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Airbnb asks people to donate money to landlords, backlash ensues

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Re: Airbnb asks people to donate money to landlords, backlash ensues

#41
post #32

I really wonder how much pressure AirBnB must be feeling from hosts in order to go through with this idea. There's no way that they have done thinking it would not have some downsides. I really would like to know how they calculated that going through with this idea would be a better option than doing nothing.

My thoughts too. But why does Airbnb care? Presumably the landlords will just come back or be replaced, and it’s not like they have shown concern for ethics in a long time.

Re: Airbnb asks people to donate money to landlords, backlash ensues

#42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not disagreeing with you except about the cleaning fee. Hotels usually clean every room every day and have an on-site cleaning staff. The marginal cost to clean one room is pretty low, and it happens every day while you’re there, so it’s baked into the price. On Airbnb, typically your place is cleaned once after you leave whether you stayed one night or two weeks, and it’s more expensive than just cleaning a hotel ro…

...which is baked into their room rates? It’s predatory to advertise a lower rate and then inflate it after the fact with all kinds of tacked on fees. People (rightfully) go nuts at hotels that try to do this.

What is being inflated after the fact? When you book on Airbnb it shows you all the fees including cleaning fee before you book...

Re: Airbnb asks people to donate money to landlords, backlash ensues

#43

Being a regular customer in a very hot market (Dublin) I can attest that most of the places I've been to were grossly overpriced and let's not speak about the quality. Back in the fat cows era (up until a few months ago) it seemed that Airbnb was synonymous to "if you have a spare doghouse in a hot overpriced market then you can make very good money out of it". Not to mention how airbnb was contributing to such marke…

They must be so disconnected that they feel their hosts and guests are actually having a meaningful connection. Most of my Airbnb interactions don't go beyond the exchange of keys (or not even that with the key boxes).

I have no sympathy for landlords or Airbnb, they are just going to have to deal with the market like everyone else.

Re: Airbnb asks people to donate money to landlords, backlash ensues

#44
post #28
post #10

I got prompted to donate to a host I stayed with for a few days and only saw once many-many months ago. Heck NO! What is their reasoning here!? I have zero emotional connection with that person. Nor do I think they are entitled to my charity.

So don't donate? I've been in AirBnB hosts where the landlady would make deserts for us and all kinds of stuff, just because she was nice and bored. We enjoyed it very much and I would tip her via AirBnb - she didn't want cash, except once - pre-agreed for multi course meal where she fed a group of 4, and it was pretty much just for the resources. There was a guy in SF that took me around shown me the city, etc... I…

Why would you donate money to people who are houseowners and up until few months ago were racking in profits by renting?

This is not even charity, it's just pointless.

Re: Airbnb asks people to donate money to landlords, backlash ensues

#45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Other articles of this topic mentioned this titbit: > The financial situation is especially dire for megahosts, some of whom bought up dozens of properties and built short-term-rental empires that made up their main source of income (about one-third of Airbnb hosts have more than 25 properties, according to the analytics site AirDNA). https://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-asking-renters-to-don...

Is there some way I could solicit the megahosts for a donation?

Seriously, my rent has nearly doubled because of these megahosts picking up properties all over my city and turning them into flop houses.

Re: Airbnb asks people to donate money to landlords, backlash ensues

#46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My rent has doubled in the past four years, largely because or AirBnB's "oh this is just regular housing with a spare rented room", so I have zero sympathy for them.

That's your fault for living in a beautiful Mediterranean city...

How could I have been so foolish!

Re: Airbnb asks people to donate money to landlords, backlash ensues

#47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not disagreeing with you except about the cleaning fee. Hotels usually clean every room every day and have an on-site cleaning staff. The marginal cost to clean one room is pretty low, and it happens every day while you’re there, so it’s baked into the price. On Airbnb, typically your place is cleaned once after you leave whether you stayed one night or two weeks, and it’s more expensive than just cleaning a hotel ro…

...which is baked into their room rates? It’s predatory to advertise a lower rate and then inflate it after the fact with all kinds of tacked on fees. People (rightfully) go nuts at hotels that try to do this.

For condos rentals through realtors cleaning fees are often a norm - although they often have a baseline level of cleanliness where you don't have to pay a surcharge if it is to a certain standard such as all of the dishes either cleaned and put away or in the dishwasher cleaning while you check out and all trash cans emptied.

That sort of thing is a legitimate reason for a separate fee. I guess pedantically it is "non-baked in unconditional cleaning fees" essentially.

Re: Airbnb asks people to donate money to landlords, backlash ensues

#48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...which is baked into their room rates? It’s predatory to advertise a lower rate and then inflate it after the fact with all kinds of tacked on fees. People (rightfully) go nuts at hotels that try to do this.

What is being inflated after the fact? When you book on Airbnb it shows you all the fees including cleaning fee before you book...

Go look at an Airbnb listing, it will be advertised at a lower, per night rate, but when you go to book, it can jump up as much as 50% with tacked on fees. Hotels don’t do this.

I just went on the site and looked at an advertised $80 per night listing. On booking it became $137, with the $40 cleaning and $17 service fees. That’s a $137 room not an $80 one and I doubt it costs $40 to clean it.

Re: Airbnb asks people to donate money to landlords, backlash ensues

#49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not disagreeing with you except about the cleaning fee. Hotels usually clean every room every day and have an on-site cleaning staff. The marginal cost to clean one room is pretty low, and it happens every day while you’re there, so it’s baked into the price. On Airbnb, typically your place is cleaned once after you leave whether you stayed one night or two weeks, and it’s more expensive than just cleaning a hotel ro…

...which is baked into their room rates? It’s predatory to advertise a lower rate and then inflate it after the fact with all kinds of tacked on fees. People (rightfully) go nuts at hotels that try to do this.

I personally would rather hotels separate a per cleaning fee and allow me to choose not to have it done every day.

Re: Airbnb asks people to donate money to landlords, backlash ensues

#50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not disagreeing with you except about the cleaning fee. Hotels usually clean every room every day and have an on-site cleaning staff. The marginal cost to clean one room is pretty low, and it happens every day while you’re there, so it’s baked into the price. On Airbnb, typically your place is cleaned once after you leave whether you stayed one night or two weeks, and it’s more expensive than just cleaning a hotel ro…

...which is baked into their room rates? It’s predatory to advertise a lower rate and then inflate it after the fact with all kinds of tacked on fees. People (rightfully) go nuts at hotels that try to do this.

Although, many hotels have managed to wedge a mandatory “resort fee” into the final bill (and I’d like to see this nationally prohibited).
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