Why Are Airbnb Services Even Allowed?

I just don’t understand why this type of service is even allowed. I moved into my neighborhood several years ago as a young family with plans to provide my son a happy and loving childhood. Now, because of the Airbnb that recently “opened” next door, that dream has been shattered.

I wanted my son to grow up in a community where everyone knows one another and neighbors watch out for the kids as they play. Instead, every few days, we have strangers living next door that have absolutely no respect or concern for our community. They are loud, disrespectful, and inconsiderate.

Last night, one of them parked in my driveway and attempted to enter my home while we were sitting in the living room watching TV. Do you know how terrifying it is for a four-year-old to have a couple of strangers attempt to walk inside your home? Neighborhoods should be focused on building a sense of trust and community, not utilized as a way to make money while jeopardized your neighbors.

These uncaring “guests” trash our local park, park in front of my driveway so we can’t get out, leave trash in my yard, and stay up causing commotion at all hours of the night. In a time where you can’t even feel safe going to the store, now I can’t even feel comfortable in my own home. This sense of entitlement to doing whatever you want with “your” house is ridiculous and completely defeats the purpose of living in a neighborhood.

If you want a short term stay, go to a motel or hotel; that is for what they were made. A house should be reserved for preserving a sense of community within those that live in the neighborhood and providing a sense of peace and comfort to raise a family. Thank you Airbnb for robbing people of this American dream.

This is a horrible concept and I hope cities crack down hard on how these services are managed. What a complete disappointment in those that have no respect for their neighbors (mostly because they don’t actually live there) and exposing us to a constant set of inconsiderate strangers that destroy our sense of community for a few extra bucks. What a shame that this is what has become more important to people.

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9 Comments

  1. I live coastal FL and the problem with hosts just communicating with the neighbors about problems is that now ALL the neighbors are also AirBB hosts. It happened quick – we have a majority of non-homesteaders with some entire condo buildings having not one owner-occupier remaining.

    This Corona virus has now finally introduced these hosts to the risk side of the biz with 100’s of available units in peak season; many hosts having mortgage debt. During our last housing crash the first thing the multi-property debt-bag holders quit paying was the HOA dues. Maintenance suffers and is left to the remaining dues payers. We will see foreclosures. During the credit crunch and ensuing foreclosure tsunami, mortgage lenders shunned lending to condos with a majority 2nd-home owners.

    It will be interesting to see how this works out for these hosts that are losing their shorts. And just maybe, the remaining full time residents will enjoy this peaceful respite enough to take a stand against this biz model that disrupts the peace and harmony of communities, takes properties off the long-term rent market thereby escalating rates, and puts an undue burden on the local infrastructure *.

    *Coming to Florida this summer? We still cannot find hand sanitizer, wipes, or TP for ourselves. The meat section is getting thin. Please bring your own food and supplies. We have no testing here to speak of (County Population: 500K; tests 12,000) so don’t be too sure about how wide-spread the virus is or is not. Most people I see are not wearing masks as they mistakenly believe it is over. But sure, c’mon down?

  2. That is the real problem. You are remote and relying on neighbors to manage your property by alerting them to problems, while you collect the money. You need to figure out how to manage this or not rent. I have tried to accommodate the investor host in the property next door, but not more. I will be putting a sign in my yard that may result in poor reviews

  3. Go to your local township, boro, city council meetings, etc, and get AirBnB banned within your towns limits.

    I agree. Unless you live in a touristy area, I’d hate for the home next door to mine to be rented out on a continuous basis.

  4. If you feel this way take it to your city! Report this home and follow up on it. If enough folks complain you will change things. Airbnb needs to go.
    Just Say NO to Airbnb!

  5. Airbnb offers neighbors the opportunity to report bad hosts. It is a host’s responsibility to have clear house rules and be sure they are followed.

    Go to the Airbnb website,
    select “get help”
    Enter “report neighbors” into search field
    Select topic “My neighbor is an Airbnb host. What do I need to know?”
    In the article is a link to report a neighbor’s Airbnb rental for illegal or disruptive behavior.

    VRBO, Booking.com, Homeaway, and numerous other websites provide short term rental and booking services. Find your neighbor’s listing on Airbnb to make sure you are reporting to the wrong company.

    You can always be direct and contact the owner. Local property tax records will give you the owner’s name and mailing address. Most owner/hosts invest a lot of money in their rentals and want to know if things are not going smoothly. Keep things factual & brief because you will lose credibility if it becomes a rant.

    I have a beach condo that I manage remotely. I gave the neighbors my phone number and asked them to call me immediately if they feel uneasy about the people renting or if they renters behave badly or are noisy. I can call guests or Airbnb to get the problem addressed immediately.

    Maybe your neighbor would give you their phone number so you can call if needed.

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