The Rise and Fall of a Multimillion-Dollar Airbnb Scheme • Hacker News Board

Re: The Rise and Fall of a Multimillion-Dollar Airbnb Scheme

#11

Post by duxup » Sat, Feb 23, 2019, 9:00 PM UTC

pmichalina wrote: post #9

duxup wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there a monopoly to break? Are all hotels in NY owned by the same group? There are other issues as well of course, that Airbnb guests (and the owners) who are running a hotel don't care at all if their guests bother the neighbors, leave trash outside, etc. It might be New York City, but it's also a community deciding how things are laid out and work, how they gather taxes, and etc in their city.

It’s not “the community”. It’s a bunch of loud mouthed busy bodies and bureaucrats flexing their authority because it gets them a hit of that dopamine.

You mean elected officials?

It's certainly not the neighbors who want this.

Re: The Rise and Fall of a Multimillion-Dollar Airbnb Scheme

#12

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Feb 23, 2019, 9:00 PM UTC

notmyaccount wrote: post #7

duxup wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there a monopoly to break? Are all hotels in NY owned by the same group? There are other issues as well of course, that Airbnb guests (and the owners) who are running a hotel don't care at all if their guests bother the neighbors, leave trash outside, etc. It might be New York City, but it's also a community deciding how things are laid out and work, how they gather taxes, and etc in their city.

If all the hotel, taxi, etc. owners group up to create a cartel to keep the status quo and not to disrupt the market, then that is also not exactly good. The choice of a community does not necessarily mean that it is the right choice.

[deleted]

Re: The Rise and Fall of a Multimillion-Dollar Airbnb Scheme

#13

Post by jimrhods23 » Sat, Feb 23, 2019, 9:01 PM UTC

I don't really thing what this guy did was a bad thing: He had positive reviews, multiple maids to cleanup after guests, and willingly broke leases and lost money when there were complaints.

Re: The Rise and Fall of a Multimillion-Dollar Airbnb Scheme

#14

Post by matchbok » Sat, Feb 23, 2019, 9:01 PM UTC

More bad behavior that is encouraged by the AirBnb leadership. Disgusting. They could solve this problem overnight with their software but choose not to because it makes ~70% of their revenue, while at the same time claiming they are a "home-sharing" site.

AirBnb needs to go into the trash. They consume resources and push costs onto the community and neighbors, while making millions.

Re: The Rise and Fall of a Multimillion-Dollar Airbnb Scheme

#15

Post by duxup » Sat, Feb 23, 2019, 9:01 PM UTC

kirse wrote: post #10

Always interesting to see when the disruptor becomes the disrupted (AirBnb's One-Host One-Home policy), and then suddenly bending the rules is an issue. You'd figure AirBnb would remember their days of being a rebellious teenager and provide legal assistance to these enterprising disruptors. Then again, maybe there's an AirBnb shell corp legal defense fund.

I'm not sure there is much legal support that would change much. Unless they can somehow get someone decide that the laws in question don't apply or are not appropriate laws.

Re: The Rise and Fall of a Multimillion-Dollar Airbnb Scheme

#16

Post by pmichalina » Sat, Feb 23, 2019, 9:04 PM UTC

matchbok wrote: post #14

More bad behavior that is encouraged by the AirBnb leadership. Disgusting. They could solve this problem overnight with their software but choose not to because it makes ~70% of their revenue, while at the same time claiming they are a "home-sharing" site. AirBnb needs to go into the trash. They consume resources and push costs onto the community and neighbors, while making millions.

People using it would beg to differ. Just don’t use their service.

Re: The Rise and Fall of a Multimillion-Dollar Airbnb Scheme

#17

Post by matchbok » Sat, Feb 23, 2019, 9:04 PM UTC

pmichalina wrote: post #16

matchbok wrote: post #14

More bad behavior that is encouraged by the AirBnb leadership. Disgusting. They could solve this problem overnight with their software but choose not to because it makes ~70% of their revenue, while at the same time claiming they are a "home-sharing" site. AirBnb needs to go into the trash. They consume resources and push costs onto the community and neighbors, while making millions.

People using it would beg to differ. Just don’t use their service.

The platform actively harms communities. Don't be selfish.

Re: The Rise and Fall of a Multimillion-Dollar Airbnb Scheme

#18

Post by dehrmann » Sat, Feb 23, 2019, 9:05 PM UTC

duxup wrote: post #3

alexandercrohde wrote: post #2

I don't like how the article implicitly takes the city's side. Breaking monopolies is usually a good, just like uber and taxis.

Is there a monopoly to break? Are all hotels in NY owned by the same group? There are other issues as well of course, that Airbnb guests (and the owners) who are running a hotel don't care at all if their guests bother the neighbors, leave trash outside, etc. It might be New York City, but it's also a community deciding how things are laid out and work, how they gather taxes, and etc in their city.

The part that I wish someone would break is hotel/tourism tax. It's a tax that locals rarely pay, but visitors pay all the time, and since visitors don't vote where they visit, it's a form or taxation without representation.

Re: The Rise and Fall of a Multimillion-Dollar Airbnb Scheme

#19

Post by CaramelSauce » Sat, Feb 23, 2019, 9:06 PM UTC

matchbok wrote: post #17

pmichalina wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People using it would beg to differ. Just don’t use their service.

The platform actively harms communities. Don't be selfish.

I

Re: The Rise and Fall of a Multimillion-Dollar Airbnb Scheme

#20

Post by notahacker » Sat, Feb 23, 2019, 9:08 PM UTC

notmyaccount wrote: post #7

duxup wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there a monopoly to break? Are all hotels in NY owned by the same group? There are other issues as well of course, that Airbnb guests (and the owners) who are running a hotel don't care at all if their guests bother the neighbors, leave trash outside, etc. It might be New York City, but it's also a community deciding how things are laid out and work, how they gather taxes, and etc in their city.

If all the hotel, taxi, etc. owners group up to create a cartel to keep the status quo and not to disrupt the market, then that is also not exactly good. The choice of a community does not necessarily mean that it is the right choice.

I'm not convinced the people with resources to make $20m in hotel revenues from 18 shell corporations are the little guy being stamped on and the neighbours being buzzed by people wanting hotel service are the Big Bad Corporation here...