I really think that the best way to effect changes in the Airbnb system is to simply not use Airbnb. Money talks. I will never again stay at an Airbnb property. I discussed my concerns with a live agent from Airbnb and she confirmed that there are no site visits to the properties and no real training is provided for hosts. Not everyone is suited to be a host, plain and simple. Properties need to have standards enforced since some hosts just don’t know how to provide a safe, clean and comfortable environment.
My most recent stay was in a very cute converted garage (built around the 1940’s) which I do not believe had any insulation. The space was very hot despite using the fan provided. Many of the electrical outlets were apparently original to the garage and were so worn out that some could barely hold a plug without it falling out; this is a fire hazard because a loose outlet can produce an arc if it can’t make solid contact with the plug. Also, the housekeeping staff heavily oiled all of the varnished wood tables (you don’t oil sealed wood furniture) so that I had sticky oil all over my fingers, laptop and the mouse. There was hair in the shower, and the bath exhaust fan was so filthy that I couldn’t figure out how any air could pass through.
This was my second experience staying at an Airbnb facility; my first experience was better, except that the mattress and box spring were directly on the floor (no bed frame of any kind.) Hosts need to be trained and the lodgings need periodic inspections. Of course Airbnb will never do this because it costs too much.
I think it is important to mention that Airbnb really doesn’t want you to post negative reviews and they go out of their way to block them. Meaning it looks like 99 percent of people think it is fabulous and that quite simply is not possible. LOTS of people are not happy but getting the word out is next to impossible.
I also think that a lot of travelers ASSUME that the company is doing quality control and inspecting the listings and hosts and that is NOT happening. You can be an “innkeeper” in 5 minutes with zero oversight.
I have never stayed in an Airbnb nor would I. I just returned from a trip where I stayed in a motel I have been to many times. In the breakfast room is a wall of licenses and permits. Fire department, health department, transient accomodations licenses, business licenses. All of these things come at a cost to the business and are in place to help ensure guest safety. I am guessing that MOST Airbnb units have very little in the way of oversight meaning YOU the traveler could be at risk.
For me that risk simply is not worth it.
effect is a noun; affect is a verb
Except when using the expression “effect change”.
If you want hotel-standard accommodation, book a hotel. I don’t use airBnB anymore since they started to demand I upload a photo ID but I have had some nice experiences through the site.
AirBnB makes its money by having little overhead because they don’t inspect the properties or really vet the people that use their service. This means you just have to go by a host/guest’s reviews and hope they are representative of people’s experiences. I once made a booking with someone with no reviews and this person accepted my booking to then immediately message me that not all days of my booking were available. I then had to cancel this because this was not what I booked, and this is the last time I booked with someone with no reviews. I personally don’t care whether someone’s confirmed their ID, I only care about reviews. Anyhow, I no longer use airBnB anyways.
The issue is more like this: you’re on a rock bottom, minimalist budget with 5-star expectations. Get a reality check and try a camping site next time.