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Ask HN: Will this be the end of Airbnb?

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Re: Ask HN: Will this be the end of Airbnb?

#61

Post by gumby »

heavenlyblue wrote: post #50
akirakurusu wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is it something only classists can use? I use Airbnb _because_ it is cheap, usually significantly cheaper than hotels when visiting cities. I use it to save money because I am cost conscious. A lot of lower-income friends also use Airbnb because of this very reason. It has been a lifesaver for us.

Here’s an alternative point of view: If you’re cosy-conscious; then don’t travel. Many places would be much better without a constant onslaught of poor tourists.

It’s a luxury only for the wealthy? My parents went on walkabout through the 60s and 70s dragging their kids behind them (starting about age 3, and not even two for my sister) and it was great. All over South and Southeast Asia and Western Europe. We certainly saw the countries in ways that would have been invisible had we been staying in luxury hotels, or spent the whole of the first 15 years of my life in Australia.

Re: Ask HN: Will this be the end of Airbnb?

#62

Post by bane »

typon wrote: post #41
akirakurusu wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is it something only classists can use? I use Airbnb _because_ it is cheap, usually significantly cheaper than hotels when visiting cities. I use it to save money because I am cost conscious. A lot of lower-income friends also use Airbnb because of this very reason. It has been a lifesaver for us.

You're a tourist going to another city on vacation or other reasons. You're middle class and thus part of the problem for the lower class people of that city.

I'm sorry, this is a fantastically ignorant and entitled statement. Poor people often need to travel.

I say this as somebody who grew up firmly poor and was even homeless with my entire family for a time.

Re: Ask HN: Will this be the end of Airbnb?

#63

Post by ggrrttyy »

legitster wrote: post #54

We operate 2 units out of our home. They were converted from rentals. They were REALLY crappy rentals though and essentially illegal to rent out anymore - lacking access to laundry facilities, kitchens, etc. But they are comfortable and spacious and in a nice part of town, so they have made excellent Airbnbs. Housing shortages in our area are a huge problem - any apartment complex proposal dies in city hall, so they…

>It's still bizarre how much they make off of a unit considering how little they provide. Their insurance never pays out - their website and app are embarrassingly bad.

Then stop using them. There are plenty of other options.

Re: Ask HN: Will this be the end of Airbnb?

#64

Post by keiferski »

lm28469 wrote: post #37
keiferski wrote: post #2

Many countries already require you to provide an address when entering (for visa-free visits) or when applying for a visa. This is not a new phenomenon. We will probably see a cursory medical test at borders. This will become more complex over time as the technology develops. Cities (and tax-paying hosts) make a ton of tax revenue from AirBnb, much of which wouldn’t otherwise exist. I don’t expect any total shutdowns…

> Cities (and tax-paying hosts) make a ton of tax revenue from AirBnb Aha, sure. They pay next to nothing in tax in Europe. Some individuals pay more tax than airbnb while making 10 times less money. https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https...

That’s why I included tax-paying hosts. Presumably individuals pay taxes on their hosting earnings, and individual tax rates are often higher than corporate ones.

Re: Ask HN: Will this be the end of Airbnb?

#65

Post by mylons »

fennecfoxen wrote: post #21
mylons wrote: post #15

airbnb has no serious liabilities, in terms of real estate, on their balance sheets. if they can go cockroach mode, and reduce spending (should be easy with discipline and layoffs), they’ll still be a multi billion dollar company in 2021-2022. and i say this thinking they’re ultimately a cancer on society.

Contrast this with WeWork, where people have been raising concerns about its business model (short-term revenues and long-term lease liabilities) from its inception. WeWork is dead . The main question now is what specific necromancy the venture capitalists will be performing on its corpse.

yup, airbnb is almost the inverse of wework, and is way more of a tech company too.

Re: Ask HN: Will this be the end of Airbnb?

#66

Post by mylons »

mlthoughts2018 wrote: post #52
fennecfoxen wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Contrast this with WeWork, where people have been raising concerns about its business model (short-term revenues and long-term lease liabilities) from its inception. WeWork is dead . The main question now is what specific necromancy the venture capitalists will be performing on its corpse.

I think people have been raising the fundamental moral hazards, lack of business viability and externality problems of gig economy / “marketplace” startups for a long time. But braindead rich people who want to believe in unicorns still pour money into saccharine VC fake shit, giving people of deplorable moral status huge piles of cash, sociopathic ego-stroking soap boxes to stand on, and every incentive to pursue re…

i think you’re overestimating the integrity of the average rank and file employee in san francisco.

Re: Ask HN: Will this be the end of Airbnb?

#67

Post by typon »

bane wrote: post #62
typon wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're a tourist going to another city on vacation or other reasons. You're middle class and thus part of the problem for the lower class people of that city.

I'm sorry, this is a fantastically ignorant and entitled statement. Poor people often need to travel. I say this as somebody who grew up firmly poor and was even homeless with my entire family for a time.

We are talking about the majority of the reason why people use Airbnb. It's used as a replacement for hotels for people on vacation.

Of course having a cheap place to stay for people who can't afford hotels when they're traveling is a necessity. That role was traditionally filled by hostels and I'm not sure if Airbnb is a good replacement for that when you look at all the downsides.

Re: Ask HN: Will this be the end of Airbnb?

#68

Post by bane »

typon wrote: post #67
bane wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sorry, this is a fantastically ignorant and entitled statement. Poor people often need to travel. I say this as somebody who grew up firmly poor and was even homeless with my entire family for a time.

We are talking about the majority of the reason why people use Airbnb. It's used as a replacement for hotels for people on vacation. Of course having a cheap place to stay for people who can't afford hotels when they're traveling is a necessity. That role was traditionally filled by hostels and I'm not sure if Airbnb is a good replacement for that when you look at all the downsides.

When my family was homeless, we would have killed to have had the security of an AirBnB available back then. Instead we stayed in a number of different places, many of which were downright dangerous.

After we clawed our way out of poverty, my parents were unable to afford to take our family anywhere for over a decade. The first family vacation we ever took we slept in the car and brought all of our own food. Poor people need to take a break also and this terrible vacation was blessed luxury from multiple jobs, daily danger and sickness, and grinding poverty.

My extended family is also spread all over thousands of miles as jobs were to be had. A simple visit to meet grandparents, or to meet cousins or other family is not a middle class problem. Poor people have families and loved ones as well.

I'm going to say this as respectfully as I can -- you don't know what it means to be poor with unstable housing, and you should think more about speaking for poor people, what you perceive to be their needs, and should stop scolding other people for not being poor.

Re: Ask HN: Will this be the end of Airbnb?

#70

Post by biolurker1 »

fullshark wrote: post #10

Seems like the market exists for what they offer. Even if this wipes out airbnb in the short term another company will serve the need in the long term, baring new laws. Basically you'd need to see hospitality industry lobbyists get some new laws passed murdering them as part of some sort of relief package.

Which is not unthinkable since everywhere new laws are passed now
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