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Airbnb dominated by professional landlords

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231–240 of 362 posts

Re: Airbnb dominated by professional landlords

#231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the kind of pluck and industriousness that made this country great.

Thank you, somebody who gets it. "But my neighbors are complaining!" has somehow trumped "It's my property." in the modern age. If neighbors don't like what their neighborhood is becoming, they should move. Aside from homeowners group contracts, a person should be able to do as they wish with what they own. I'd bet that's the feeling of a good majority of people on this site regarding computer equipment and personal…

I'm sure you'll feel the same when someone opens a meth lab next door.

Re: Airbnb dominated by professional landlords

#232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a false dilemma. The problem we're discussing here is easily fixed by making short-term rentals in apartment and condo buildings unlawful, which is probably what will end up happening. There's nothing that says that can't happen independent of any other regulatory changes.

The problem we're discussing here is easily fixed by making short-term rentals in apartment and condo buildings unlawful This is already the case in NYC. What's needed is enforcement. Perhaps through the use of a RICO action with wire fraud predicates against Airbnb and its principals. Taking money in exchange for a room that the company knows or should know is not legally available may well constitute "obtaining mon…

As a New Yorker who has recently considered buying an apartment in Queens, short-term rental prohibition isn't a law I want.

A NYC apartment would be my biggest financial commitment, and not having help with the mortgage from a subleter when I elect to travel at any point over the next 30 years is a crippling constraint.

Re: Airbnb dominated by professional landlords

#233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did that a few years ago so I'm hoping you have better luck. ;)

Ok I'm working on finding the right team to send this request to.

P.S. I found the right team and started a conversation 45 minutes ago. But as it's Sunday, I don't expect to see a response soon.

Re: Airbnb dominated by professional landlords

#234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem we're discussing here is easily fixed by making short-term rentals in apartment and condo buildings unlawful This is already the case in NYC. What's needed is enforcement. Perhaps through the use of a RICO action with wire fraud predicates against Airbnb and its principals. Taking money in exchange for a room that the company knows or should know is not legally available may well constitute "obtaining mon…

As a New Yorker who has recently considered buying an apartment in Queens, short-term rental prohibition isn't a law I want. A NYC apartment would be my biggest financial commitment, and not having help with the mortgage from a subleter when I elect to travel at any point over the next 30 years is a crippling constraint.

Why should your neighbors help shoulder the cost of your financing your vacations with short-term renters?

Re: Airbnb dominated by professional landlords

#235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A whole apartment/house does have some amenities that aren't in a decent hotel, though. Like a kitchen. Or enough beds for a group of 5. I appreciate those when traveling on a budget and/or with my family. - Airbnb employee.

Extended stay hotels will offer rooms with a kitchens, and can accommodate a family of 5, maybe just not for a price you like. Just be honest and say you like it cause its cheaper and you think your vacation is more important than the needs of residents.

[deleted]

Re: Airbnb dominated by professional landlords

#236
post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I would say that it is not a particularly good deal for the city and for the locals. What about the visitors?

What about them? They don't live there, they don't pay taxes there, they don't vote there.

Why does them being from a different place allow you to discount the value they derive?

Re: Airbnb dominated by professional landlords

#237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Airbnb is one of those rare products that cracked open an entire world of possibilities for me. For the first time, I've gotten the chance to live as a local all around the world, for even less money than at a hotel or sometimes even a hostel. Ordinary folks just didn't travel like this in the past, getting to know distant cities right from the ground floor. Adjustments should be made on a city-to-city basis, but you…

> Ordinary folks just didn't travel like this in the past, getting to know distant cities right from the ground floor. Not quite true. In 2005, I did a long road trip in Italy. In that year, in almost every gas station in Italy, you could buy books with listings of local B&B's and "agriturismo" locales, which were essentially B&B's that were on farms and usually included a farm dinner with the hosting family, in addi…

I think the above poster means what you experienced in Italy on a global scale. That is, yes it already in a form in Italy, but now you can do that almost anywhere.

Re: Airbnb dominated by professional landlords

#238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem we're discussing here is easily fixed by making short-term rentals in apartment and condo buildings unlawful This is already the case in NYC. What's needed is enforcement. Perhaps through the use of a RICO action with wire fraud predicates against Airbnb and its principals. Taking money in exchange for a room that the company knows or should know is not legally available may well constitute "obtaining mon…

As a New Yorker who has recently considered buying an apartment in Queens, short-term rental prohibition isn't a law I want. A NYC apartment would be my biggest financial commitment, and not having help with the mortgage from a subleter when I elect to travel at any point over the next 30 years is a crippling constraint.

As I said it is already the law+. See MDL, Article 1, Sections 4-7, 4-8.

If that means that it no longer makes sense for you to buy an apartment then you probably shouldn't buy an apartment. I certainly wouldn't hold my breath on it being repealed. The law was recently amended to make advertising an illegal apartment rental itself illegal and subject to a fine.

+There is an exception if you are renting out only part of an apartment and you or a long term tenant will be present. Also, the situation for buildings with three or fewer units is more complicated.

Re: Airbnb dominated by professional landlords

#239
post #3

Is this surprising at all? Most "sharing" apps are now overrun by professionals in their field. The apps help the professional (or company) achieve zero cost customer acquisition cost. In case the apps do catch up, these guys end up being "promoted" because they are a good fit. The pros make for much better "sales target" for these sharing apps.

It's not zero cost it's fixed cost as they pay airbnb for it. But that's still a good deal as customer acquisition is tricky.

My bad, it is not zero. I dint account for the commissions platforms charge for using the service.

Re: Airbnb dominated by professional landlords

#240
post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The economic response to this (and I'm not saying I agree...I don't have a horse in this race either way) is that a tourist's willingness to pay for accommodation exceeds a resident's, and so they should get the apartment. And the apartment owner can turn around and capture this surplus by renting out their accommodations to tourists on AirBnB. The market price for housing is artificially low in most municipalities b…

Indeed interesting to think about the end game. Let's suppose the Airbnb's end game is desirable for the society. But the process of getting there means a lot of people who love their home have to move away because the location is highly desirable for tourists. Is that fair to these people? If not, maybe we should aim for a different end game.

Here we run up against the fact that the world is a far more cruel place than most people would like to admit. Is it fair to these people? No. Do I like it? No. Is it going to happen anyway? Probably.

It's worth remembering the history of people who love their home but had to move away because some other people loved it more. Those folks who are so attached to the downtown apartments they can't afford anymore? Their neighborhoods became desirable because of a variety of urban renewal projects that largely worked by eminent-domaining & bulldozing lots of poor, mostly black neighborhoods. The original inhabitants - who after the Civil Rights movement were actually excited that they might be treated as first-class citizens - had their communities eviscerated, and still haven't recovered.

And then if you go back further, all of America is founded on the genocide and conquest of the Native Americans, many of whom loved their home and had to move away because the location was highly desirable for settlers.

And if you go back further, many of those tribes themselves stole territory from other more peaceful tribes. The Comanche and Aztecs, for example, practiced slavery and human sacrifice for rival tribes captured in warfare.

You could look at this as part of a long chain of humans kicking out other humans whose lands they covet. In the grand scheme of things, it's actually rather polite, as the original owners are being paid for the use of their properties and aren't even giving them up.

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