and as a group with children. When travelling with children we opt for aparthotels, traditional B&Bs or hotels with a kitchenette. Your comments makes one wonder what families did in the days before Airbnb?
You make a lot of assumptions about me which are simply incorrect. That says more about you than it does me 😆
Based on your comments I also don’t think you’ve read the entirety of my article or concluding thoughts – But hey, each to their own 😉
Alyse, both of you have valid comments and observations. He is right, hotels are a nightmare and expensive for families, and they do almost nothing to fix it. Hotels caused airbnb and vrbo to be created by milking the clients. However, almost every comment you made.about airbnb is also true….it is a crap shoot, and in many cases, hurts the locals. I will always weigh both in my travels…..
Ignore the salty replies. This article was never going to be popular with hosts or AIRBNB superfans! You’ve pointed inconvenient consequences to the choices we, as consumers, make.
For families who find travel expensive in Europe… don’t forget camping/campsites. Europe has fantastic municipal camping near cities with tents/chalets/caravans available to rent, great facilities for younger kids (they can make friends too and have space to run around outside) they’re usually cheaper than hotels. Campsites employ lots of local people, use many local suppliers. Something to checkout next time you travel to Europe.
Thanks for your kind words, Clair!
It’s possible for us all to respect the opinions of others, even if we disagree with unpopular truths 🙂
I agree with many of your points, and don’t agree on others, which is everyone’s right.
To me the biggest issue outside of dodgy hosts (or guests)
AirBNB seem to get away with real accountability most of the time, its all about their cut, and without hosts there is no business. so they don’t focus on the customer making it seem like they are forgetting/neglect the customer side.
I really appreciate your attention to providing accurate information as well as stating your personal position on this subject at the very start. It brings you credibility; something so many bloggers have lost.
1. A commenter challenged as to why an ABB host would ever want to provide a bad experience for customers; after all they want good reviews. Sure. But not all work that way (and reviews can be bought btw)….here’s why: ABB, as a company, is to it’s hosts, what HR departments are to employers. In other words, ABB protects the host first. Scammers take your money and run you out of the property you paid for, knowing that the rules protect the host…EVEN if the host is found to have intentionally deceived, ABB will take that up with the host separately. Meanwhile, you get little to no money back. Slick hosts know how to balance the line of running out customers/keeping money/not being banned. I had this happen. After renting a beautifully listed property and arriving at a roach infested blood soaked dump.
If the customer leaves, host gets to keep the money AND potentially book another last minute person. Doubling night profits.
2. I am struggling though to wrap my head around one thing. Renting a property that is illegal in it’s city is a non-criminal violating for the host (fines/maybe seizure of the property in the worst circumstances). This is a problem between host and city….how does it become an issue of ethics for the customer? I get the issues of impacting the life of locals…but those are listed as separate issues.
So in and of itself, how does the issue become an issue of ethics for the renter?
I’m not challenging it, I’m just really having a hard time understanding how we went from A to B on this one.
That’s a great question, Paris!
While it is a problem between host and city, it becomes an issue of ethics for the customer/tourist because they are the ones who hold the power to drive change.
Some city authorities and hosts don’t care about the issues unregulated homestay accommodation can cause locals. But ultimately, it is the tourist that dictates the industry. It’s supply and demand – the more tourists want Airbnbs, the more will pop up.
As I mentioned in the article, at the start of the pandemic hosts rushed to list their properties as long-term rentals in Dublin because there was no demand from tourists. If more tourists become aware of issues, they may wish to no longer use unregulated accommodation options and this will influence how many there are in a city.
I hope that makes it clear and thank you for reading! 😃
Having this information on hand is wonderful. Please accept my heartfelt gratitude for all of your assistance! I eagerly await your next post!
I’m so glad to hear, thank you Chris!
Excellent article! Thank you. Honestly, I am mystified as to why AirBnb would require that you submit a picture over the internet of your passport or driver’s license as well as a recent picture of yourself when you have a valid credit card and need to pay a deposit. Obviously Air BnB has had a lot of criminal activity (just read the news) that requires the ability to submit personal information to the police. These Air BnB requirements are unethical and downright scary. Imagine having photos of your passport and/or driver’s license floating over the internet for any hacker to access. Seems like a slam dunk for identity theft or perhaps other illegal activity……I don’t use AirBnb for this very reason and am happy that you have brought to light other issues and given other individuals the opportunity to highlight their own experiences. There are other great home rental sites that don’t require sensitive personal documents to be scanned and sent over the internet. What other potential things are your personal documents being used for by AirBnB????
Thanks for your great feedback, Sehelie!
You’re so right about identity theft. How would we know where our sensitive personal information goes? It makes one think!
I have an ongoing issue with Airbnb currently. I live in Ontario and wanted to spend the night in the city for my birthday. The listing I booked with had the incorrect phone number listed for the owner. I got a call from a random person shouting at me when I had no idea what was going on. He knew the exact unit and apartment building I was staying in. I called Airbnb as I was extremely concerned and the rep said that the listing was deactivated and I shouldn’t have been able to book. So I asked him how could I book a deactivated listing? He had no answer for me and said it was a high risk listing and that it was not safe and cancelled my reservation. He ASSURED me that I would get a full refund because I knew the host didn’t have a cancellation policy. He said if I cancelled within 48 hours I would get a full refund. I only received the cleaning fee back and they will not issue me a refund. They said the Host has to issue a refund but the Host has not been responsive. In addition this is not the Host’s fault it is Airbnbs!! I have been calling them and sending them messages but no has provided me with a refund! Airbnb has GOT TO GO! They are so shady!!!
It does so to protect hosts. not ABNB. Unscrupulous guests are more likely to not put ID up if they have a bad record. and ABNB systems are pretty good for protection. If you are going to trash someones house you know you have your ID there and are more easily held accountable.
Like regulated accommodation, ID can be easily verified by the host/reception at the time of check-in. But that means the host would actually have to be there to see it…
Great article Alyse, well researched too. I’ve used Airbnb over the past 7 years and the hosts have been amazing, accommodating and bent over backwards to help us create some memorable experiences with both my family, and even the hosts themselves. Kindness attracts kindness, and great hospitality is a a treat for gratitude. However, I’m now looking outside Airbnb. My family and I recently stayed in a lovely Adelaide apartment but to our shock, we received a nasty guest review by a “Superhost”. Her review was rude and aggressive so I placed a formal complaint to Airbnb (of which I’ve heard and found out that they’re useless and do nothing). In short though, it made me realise that hosts and guests can say awful things about one another and that there’s most probably no re-course of action. This “superhost” made me realise that she’s just in it for the money and we inconvenienced her with a late check-in (despite giving her cohost courtesy texts, and accepting our late arrival with a friendly check in when we arrived). I’ve never said this before, but these “superhosts” at this Adelaide apartment were the epitomy of trash and did not reflect my previous Airbnb experiences. As a result, it’s left a nasty taste in our mouths of Airbnb, and we’ll now go elsewhere.
I’m sorry to hear about your experience, Toby.
It really makes the process questionable when hosts and guests can leave inaccurate reviews about each other and there are no consequences for it.
Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts!
Bizzare perspective as seen from someone who’s used airbnb extensively. I’ve never had a host cancel, why would they? For the same reason they want to rent the place to start with, they won’t want to cancel. For the money, you get much more room, better locations, less noise, and a cleaner stay than my hotel experiences. I’ve only booked hotels when I can’t find an Airbnb, and each experience reminds me of why I prefer Airbnb. Privacy *is* guaranteed when you book an entire place; so the statement to the contrary is just untrue. Plus you don’t share a hallway and walls like at a hotel. As far as being properly licensed, private rentals existed before Airbnb, both legal and illegal, and Airbnb hosts are just as capable of following laws as anyone else, whether running a traditional bnb, hotel, cottage, etc. In fact, you can rent a hotel room through Airbnb! The last time I stayed at a nice hotel in San Antonio, there was no hot water, a loud (and drunk at all hours) biker convention in the hotel, and hardly any staff to be found, this cost me $300 for a 100 square foot room that reeked of cleaning supplies. None of these things have happened to me at an Airbnb.
Thanks for reading and for sharing your perspective, Thomas. Booking whole properties that take long-term rentals off the market for locals is one of the major reasons why I wrote this article, and there are dozens of comments here that agree. While you may have had good experiences personally, they are not universal.
I’m an airbnb host of 2 properties on airbnb. Both of them where empty before I joined airbnb because I don’t want to deal with the hassle of having an unknow tenant and luckily, I don’t need rental money to live. These houses where our respective parents homes, are kept with the prospect of my young kids getting one each in the future. Not all houses on airbnb would be available to locals if they were not on the site, I totally understand that this is a problem in very big cities but I live in a very touristic area where short/holiday rentals have existed long before airbnb without interfering with locals who want to rent. Not all situations are the same. I’ve never cancelled a booking, I adhere to all local laws and keep my place cleaner that any hotel I’ve been to. I have an insurance in place should anything happen inside the property. I not only rent for the sake of it, I try to educate my guests into the history and local customs as much as I can, refering them to small local business which is something hotels don’t really do in my area . All my reviews and experiences with guests have been great overall and reviews from them all positive. I rent a modern house with 5 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, office and large living room, equipped with everything you’ll find in a regular home, with a large garden and a heated swimming pool at the same price of a regular size hotel room for 2 in my area. The vast majority of clients I have are families with 2 or 3 kids. As an airbnb user myself I can understand you don’t need a kitchen when you travel alone but if you travel with young children this is a necessity and the main reason I stopped going to hotels when I travel with my kids, not to mention the fact that I would need to rent 2 rooms if I wanted to stay at a hotel as most won’t acomodate more than 1 child in the same room. I don’t require any cleaning but take out thrash and do dishes which don’t take you more than 5 or 10 min of valuable sleeping or exploring time.
Of course Airbnb have it’s problem and are not savoirs of the world. Normally I’m very critical to some of their antics. Yes, cancellations last minute are a possibility but I don’t think it’s usual at all, you are not at the “mercy” of the host, Airbnb in fact is rather strict with certain behaviours, they even penalize you for not acepting all booking requests so I don’t think it’s in their interests to keep a host that cancels last minute ( this cancelations are also not free for the host, you get charged against your next booking) Your article is misleading and generalizes too much in my opinion. I would also love to read one about people renting out lovely places, which we try to keep legal, safe and nice and some guests (fortunately a small percentage) treat like thrash and are completely unrespectful towards it. Hotels keep your credit card on file for a reason, I have no way to claim those damages at all. Airbnb host protection is rejected in 90% of the cases and you have to involve the police for them to even take a look at the claim. And before you mention, my neighbours at both places, one a house, other a flat in a building, are aware that I rent on airbnb and never had a complain. We do get along fine, they give me feedback and I give it to them. We are respectful of each other’s and if I’d ever had a guest causing any issue to them I’ll definitely would be the first to address it.
Completely agree with your well thought out, unbiased, and educated response.
Well said! Suddenly the author is missing but had you said something along “ I had an Airbnb that was messy” she’d be thanking you and telling you how she loves your support.
Don’t worry, I am always here. You must feel very passionate about dismissing other people’s genuine concerns, seeing as you’ve left four condescending comments in the space of several days 😉
Thank you for sharing this excellent article Alyse.
I live in Wollongong a Coastal city of NSW where people who actually live here can no longer afford rental accomodation because of all the Air bnb’s. I live in a small block of 6 units that now has two air bnb’s. Both “Hosts” have two other Air bnb properties in their “portfolios”. Between 2 people, they are hoarding six properties whilst families are struggling to find affordable rentals.
The problems we live with daily having these two businesses on our doorstep a constant stream of strangers entering our small “security” building at all hours drunk, parking issues, groups of seven in a small apartment having parties. The people who come and go by the day have no respect for the people that live here because they know they never have to see us again. We have lost our right to feel secure and enjoy a peaceful home and instead now we live with a constant sense of concern over what sort of customers will move in next door today.
Air bnb has ruined our happy home life and the rental market is so bad that we can’t afford to move to a better place. When did the rights of a few to profit outweigh the right of the many to have affordable housing.
Needless to say, I loathe Air bnb and everything it stands for.
I’m so sorry, Kerry! I’ve been to lovely Wollongong several times so I know exactly what you mean about the small unit blocks. Short-term rentals should be forbidden in this case, how awful for actual residents having to live in that way 😞
Why don’t you just move? if you can’t afford the area why bother struggling. It’s funny how you’re so quick to assume that these two rent tools have ruined your life, your cost of living, but the true mere fact is that you don’t make enough money.
Complaining and agreeing with the woman who wrote this article is not going to change anything you really should consider making different choices
Thank you for this. This is a great article, and really underscores how the AirBnB market is screwing over locals.
I live in a medium-sized city with outlandish property values. I have been researching the properties let on AirBnB in this city. I cannot tell you how many there are. I have been looking only at the single family dwellings to let, and there are “over 300” in a city of less than 250,000. That means there could be 301; it could be 1000, it could be even more. The cut-off for a “large number” for AirBnB is 300. Sydney has 300+ and it is large, and a major vacation destination.
I have been checking out those out: Who owns them, how long they have owned them, etc. I have not even cracked the surface. (I have checked out about 100. Which tells that there are waaaaaaaaaaay more than “300+” single family units available to rent here.)
But of the ones I have checked out, most are owned by people who bought them specifically to rent out as AirBnB properties. (The owners’ primary residences are much nicer, large ones, and the properties were purchase in the past couple of years, while the owners’ primary residence remains the same.)
Meanwhile… There housing is INSANELY expensive in this city, for what this city is and where it is. It is one of the most inflated housing markets in the US. And I have to wonder how many units get purchased for AirBnB’s…
I love all your investigative work, Lee! It really does make one wonder, doesn’t it?
Thanks so much for reading and sharing your findings!
This statistic validates the feeling that people in my town have. We have been feeling completely overrun by Airbnb. We have over 300 listings of full house-full time rentals and we only have about 900 homes in total in this town. At least once a week a long term local posts in our local group begging for someone to rent a house to them as their current landlord has decided to boot them out and turn it into an airbnb and they don’t want to uproot their entire family. Every home we tried to buy got outbid by an investor and turned into an airbnb. There is only one neighborhood in town that has managed to write into their community laws that they are banned – and the homes there are really nice and don’t sell for as much as the mediocre homes outside of that area because investors DO NOT care how much they pay. Just proving that airbnb is inflating the prices well-outside of what a local living and working here could afford. SO unless you want to live in that neighborhood (which I don’t) you are forced to bid against deep pocketed and often foreign investors. They often just buy sight-unseen. Our town is not incorporated, so we are at the mercy of the county. The county refuses to do anything about it and tells everyone who writes in to them that they don’t have any complaints about them, so they don’t care. It’s unreal.
What’s truly baffling is how zoning is ignored in these instances. Residential neighborhoods are not zoned for commercial businesses to operate. I cannot buy a home and turn it into a restaurant or bar or anything else besides a HOME unless the zoning permits commercial use. I cannot build a hotel in the middle of a neighborhood, yet these people are allowed to turn homes in neighborhoods into full time hotels.
You are absolutely spot on Stacey W! Especially about zoning issues. It really baffles the mind, doesn’t it? I’m so sorry for what’s happened to your neighbourhood 😢
You sound like you may be in the city I am in!
There is a city council meeting in two days that I’m going to attend. It’s about requiring insurance and licensing for listing on Airbnb. Why anyone would rent without the property insurance is insane. But people are complaining about it.
People still seem to think the Airbnb is mostly about some family room to eat a little extra renting out a room or an in-law unit. But the vast majority of listings are whole residences.
This was an interesting read and definitely gives me pause in our trip planning. We have used all different types of accommodations and by far and away, Airbnb has been our favorite. I spend a lot of time researching a place so as not to violate (to my knowledge), local laws or trouble local residents. We really love experiencing a new town like a local and staying in a hotel would never provide that experience. Of course, there are certain destinations where a hotel has been the right choice, but I refuse to stay at any hotel that charges a “resort fee”. I know there’s no easy answer here, but I appreciate your article as we will most definitely be mindful of our future accommodations. We were in Portugal a few months ago and are returning in March. We absolutely love the people and culture and hope our visit will only have a positive impact on the locals.
I have rented a home for just shy of 16 years. The landlord told me I could stay as long as I wanted and could make improvements to the house I live in. Over the years I built a fence around the front yard, paid to plant trees and landscape, replaced a window in the dining room that leaked, replaced a back door that was being destroyed by the sun and weather with a fiberglass door, replaced screens, completely gutted the old/smelly bathroom and remodeled it, put in an attic access with drop down ladder in the hall, installed ceiling fans, removed urine stained carpet and refinished the hard wood floors. Half of a back room was raw dirty plywood so I paid to level the entire floor and put in a new floor. Put in a new floor in the kitchen. I also painted the entire place before I moved in, the landlord didn’t paint or clean…. ever. I did many other improvements to the property over the years. Then, some friend of hers whose son airbnb’s a room in his mother’s home and a room in a manufactured home and his couch in a condo got in her ear. He actually rents out his couch. They told her to kick me out, the place is nice and she could get a lot more money doing an airbnb. She’s been on disability since I’ve known her and I have handled most of any issues around the property as she can’t deal with things, it overwhelms her. So now I’m being kicked out and I suspect her “friends” are going to be in charge of the airbnb and making money off of her. Bottom line, I’m screwed and all of my money spent on materials and labor to make the place decent to live in, will now be used to enrich her. I’m angry and ‘ I’m concerned about what this means for communities everywhere. Rents where I live have gone up over 40% and airbnb’s aren’t helping. I have friends who live next door to an airbnb and they aren’t happy. No one in my neighborhood is okay with the home becoming an airbnb but no feels there is anything they can do about it. Thank you for the article and thank you letting me vent.
I’m so sorry to hear that, HE Wagner. That’s so awful! This is the thing: once landlords realise they can earn more money from tourists who stay short-term, it becomes more favourable to list their properties as vacation rentals. It’s really sad for locals who need to live and work in the area such as yourself. I hope you can come to some kind of compromise with your landlord considering the time and money you invested into the place, wishing you luck!