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0 pointsineedaj0b1y ago0 comments

I think it’s still undecided if Airbnb is a force for good or a force for evil in the world.

A lot, I mean a lot of people with middle incomes have bought desirable homes in nice locations and rent them out. There are many aspiring families, young couples priced out of the market because of this.

Sure, this option was always a thing but the people who rent these properties out do not improve the community or unit they purchased and they rent out to anyone. This weekend a Airbnb guest kicked my door front door open. I pulled a gun on him and he apologized and said he was messing around but I wouldn’t have to deal with this if I didn’t live near short term rentals.

Hotels needed a check to their power but I’m not sure if 15 years from now Airbnb will have been good for the median person. It sure helps the wealthy however.

0 comments

Flop73311y ago

> kicked my door front door open

What the hell kind of messing around is that? Did he think he was at the unit he rented that came with door-kicking privileges?

ineedaj0bOP1y ago

I used to hop on walls and doors when I was 13 running around. But this guy was in his 20s or 30s and did not expect to see me draw on him.

They leave trash in the hallways or smoke in the corridors. When you’re on vacation people act a little more free spirited.

fsndz1y ago

I frankly don't know why people keep using Airbnb now. It's costly, and the service is worse than a hotel. My worst vacations have happened in Airbnbs. Even for group vacations with friends, we now choose hotels. The good Airbnbs seem to be only the luxury or high-end types, suitable for very high-income or rich people.

SOLAR_FIELDS1y ago

If you want to go to a group location with several friends and have

1. Privacy

2. Your own kitchen

Hotels still don’t cut it. Usually a stay needs to exceed some length of time needs (due to the cleaning fee typically being flat in Airbnb’s) before it becomes worthwhile. But if you’re in that camp (4+ people, 4+ days) it becomes pretty worthwhile. The cost savings on food alone makes it back up pretty quick, plus there are other savings usually related to parking being included etc.

csa1y ago

> But if you’re in that camp (4+ people, 4+ days)

Have you tried Residence Inn 2-bedroom suites?

There aren’t many of them in any given location, but they are absolutely amazing for 4 people when you can get one.

My experience has been positive, and my friends and family who have tried it were also impressed.

1 more reply

xandrius1y ago

It really depends on the country and what you're looking for.

In your description, you might be doing it only for a short holiday but when you travel long term, living only in hotels is truly awful.

Airbnb is the only way to consistently be able to rent a full place without having to go through traditional renting agencies which require oh so much paperwork, even for just a month.

The alternative is finding privates on Facebook but with that you just can never be sure.

fsndz1y ago

I get it. But how many people travel long-term every year? I usually get 4 weeks and split that between 2-3 locations, both in and out of the country. And I don't necessarily want to cook a lot on vacation (I guess I am not alone?), so the kitchen argument doesn't really work for me. But I guess I'm not the ideal customer for Airbnb. It's just that recently, almost all the feedback I get from people using Airbnbs is negative. Maybe Airbnb has just become something of a cultural phenomenon, so it will continue to exist because of that and for serving a narrow base of medium- to high-income people who travel for long stays and want a home during their trips for various reasons.

1 more reply

bongodongobob1y ago

I don't think it's undecided at all. Pre Airbnb, rent might be $50/day ($1500/mo) for your place. Airbnb comes along and now you can rent it for $200/day. What do you think that does to home prices in the area?

cabbageicefruit1y ago

I’d love to see the numbers on this. I suspect that the middle class families buying a rental to Airbnb are largely inconsequential to the housing crisis compared to the corporations buying thousands of homes to cash in on rent for the rest of eternity.

ineedaj0bOP1y ago

Anecdotally, I can say in Florida it’s people renting them out and not living in them. The locals are priced out.

I can afford it, but non tech/banking (the normal people) have moved inland to much worse spots. I only have 2 live-in neighbors on my floor of 8 units; the rest is Airbnb/Some guy who bought the unit to ‘invest’.

I talk with the owners because they occasionally need my physical presence to do something. But all these units would have been families - like they were in the early 2010s.

nox1011y ago

It might depend on the city but this was recommended recently

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6428660

their claim. Developers built to the market, the market being people wanting an investment rental property. The prices got so high that no one can afford to rent them so investors are losing money. It used to be, mortgage payment = $x. rent = $x+($500-$1000) but now it's rent = $x-($500-$1000). Further, they aren't sellable because they were never designed to be a good place to live long term.

at least that's my summary.

They didn't explain if all this is true why the prices haven't dropped 30-80% to the price that people might be willing to buy things they don't really want. As in "hey, this place is way smaller than I want but the price is really low and the location is great". As it is now it's more like "this place as way smaller than I want and even if I could afford it it's not worth the price"

I'm curious if the same thing happened in other cities.

specialist1y ago

Housing market is inelastic. Small changes in supply have outsized impact on price.

heavyset_go1y ago

At the height of it, entire buildings were emptied out or built for short term rentals in the largest US cities.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

Flop73311y ago

> kicked my door front door open

What the hell kind of messing around is that? Did he think he was at the unit he rented that came with door-kicking privileges?

ineedaj0bOP1y ago

I used to hop on walls and doors when I was 13 running around. But this guy was in his 20s or 30s and did not expect to see me draw on him.

They leave trash in the hallways or smoke in the corridors. When you’re on vacation people act a little more free spirited.

fsndz1y ago

SOLAR_FIELDS1y ago

If you want to go to a group location with several friends and have

1. Privacy

2. Your own kitchen

csa1y ago

> But if you’re in that camp (4+ people, 4+ days)

Have you tried Residence Inn 2-bedroom suites?

There aren’t many of them in any given location, but they are absolutely amazing for 4 people when you can get one.

My experience has been positive, and my friends and family who have tried it were also impressed.

1 more reply

xandrius1y ago

It really depends on the country and what you're looking for.

In your description, you might be doing it only for a short holiday but when you travel long term, living only in hotels is truly awful.

Airbnb is the only way to consistently be able to rent a full place without having to go through traditional renting agencies which require oh so much paperwork, even for just a month.

The alternative is finding privates on Facebook but with that you just can never be sure.

fsndz1y ago

1 more reply

bongodongobob1y ago

cabbageicefruit1y ago

ineedaj0bOP1y ago

Anecdotally, I can say in Florida it’s people renting them out and not living in them. The locals are priced out.

I talk with the owners because they occasionally need my physical presence to do something. But all these units would have been families - like they were in the early 2010s.

nox1011y ago

It might depend on the city but this was recommended recently

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6428660

at least that's my summary.

I'm curious if the same thing happened in other cities.

specialist1y ago

Housing market is inelastic. Small changes in supply have outsized impact on price.

heavyset_go1y ago

At the height of it, entire buildings were emptied out or built for short term rentals in the largest US cities.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse