the beautiful pool

 

(Reader Comments under a New York Times article about Air-bnbs)

Angela

Texas

I've never had any trouble with any AirBnB stay (all with private citizen hosts), but all the negative stories I've heard in the last couple years definitely makes me wary for the next time I reserve one!

RB

Maryland

I'm done with Air B n Bs.  They are nearly always flawed in some way relative to what is promised in their listing and I'm tired of wasting my energy dealing with crappy service and inaccurate listings.

My last 5 Air BnBs:

1) A unit in an apartment complex with a big sign on the front door that said:  "No AirBnBs permitted" which made for an awkward stay and a difficult encounter with a security guard),

2) An apartment that had a bathroom that smelled like a swamp (the owner / manager eventually sent a repair person, which was a pain in the neck since they were there for hours and didn't resolve the situation),

3) A house with 3 bedrooms where the third bedroom was a loft rather than a bedroom,

4) An apartment with a washer / dryer, but oops, actually there wasn't a dryer at all -- the owner made an "error" in the listing (FYI - it's not fun drying your clothes on a balcony in rainy season) and --

5) a house where the beautiful pool was occupied by monkeys doing the breaststroke (this was Asia).

Penner

Taos, New Mexico

The number of airbnbs has exploded as second home owners, out of town buyers and corporations have purchased homes.

In places like Taos it's almost impossible to find a place to rent if you are not able to pay thousands of dollars a month; tough luck for someone who is a teacher or social worker or works in a service industry.

This Airbnb boom has also priced first time home buyers and local families out of the market as many homes are purchased sight unseen with full cash offers.

Airbnb started out as a good idea but it is a monster now.

Greed has destroyed the business model.

Sandra

Virginia

I used to use Airbnb.  I liked the local hosts and had some good experiences.  But I'm done with them.  Like many things, a good idea eventually went bad.

Randy

Los Angeles

why anyone would pay such an exorbitant nightly rate is beyond me.  I have given up on Airbnb -- hotels are much more cost effective, often have more amenities, better service, transparent rates, etc., etc.

EL 

Boston

...Key I think to using Airbnb:

1) Make sure your host is who they say they are.  Find social media.  Communicate by phone.  Read reviews.  Make sure the hosts are local or even on-property.  Do NOT stay with faceless properties.  The vast majority of problems I've observed happen when the host is not local and / or there's a management company.  It is not hard to figure this out.

2) Search the same property to be sure it exists / isn't being peddled by OTAs.  Talk to the hosts!  If you find the same property on multiple sites, either go directly to that site or AVOID.

3) If a shared space, ensure there are locks on the doors.  Ask about other occupants at that time.  Who will have access during your stay?  Google-walk the neighborhood.  Do you feel safe?  Understand the entry procedure clearly.

4) Ensure you have a backup option -- hotels acceptable / available in the area.  I once elected to stay in a dwelling that was not seasonally appropriate, and didn't feel safe.  I knew I had a backup hotel nearby that could accommodate me.

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-------------------------------- @EL, You're absolutely right about all of this, but my problem is that having to have sophisticated insights and forensic abilities in order to get a truthful view of a property is an outrageous burden to put on a consumer.

        Basically, you can't believe an Air BNB listing at face value.  That is at best false advertising and at worst, blatant fraud.

Maureen O'Brien

Long Island, New York

Next time you need to travel - use a hotel.  They are set up to receive travelers.  airbnb is set up to receive your credit card #.

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