**didn't see an Airbnb thread. Whether this is worthy of its own thread, I'll leave that to the mods.**

 

I haven't used Airbnb and don't think it's something that appeals to me but I'm curious about others experience with it. It sounds like an interesting idea in theory but I'm not the type to let strangers stay at my place and I doubt I would seek out Airbnb rental unless it was a last resort option.

 

My only hands-on experience is on a residential street in the 'burbs and it's not pretty. One house advertises as a place for up to 10 people. Homes that usually have 3 or 4 people. The immediate neighbors aren't thrilled. Cars parked everywhere. Drinking, etc. Cops have been called. Supposedly the resident gets fine $125 each time they do a rental. I don't know who fines them or how they know or if any kind of restrictions can be placed on Airbnb rentals.

 

Supposedly the resident is wanting to avoid the fines by requesting the township allow the home to be turn into a Bed 'n Breakfast. i.e. a small business.

^ I stayed at one in Santa Barbara and loved it. Quiet residential street. It had a nice little yard, four bedrooms, jaccuzi, backdoor deck/patio, outdoor shower and offered a degree of comfort and privacy for us that was simply a much better option than a hotel room.

 

I can surely see how, at times, guests can be unruly or irk the neighbors with their bad behavior. But there are already laws in place to prevent disturbance, public intoxication and the like. In San Diego I'm hearing some neighbors complain about lack of public parking or having to hear guests "opening and shutting car doors at night" or "hearing luggage being rolled on sidewalk" and those people just need to get a life imho.

have done it a couple times - chicago experience was terrible.  Downtown condo was a dungeon, dirty, gross.  Boston was great - clean, full of amenities, comfortable.  Mixed results in Florida

I've used it a handful of times with mixed results.

 

I spent a weekend in Seattle prior to taking the train up to Vancouver to see my friend and had a great experience. The guy was ultra quick to respond and was really flexible with our arrival time. He wound up being delayed (he was flying in that same day from a trip) and therefore couldn't get everything quite ready and discounted us by $50/night (off of $75/night) as an apology which was totally cool. Things happen so it wasn't like we were upset. But that trip wound up only costing $50 to stay a weekend in the center of Downtown.

 

For my birthday weekend in January some friends and I went up to Columbus and rented a house in German Village for the weekend. The house's electric was shot and several rooms had non-functioning outlets and lights regardless of what we did with the breakers. The advertised number of beds was wrong and one of the "beds" was actually a wooden platform with a blanket wrapped over it to look like a futon in photos. The place was a craphole and wasn't worth the price. We left an honest review that detailed all of these things.

 

So yeah, mixed results. But I think most experiences are closer to the first of mine and not the second. I like Airbnb and will continue to use it when I travel and don't have someone to crash with.

Only had one bad experience with Airbnb and that was in Berkeley, CA.  Otherwise, the ones I've stayed in Tokyo and Los Angeles were great.

I've used it in Pittsburgh; greensboro; toronto, and SF. All of them have been pleasant and what I've expected. I've made sure that the people I rent from aren't just landlords renting their place out, but people who actually live in part of the residence which gives me the sense that they're responsive (except for one, was a professor on sabbatical) to any questions and aren't necessarily crowding out other renters. For those unfamiliar, you can read a potential host's biography and reviews left by other guests before you place your $ down.

 

That $125 isn't likely to deter the landlord from continuing if you're renting the place multiple times a month and getting hundreds or thousands in cash flow.

I had great experience with AirBNB in Nashville (renting a whole house with a group of friends). The guy who was in charge of it managed several AirBNBs owned by different people. We actually showed up to the house early while he was still cleaning, so he suggested we went to a bar around the corner. An hour later he showed up at the bar, bought us drinks, and gave us tons of local restaurant recommendations.

 

I also had a decent AirBNB experience in Seoul. The guy spoke very little English but gave us adequate directions for finding the place. Everything in Seoul is access by keypads so we did not exchange keys at all, he just gave us the code (which he changes in between guests). I had some minor complaints about the lack of extra towels and blankets, but I don't really get bothered by that sort of thing.

^So if people who rent out a lot of AirBnB hire a "facilitator" much like regular property owners hire a property management firm they can offer better service but have to lower margin. A lot of AirBnB property owners are dealing with vacations or work travel on top of AirBnB guests. That adds and extra layer of complexity to their travel.

 

fair warning -- its completely illegal in nyc, unless the person who's name is on the lease or the owner is also present.

 

or unless you rent the apt for more than one month.

 

i know airbnb tries to help you if trouble happens, but why not just don't be that guy.

That's a surprise Airbnb isn't allowed in NYC. So cities, towns, townships have some ability to regulate this. I wonder if streets with HOA have any authority.

 

The township is having a hearing soon re: the bnb request. Basically this resident overreached. If they kept the number of guests to 2 to 4 there wouldn't be resistance. Instead they are turning it into a beach house in the burbs.

 

I've rental houses for 10+ but your usually surrounded by about other rentals.

Most HOA documents restrict short-term leases (usually defined as anything under a typical 12 month lease). My condo has those restrictions.

That's a surprise Airbnb isn't allowed in NYC. So cities, towns, townships have some ability to regulate this. I wonder if streets with HOA have any authority.

 

sort of. its not legal in the typical airbnb sense. that is, you cant just rent out an apt like a hotel room. the twist is the owner must be present for it to be legal. like you are just renting out a room in somebody's apt. or that the apt is rented out for over a month. some condo/co-op apt bldgs do not allow airbnb at all.

 

i would think or hope that cities and condo/co-op boards could regulate airbnb all they want. just like anything else in the hospitality industry. its an uphill battle though, because airbnb is naturally very popular, it has a powerful media presence and it seems they push behind the scenes to influence lawmakers to allow it.

Great idea for a thread!

here's something in the news today about banning short-term airbnb ads in ny:

 

 

 

EXCLUSIVE: N.Y. politicians make progress on bill banning illegal short-term rental ads on Airbnb

 

 

ALBANY — A bill that would bar the advertising of illegal short-term rentals on platforms like Airbnb is gaining steam in the last week of the legislative session.

 

Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) and Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan) have agreed on language for a joint bill they hope can move before lawmakers end the legislative session on Thursday.

 

The bill would prohibit the advertising of home sharing in multi-family units in New York City for less than 30 days and carry fines of up to $7,500 for multiple violations.

 

The first-in-the-nation legislation has managed to unify both housing activists and developers.

 

"Every day I hear from New Yorkers who are sick and tired of living in buildings that have been turned into illegal hotels through Airbnb because so many units are rented out to tourists, not permanent residents," Rosenthal said.

 

"Time and time again, Airbnb has proved that it is unwilling to work with us to bring its operations into compliance with the law."

 

 

more:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/politicians-agree-bill-banning-airbnb-short-term-rental-ads-article-1.2671336

^So if people who rent out a lot of AirBnB hire a "facilitator" much like regular property owners hire a property management firm they can offer better service but have to lower margin. A lot of AirBnB property owners are dealing with vacations or work travel on top of AirBnB guests. That adds and extra layer of complexity to their travel.

 

 

Right -- I assume that a lot of people fail to consider the cost of managing these units when contemplating getting into the business.  Someone working from home could probably manage a nearby rental home (or second unit in a 2-family) pretty easily, but not someone who works unpredictable hours several neighborhoods away from an airbnb rental.  What this means is that it doesn't make any sense getting into business with something between 2-10 units, because the scale isn't large enough to warrant full-time staff. 

 

Also, washing bedspreads requires a trip to the Laundromat or the purchase of a mega-washing machine.  So a big part of managing a little army of these units would be trip after trip to the Laundromat.  How much is your time worth?

 

 

 

 

 

^Absolutely. But Airbnb was designed pretty much exactly for the best situations that you described, and that's where it's sweet spot is. The couple who travels and wants to offset their vacation cost by renting out their home or condo. Or the owner of a duplex or a small apartment building who wants to rent out one of the units via Airbnb so they can have their parents visit for the holidays or a couple of summer months, without getting totally stressed out having them in their space. This sort of thing happens all the time and Airbnb is a beautiful way to gain efficiencies from underutilized assets in those circumstances.

 

So I understand the consternation of the folks in NYC because of people who are distorting the model and making everyone else pay for the inconvenience. But the proposed legislation goes too far in my opinion. It's probably a strategic overreach just to get Airbnb back in line.

^Absolutely. But Airbnb was designed pretty much exactly for the best situations that you described, and that's where it's sweet spot is. The couple who travels and wants to offset their vacation cost by renting out their home or condo. Or the owner of a duplex or a small apartment building who wants to rent out one of the units via Airbnb so they can have their parents visit for the holidays or a couple of summer months, without getting totally stressed out having them in their space. This sort of thing happens all the time and Airbnb is a beautiful way to gain efficiencies from underutilized assets in those circumstances.

 

So I understand the consternation of the folks in NYC because of people who are distorting the model and making everyone else pay for the inconvenience. But the proposed legislation goes too far in my opinion. It's probably a strategic overreach just to get Airbnb back in line.

 

There are situations in SF and NYC where people are renting many apartments in a building at market rent and then doing Airbnb in those units with the landlord's blessing.  This is usually because there is some sort of percentage of the net paid to that landlord. 

 

But the problem people casually overlook is that convention centers, arenas, etc., are often funded with a hotel tax, and airbnb is skirting that tax and often all local taxes.  It's completely unfair to the established hotel business. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^ Wow. This reminds me of the Uber/Lyft & taxi fight.

^ Wow. This reminds me of the Uber/Lyft & taxi fight.

 

Yeah...aside from a lot of laws being skirted, I assume that the experience of renting a place via airbnb is a lot more "personal" than working at a hotel, just like how driving for Uber, etc., is a lot more personal than being a cab driver if only because you are driving people around in your own personal vehicle.  They get a bit of a sense for you because it's your car, not a yellow cab.  A cab driver might have a photo of his family in the cab, but not a photo of his personal car.  Meanwhile, renting out your own home or apartment via airbnb means the renters are getting up-close-and-personal with your own property, your own decorating motifs, etc.  That said, Ikea appears to be the go-to for airbnb furnishings, so the experience is oddly generic. 

 

I randomly ran across this blog entry...Nashville metro government (the merged city-county government) is limiting short-term rental properties to 3% per census tract for investor-owned properties (not owner-occupied). 

 

http://nestinginnashville.com/buying-airbnb-short-term-rental-nashville/

My partner and I airbnb'd our way all around Iceland in May. Pretty much all 8(?) of our stays were pretty good. Their government seems to be starting to clamp down with the excessive tourism they are having there. In downtown Reykjavik they just passed a measure that says that unlicensed owners can only rent their property for 90 nights a year in order to stop the "hollowing" of the downtown area. Many of the towns around the country are having problems where there are more rental properties than permanent housing and are also starting to limit the number of rental properties available.

LA acts to stiffly regulate Airbnb:

http://money.cnn.com/2016/06/22/technology/airbnb-regulations/index.html

 

 

I have a bit of update on how Airbnb works (or doesn't) in Hamilton County. A Zoning Inspector from HCPD has been issuing citations each time the house is rented. The resident never paid the citations. Then the resident was a no-show in court. A warrant was issued. $5,000 bond required, which was paid and another court appearance set up. Resident finally decides to pay citations.

 

I think residents/neighbors reporting an Airbnb rental is the only way an inspector can start an investigation. Now this house is being watched by HCPD, any future Airbnb rentals will still incur citations.

 

I'm still not sure what type of citations are being issued or how for much. I thought $125 a day, but I can't back that up.

^ If you know the address, you should be able to get more info if you look it up on CAGIS: http://cagisperm.hamilton-co.org/cpop/permits/address.aspx

 

Complaints probably help and in the case of AirBnB probably are needed because it's not something an inspector would otherwise notice, but inspectors can look into something on their own accord if they think something is up.

^are you saying that Airbnb is illegal in ham county? I have never heard that

Resident or owner? 

^owner

 

I have a bit of update on how Airbnb works (or doesn't) in Hamilton County. A Zoning Inspector from HCPD has been issuing citations each time the house is rented. The resident never paid the citations. Then the resident was a no-show in court. A warrant was issued. $5,000 bond required, which was paid and another court appearance set up. Resident finally decides to pay citations.

 

I think residents/neighbors reporting an Airbnb rental is the only way an inspector can start an investigation. Now this house is being watched by HCPD, any future Airbnb rentals will still incur citations.

 

I'm still not sure what type of citations are being issued or how for much. I thought $125 a day, but I can't back that up.

 

 

does it matter in ham co if the owner is present during the rental period?

 

^No. The homeowner is almost always is out of town themselves. When the home is rented to 10-12 people, even they know to get out of there. I don't think Hamilton County has any special regulations regarding Airbnb. It all starts with a complaint.

 

^^^^^I didn't find the citations using CAGIS. I did have the court docket #. There wasn't much detail to decipher. I'll try again.

Nashville is getting overrun with airbnb rentals...they're now trying to assign 10 police officers the full-time task of patrolling short-term rentals and enforcing the rules:

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2016/09/26/nashville-police-opposed-being-airbnb-rule-enforcers/91114720/

 

No doubt many people, especially younger people, are booking houses and then jamming 15-20 people in the house or bringing people back from the bar to party.  The place getting trashed is obviously a problem for the owner, but unfortunately the neighbors are having to put up with this crap. 

AirBNB is my enemy.  I had a bad experience, thanks to my nephew, and little cousins.

a bill prohibiting advertizing apts for less than 30days w/o the owner present was signed into ny state law:

 

http://www.amny.com/news/regulations-on-airbnb-other-online-home-rental-companies-approved-by-gov-cuomo-1.12489517

It amazes me that they've managed to convince a lot of people that this bill is about housing stability and not just the hotel lobby trying to squash competition.

 

There are already legal limitations in place that were more than enough to regulate improper use of residential units. Zoning being a big one. There was no legitimate need for this bill other than to prop up the hotel market which has a business model that's quickly becoming archaic.

I simply don't get the allure of staying in somebody else's place.. and could/would never rent one myself (though my daughter and friends are in Paris right now in one I'm paying for - in a great part of town in which hotels would be out of reach.)

It amazes me that they've managed to convince a lot of people that this bill is about housing stability and not just the hotel lobby trying to squash competition.

 

There are already legal limitations in place that were more than enough to regulate improper use of residential units. Zoning being a big one. There was no legitimate need for this bill other than to prop up the hotel market which has a business model that's quickly becoming archaic.

 

So you don't care in the least that hotel taxes that support convention centers, stadiums, tourism and convention promotion, etc., are being robbed of their revenue stream?  That people are oddly willing to pay to stay in completely unregulated and possibly unsanitary homes and apartments rather than one where there is, at the very least, something to sue in case there is a liability issue?  What if an airbnb host is secretly filming guests in the bathroom...would you rather sue an individual with a net worth under $100k or a hotel chain where you might actually get some cash? 

 

 

On 10/24/2016 at 12:46 PM, jmecklenborg said:

Quote

It amazes me that they've managed to convince a lot of people that this bill is about housing stability and not just the hotel lobby trying to squash competition.

 

There are already legal limitations in place that were more than enough to regulate improper use of residential units. Zoning being a big one. There was no legitimate need for this bill other than to prop up the hotel market which has a business model that's quickly becoming archaic.

 

So you don't care in the least that hotel taxes that support convention centers, stadiums, tourism and convention promotion, etc., are being robbed of their revenue stream?  That people are oddly willing to pay to stay in completely unregulated and possibly unsanitary homes and apartments rather than one where there is, at the very least, something to sue in case there is a liability issue?  What if an airbnb host is secretly filming guests in the bathroom...would you rather sue an individual with a net worth under $100k or a hotel chain where you might actually get some cash?

 

 

Edited July 15, 20204 yr by SixthCity

Mkay, going to completely ignore the extreme situations you've mentioned since that's not really worth anyone's time.

 

It's all about options. Hotel occupancy isn't suffering. Numbers in basically every city support that. But for some people even the most affordable hotels aren't an option. So why shouldn't there be another short term offering? Why shouldn't someone who is spending a week somewhere be able to rent a full apartment to feel like they're a little more at home? The alternative is a hotel that doesn't fit their needs. Why shouldn't there be that option? Those people are still going to these events and spending their money. It's not like by utilizing Airbnb a person no longer has an effect on the local economy.

 

For example, for my birthday this year my friends and I rented a house for a long weekend. The entire thing cost us $30/person in German Village in Columbus. It was a fantastic (well, the house could've been better, but it was fine), affordable way to get out of Cincinnati for the weekend. We would have needed 2 rooms in a hotel which would have have then charged for parking 3 cars (we were coming from different locations), wouldn't have included Uber voucher codes, wouldn't have had a full kitchen which allowed us to make a big dinner one night, wouldn't have offered individual Bedrooms (handy when you have 4 couples traveling together), etc. But that house, under this bill, wouldn't have been able to be rented to us. So that weekend wouldn't have happened. Meaning Columbus would have not gotten any of our money.

 

Variety/options come in handy in allowing more people to travel the way they want which is good for the economy.

It amazes me that they've managed to convince a lot of people that this bill is about housing stability and not just the hotel lobby trying to squash competition.

 

There are already legal limitations in place that were more than enough to regulate improper use of residential units. Zoning being a big one. There was no legitimate need for this bill other than to prop up the hotel market which has a business model that's quickly becoming archaic.

 

Zoning, noise ordinances, parking restrictions, etc etc.

Mkay, going to completely ignore the extreme situations you've mentioned since that's not really worth anyone's time.

 

It's all about options. Hotel occupancy isn't suffering. Numbers in basically every city support that. But for some people even the most affordable hotels aren't an option. So why shouldn't there be another short term offering? Why shouldn't someone who is spending a week somewhere be able to rent a full apartment to feel like they're a little more at home? The alternative is a hotel that doesn't fit their needs. Why shouldn't there be that option? Those people are still going to these events and spending their money. It's not like by utilizing Airbnb a person no longer has an effect on the local economy.

 

For example, for my birthday this year my friends and I rented a house for a long weekend. The entire thing cost us $30/person in German Village in Columbus. It was a fantastic (well, the house could've been better, but it was fine), affordable way to get out of Cincinnati for the weekend. We would have needed 2 rooms in a hotel which would have have then charged for parking 3 cars (we were coming from different locations), wouldn't have included Uber voucher codes, wouldn't have had a full kitchen which allowed us to make a big dinner one night, wouldn't have offered individual Bedrooms (handy when you have 4 couples traveling together), etc. But that house, under this bill, wouldn't have been able to be rented to us. So that weekend wouldn't have happened. Meaning Columbus would have not gotten any of our money.

 

Variety/options come in handy in allowing more people to travel the way they want which is good for the economy.

 

 

Completely ignoring that the proliferation of short-term rental apartments and houses for the well-to-do is pushing up rental prices for city residents and pushing out long-term residents.  New Orleans is experiencing a gutting of some of its historic neighborhoods thanks to Airbnb.  Instead of real neighbors, people now have a rotating cast of fraternities and bachelorette parties.  SF is seeing rents pushed ever-upward as people turn entire 20+ unit apartment buildings into airbnb rentals.  NYC is contemplating the above-mentioned measure for the same reason. 

 

 

 

 

Mkay, going to completely ignore the extreme situations you've mentioned since that's not really worth anyone's time.

 

It's all about options. Hotel occupancy isn't suffering. Numbers in basically every city support that. But for some people even the most affordable hotels aren't an option. So why shouldn't there be another short term offering? Why shouldn't someone who is spending a week somewhere be able to rent a full apartment to feel like they're a little more at home? The alternative is a hotel that doesn't fit their needs. Why shouldn't there be that option? Those people are still going to these events and spending their money. It's not like by utilizing Airbnb a person no longer has an effect on the local economy.

 

For example, for my birthday this year my friends and I rented a house for a long weekend. The entire thing cost us $30/person in German Village in Columbus. It was a fantastic (well, the house could've been better, but it was fine), affordable way to get out of Cincinnati for the weekend. We would have needed 2 rooms in a hotel which would have have then charged for parking 3 cars (we were coming from different locations), wouldn't have included Uber voucher codes, wouldn't have had a full kitchen which allowed us to make a big dinner one night, wouldn't have offered individual Bedrooms (handy when you have 4 couples traveling together), etc. But that house, under this bill, wouldn't have been able to be rented to us. So that weekend wouldn't have happened. Meaning Columbus would have not gotten any of our money.

 

Variety/options come in handy in allowing more people to travel the way they want which is good for the economy.

 

 

Completely ignoring that the proliferation of short-term rental apartments and houses for the well-to-do is pushing up rental prices for city residents and pushing out long-term residents.  New Orleans is experiencing a gutting of some of its historic neighborhoods thanks to Airbnb.  Instead of real neighbors, people now have a rotating cast of fraternities and bachelorette parties.  SF is seeing rents pushed ever-upward as people turn entire 20+ unit apartment buildings into airbnb rentals.  NYC is contemplating the above-mentioned measure for the same reason. 

 

This sucks, but trying to stop it is just going to have a ton of unintended consequences. A blanket ban on Airbnb is overdoing it.

 

Nobody in my age group was able to afford to live in the beach town I grew up in. We all had to settle somewhere else. Life goes on.

People are acting like it was the stone age, just five years ago, before this website appeared.  Like as if people weren't traveling and that airbnb now fills some sort of gaping, unmet need. 

On 10/24/2016 at 3:17 PM, jmecklenborg said:

People are acting like it was the stone age, just five years ago, before this website appeared.  Like as if people weren't traveling and that airbnb now fills some sort of gaping, unmet need.

 

 

Edited July 15, 20204 yr by SixthCity

People are acting like it was the stone age, just five years ago, before this website appeared.  Like as if people weren't traveling and that airbnb now fills some sort of gaping, unmet need. 

 

...it does...

 

I'm going to Tokyo for 9 days in March with my friend. The cost for the one bedroom place we're renting close to Central Tokyo? $430 for the entire stay. The closest hotel pricing we could find in that central location was around $75/night and was an incredibly tiny room with no amenities. Multiply that by the 9 nights and we save about 50% over a hotel, have a small kitchen we can utilize so we don't have to eat out as much, and are in a great location with a host that has a facebook page that has a ton of useful visitor information. We're getting a much better experience at a price point that hotels can't match which makes the trip possible for us. $650 flights + $215/each for lodging means we'll be able to do this trip for around $1,200 each. That's great for people working on a tight budget who want to travel the world.

So Japan doesn't have youth hostels? 

^Different products provide different experiences. Hostels are amazing for people traveling alone on a budget. They're great for people who want to get to know other travelers. They aren't always great for people who want to travel with a significant other, are light sleepers, or who want to cook their own food or do some work while traveling. There are pluses and minuses to hostels, Airbnb, hotels, and couchsurfing. Airbnb fits a unique spot that wasn't currently being fulfilled: a relatively cheap option that still provides a private place to stay.

 

Next time you advocate for rail transit and people say "a bus does the exact same thing" I'm sure you'll have a more nuanced answer than what you say about Airbnb.

What if an airbnb host is secretly filming guests in the bathroom...would you rather sue an individual with a net worth under $100k or a hotel chain where you might actually get some cash? 

 

You hear about creepy things like this happening in hotels sometimes but I really do think this has to be more common in AirBNBs. Since it would be fairly easy to get away with and there's no authority that would ever pop in and do a random inspection.

What if an airbnb host is secretly filming guests in the bathroom...would you rather sue an individual with a net worth under $100k or a hotel chain where you might actually get some cash? 

 

You hear about creepy things like this happening in hotels sometimes but I really do think this has to be more common in AirBNBs. Since it would be fairly easy to get away with and there's no authority that would ever pop in and do a random inspection.

 

There's nothing to stop the owner of the apartment or house from entering their own property when a guest is out and stealing something from their luggage (jewelry, electronics, etc.).  There would be basically no evidence to prove it did or didn't happen.  If a maid steals your stuff out of your hotel room, you'd probably get reimbursed by the hotel.  If a thief broke into the house or unit and cleaned the place out, I'm not sure what recourse the guest or host would have. 

 

Youth hostels, famously, have lockers. 

 

 

 

Also, a unscrupulous host could monitor when guests come back drunk, then come in when they are passed out and steal their credit card, driver's license, passport info, etc., and then steal their identity.  Damn, why didn't I think of doing this earlier?!!

What if an airbnb host is secretly filming guests in the bathroom...would you rather sue an individual with a net worth under $100k or a hotel chain where you might actually get some cash? 

 

You hear about creepy things like this happening in hotels sometimes but I really do think this has to be more common in AirBNBs. Since it would be fairly easy to get away with and there's no authority that would ever pop in and do a random inspection.

 

There's nothing to stop the owner of the apartment or house from entering their own property when a guest is out and stealing something from their luggage (jewelry, electronics, etc.).  There would be basically no evidence to prove it did or didn't happen.  If a maid steals your stuff out of your hotel room, you'd probably get reimbursed by the hotel.  If a thief broke into the house or unit and cleaned the place out, I'm not sure what recourse the guest or host would have. 

 

Youth hostels, famously, have lockers. 

 

 

 

A private residence is vastly different than a hotel. Also, what is the contract between the host and the guest?  So I don't think you can make a blanket statement because some rentals are for rooms, while the host is on site. Correct?

 

In a hotel, the security locks and key cards show a persons steps location or where that persons keycard has been/been used.

 

So Japan doesn't have youth hostels? 

 

We looked into hostels and they're really not that much more affordable than where we're staying but would have to share a common bathroom, sleep in a room with a bunch of other people, wouldn't have exclusive access to a kitchen, etc. What's the point of saving $15-$20/day (combined for both of us) if you wind up with a shitty product? We wanted somewhere that was a more secure home base than a hostel.

 

That and most hostels that we found in the price range we were willing to work with were unisex. My friend is female, I'm male. That's a bit of a problem. We need a place where we are in the same exact spot so we can coordinate.

 

Also, a ton of the hostels we did find had stay limits where we'd have to check out one or more times, leave for the day, then come back and check in. We have only 9 days, I don't want to be dealing with that crap when trying to make the most of every minute of my trip.

 

Airbnb offers a product that wasn't easily available before. It's as simple as that. Denying that is to deny reality. You can dislike it if you want, that's your right, but you can't truthfully claim it does nothing different than a hotel or hostel.