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Nearly 80% of Japan’s Airbnbs removed in response to new home-share law

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Re: Nearly 80% of Japan’s Airbnbs removed in response to new home-share law

#3
I understand all the ramifications in certain cities where the housing prices are getting effected by airbnb, but I think in this case it is just the Hotels strong arming because they were losing business and the Olympics are coming.

I am a budget traveler and low income remote worker and I really am glad I got to slide in before airbnb got shafted. It's a shame that I now have to choose between hostels and overpriced hotels, when I prefer the AirBnB experience. I met friends my age, got to see a side of Japan outside of tourist spots, and learned what it's like to just live in a normal house here without some exchange program or school. Without AirBnB I would not have been able to visit this unique country! RIP!

Re: Nearly 80% of Japan’s Airbnbs removed in response to new home-share law

#5

I understand all the ramifications in certain cities where the housing prices are getting effected by airbnb, but I think in this case it is just the Hotels strong arming because they were losing business and the Olympics are coming. I am a budget traveler and low income remote worker and I really am glad I got to slide in before airbnb got shafted. It's a shame that I now have to choose between hostels and overprice…

I too slipped in before the crack down. Got a rustic place in Kyoto. It was definitely no-frills but as you say, gave you a sense of really living in Japan.

When you have a family of five, hotels add up fast (it was hard even finding a hotel room that would allow 4, forget 5).

Still, there are always ryokan. Not quite the same as "living native" but somewhere in between that and the expensive Western hotel.

Re: Nearly 80% of Japan’s Airbnbs removed in response to new home-share law

#6

I understand all the ramifications in certain cities where the housing prices are getting effected by airbnb, but I think in this case it is just the Hotels strong arming because they were losing business and the Olympics are coming. I am a budget traveler and low income remote worker and I really am glad I got to slide in before airbnb got shafted. It's a shame that I now have to choose between hostels and overprice…

Why not just comply with the laws? I have a friend who did this, but in tourist-y cities this was turning into situations where a person would rent out 10 apartments at $2k/mo and rent them on at $300 a night.

A great business, but if you live in a block with constant travellers then I guess it can get super annoying fast.

Re: Nearly 80% of Japan’s Airbnbs removed in response to new home-share law

#7

I understand all the ramifications in certain cities where the housing prices are getting effected by airbnb, but I think in this case it is just the Hotels strong arming because they were losing business and the Olympics are coming. I am a budget traveler and low income remote worker and I really am glad I got to slide in before airbnb got shafted. It's a shame that I now have to choose between hostels and overprice…

Agreed.

While on the whole, I definitely can see the argument that AirBnB needs more regulation, in this particular case it seems more like a classic case of "established players using the law to shut out competition" than "creating regulations to curb some of the issues created by AirBnB".

Re: Nearly 80% of Japan’s Airbnbs removed in response to new home-share law

#8
post #4

That's a great example that clearly demonstrates that local law can be enforced, even on companies like AirBnb. I hear lots of arguments on "You can't enforce the ban", but it's simpler than ever to just do that.

Yeah. There's effectively never been Uber or similar in Japan either.

People just respect regulations and they generally do work very well.

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