Posted on 09/02/2015 6:45:35 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The sharing economy is changing the way we work, live and play. But nowhere have we better seen the benefits of this change than in our transportation and travel.
In just a few years, weve added Lyft, Uber and SideCar to our zeitgeist for rides and turned to Airbnb for housing when visiting a city.
Weve lovingly termed this change disruption. Its a disruption of industries that have remained relatively unchanged for decades and a disruption craved by us all. Were turning our cars and homes into valuable assets and facilitating the type of customer experience we all want.
Of course, like most disruptions of legacy business practices, incumbents dont want it. And theyll do everything they can to protect their turf. Consumer or societal benefits be damned.
In an effort to protect its turf, the incumbent lodging industry created the ironically named Share Better Coalition and seems to believe that the best way to share is not to share at all.
In a new ad campaign, the group claims that Airbnb only serves to make real-estate moguls richer while at the same time taking affordable housing away from everyone else.
Its a bold claim that can quickly evoke significant emotions. But it isnt close to being true. Here are the facts: More than 80 percent of Airbnb hosts share the home in which they live; hosts use nearly half of the extra money earned to pay for regular household expenses; more than half of Airbnb hosts used the money to pay rent and mortgages.
It sounds like Airbnb hosts are anything but real-estate moguls. And of course, Airbnb cant be a real-estate mogul since the company doesnt own the properties listed. It merely provides a better way to connect a buyer and a seller.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
They are one of the companies that supported the Supreme court ruling on Gay “marriage” and Planned Parenthood.
Anyone here used airBNB either as guests or hosts?
RE: They are one of the companies that supported the Supreme court ruling on Gay marriage and Planned Parenthood.
Almost every single tech product that you and I use are brought to us courtesy of “gay marriage friendly” companies.
Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, etc. You name them, they’re all being used even by conservatives.
Anyone here used airBNB either as guests or hosts?”
We’ve never used them but the house next door to my son’s house has people in their home every week and rents the house out on occasion for just a weekend party as they live on a small lake. Majority of people appear to be Iranian or from that part of the world. Owners no longer live there permanently any more. Very small community with houses close together.
Guests thus far are reasonably quiet and house is well maintained, at least on the outside. Would make me very nervous to live next door to a house that had strangers coming in all the time.
Maybe, but that doesn’t mean its not a great service. I’ve used AirBnb several times in Europe. Great experiences every time.
I’ve used it as a guest several times. I’ve used it in Greece, Scotland, Croatia, and Montenegro. Great experience very time.
If you use AirBnb to earn income on a spare bedroom, do you have the right to refuse business if a prospective customer gives you suspicious vibes?
Yes. You do. You don’t have to rent to whoever asks.
We use it all the time. That and vrbo are the only way to find a place to stay when traveling, imho. It’s cheaper and having a full kitchen cuts way down on unnecessary costs while traveling.
As left as they are in their political causes and as much as I can, I do boycott companies who do support BS lib causes, Airbnb is (so far) great!
A relative of mine rented out a mountain cabin for awhile and said it went smoothly, no probs. Also we have rented a villa recently which, compared to hotels there, was really reasonable for all of us to stay. They seem to be very supportive of both guests and hosts and pay attention to feed back...
Definitely worth a try.....
A friend has a beach house they are considering renting out thru Airbnb...but wonders how you screen the renters? What if they trash the place?
My friend is a host ... she presently has some NYC hipsters visiting. She says they change their clothes about 5 times a day to take selfies with her animals: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/143412?s=lHPI
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