Can someone explain why anyone uses Air B&B?

[Niloc]

Can someone explain why anyone uses Air B&B (or any similar service)?

As I understand it (correct me if I'm wrong), if you're a renter, these services often;

1) Cost as much or more than a reasonably priced hotel/motel.

2) Require the guests to clean the whole place thoroughly before leaving or charge a VERY expensive cleaning fee - I've also heard of situations where the guests did clean up but still got charged the full cleaning fee because it was "not up to the property owners standards".

3) Sometimes the places aren't all that clean when the renter shows up - occasionally really bad with bugs, etc. - I don't think I've ever seen a cockroach inside a Motel 6. I did stay at the "Mid-Iowa Inn" once, that had dead millipedes on the bathroom floor, but it was like $17 a night in 2002, and at least they were dead. Another place in Atlantic City had mice, but that was a real dive.

For the property owners:

1) They're not allowed to have security cameras indoors. Definitely no spycams/nannycams allowed - and supposedly if guests find one they can report it and get a full refund.
So what happens when someone inevitably trashes the place? Or claims it was trashed when they got there?

camera finders on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hidden+camera+finder&crid=5TIT2UXE5IAQ&sprefix=hidden+camera+finder%2Caps%2C161&ref=nb_sb_noss_1


I'm sure there are other issues as well, I've looked around on Reddit and other sites but there are always brigades of bots out there "downvote anything that mentions competitors", "downvote any criticism", etc.


Also thought of this scam, would this work? Say you own a property and rent it out with one of these services. You have external security cameras (allowed as far as I know) which you can check remotely. Rent to someone, watch the cameras until you see them leave the place, 3rd party accomplice with a key swings by (after you've turned off the cameras) and steals all their stuff. You were at a Starbucks (or other public place with security cams, receipts with time/date stamps, etc.) for alibi purposes.

 

[tufnel1530]

They arent really geared for people looking to stay on the cheap.

Anytime I have had a longer stay during a move or whatever I have done Airbnb instead of a hotel.

For what I would have paid for a hotel I have gotten a whole house in some cases or a smaller private place at least...  the longer you stay the cheaper it gets.

Makes sense to me.. I would rather live in a small house than a hotel for a few weeks.

Hotels suck and are crazy expensive these days even for dumps.

[k7]

we stayed in a haunted cottage (legit) in england, as an air b&b deal. it was 1/2 the price of the seediest hotels, 8 day stay.

in london, the hotel was a cheaper option...

[Niloc]

I guess it makes sense if you're renting longer term or with a big group. In the past I've traveled mostly for business & solo (less so recently).

I'd still be paranoid about camera, bugs, etc. though - seems like a hell of a lot of down-sides for both renter and owner.

[tufnel1530]

I guess it makes sense if you're renting longer term or with a big group. In the past I've traveled mostly for business & solo (less so recently).

I'd still be paranoid about camera, bugs, etc. though - seems like a hell of a lot of down-sides for both renter and owner.

They run a pretty tight ship... they have even cracked down on the people who rent them just to throw parties and trash places.

If you have to be worried about bugs or whatever you aren't doing it right. Do some diligence and rent from people that have their superstar rating etc etc

If you are trying to do it as a cheap option then yah you will probably run into issues like anything else done on the cheap....

I'd avoid any place that is way cheaper than market for the area or looks like shit in the pics.

My landlord in Dunedin had a few of them and they made bank on those in season but they were all nice vacation kind of small homes or duplex kind of things, def not cheap.

[MilitiaMan]

I use it frequently and have almost always had great success with it. The market is very competitive, so most hosts go out of their way to make the space really clean and inviting for you.

I did have one bad experience in Greenville, SC. I was there with my son for a baseball tournament. The home was older, but cozy. On the first night, the AC failed, and the home was approximately 90 degrees during the day. Fortunately, it was up in the mountains and the cool breezes in the evenings made it somewhat bearable.

But my room had bed bugs and I got bit up very badly on my legs and waist. It was miserable and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

The hosts did give a full refund, but I had to leave the AirBNB early and find a nearby hotel.

Steve
MM

[HammysHangout ( Hammy )]

I am going to ga in a week, 10 people for 7 days.. hotel not cost effective.. for 4-5 rooms.. and no where we all can chill together.. Vrbo.. $300/night.. all in same house. with a dock, lake and a private pool?

[JoyFish]

Great questions! I once had a dreadful Airbnb experience where I arrived to find a place that was neither clean nor charming. Imagine discovering a family of bugs hosting a party in the bathroom I spent the weekend in a state of constant paranoia. Since then, I stick to recommended hotels. Hotels usually offer reliability and peace of mind that you don't always get with Airbnb.

[JoyFish]

I’ve stayed in a few Airbnb spots, and here’s my take. For guests, the appeal is mostly in finding unique places and feeling more at home. But, yeah, sometimes you end up paying a lot and still dealing with cleanliness issues. I've had a couple of places that weren't quite up to scratch, which is a bit frustrating.

For property owners, the no-camera rule inside can make things tough. Most rely on reviews and security deposits to manage damage, but it's not foolproof. I’ve heard of some horror stories where guests didn’t treat the place well, and it was a hassle to sort out.

[JoyFish]

Hotels all the way!

[HighProtein]

I stick with hotels, it is quite easy to compare shop them too.