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Airbnb Plans to Verify Every Listing

nytimes.com

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Re: Airbnb Plans to Verify Every Listing

#141

Post by dzhiurgis »

unlinked_dll wrote: post #108
dzhiurgis wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Freeze? If they do an audit like that they better sue these criminals to at least a year in jail.

Thats absurd. Civil tort never results in jail time unless someone commits a criminal offense during the proceedings such as perjury or contempt. At most AirBNB would have to prove damages, which would be difficult since they profit off dishonesty, or have proceedings that result in consequences for the hosts. For example I’ve had multiple hosts that lie about the address of their tenancy because they’re renting and…

Sure some inaccuracies are just inaccuracies - maybe penalise them. But stories like by Vice is just plain fraud, which to me seems very criminal. But I'm far from lawyer and US.

Re: Airbnb Plans to Verify Every Listing

#142

Post by onion2k »

briandear wrote: post #75
situational87 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's almost like we are intentionally bending over backwards to avoid hiring some human beings to do some real fucking work. When did this become the mantra of every tech company? Any time a job is created it's viewed as an unfortunate mistake or side effect? Who are we even building all this for?

Are you suggesting hiring employees to check every single listing on AirBnB? Does Craigslist verify every listing? For that matter, have newspapers ever done that with their advertising? AirBnB is a marketplace connecting buyers and sellers. Suggesting that a newspaper for instance send an employee to verify that an advertised car in a classified ad is precisely correct is a bit ridiculous but that’s what you seem to…

There are places on Airbnb that have never been rented. How would those places be verified, which is necessary if you want to say "Every listing is verified", if you do anything other than send employees to those places?

Craigslist, Booking etc don't make any claim that all places are verified so they don't need employees to do that work. If Airbnb are going to make that claim then they will need people to do the verifying.

Re: Airbnb Plans to Verify Every Listing

#143

Post by enra »

FYI people asking about the verifications. The Plus listings (as well as lux) are all verified by someone, has specific standards, including the amenities. So if you worry about the quality, search for plus listings (hit the filters on search page and select plus)

My guess this means they will extend/move more listings to the plus category over time.

(Disclaimer: used to work at Airbnb)

Re: Airbnb Plans to Verify Every Listing

#144

Post by personlurking »

paulgb wrote: post #43
duskwuff wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is deeply disappointing, and makes me worried that fraudulent hosts will work around the issue by having a co-conspirator book their room to "verify" the listing.

Especially since the Vice piece that sparked all this strongly implies that this is already happening: > Even some of the positive reviews of Becky and Andrew’s Chicago rentals seemed odd, especially those left by other pairs of hosts. Kelsey and Jean, for example, said Becky and Andrew were “awesome and communicative guests.” But they themselves were based in Chicago, where it seemed they had at least two properties…

This also strikes me as odd. I've recently been seeing extremely short reviews for places. That is, 10+ reviews per place that are basically "was great, would recommend!" or "the host was responsive, I'll come back!".

I can't tell if this is a thing people do or if they are somehow fake 5 star reviews.

Re: Airbnb Plans to Verify Every Listing

#145

Post by drewbt »

It’s about time.

Earlier this year I moved to Cape Town, with an Airbnb booked for the first month.

I was the first guest, and the place did not meet even the most basic standards of hygiene. What’s worse is that there was still evidence of the place being used as a crack house.

Needless to say, I refused to stay there and Airbnb gave a full refund.

All of this could have been avoided by a simple verification system.

Any new listing should, at the very least, be viewed and assessed against a list of basic standards before a paying guest arrives at the door.

Re: Airbnb Plans to Verify Every Listing

#146

Post by masonic »

rockinghigh wrote: post #140
ars wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The closet part is not actually true, it's a commonly believed myth. There may be a few rare localities that require it, but it's not normally required. Rather the definition requires a certain size of the room.

It’s definitely not a myth. Random examples in California: > room can be considered a bedroom if it contains a closet, alcove, indentation or wing wall which creates an area greater than 12 inches in depth. https://www.sanbruno.ca.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?... > is capable of being used for sleeping quarters that contains a closet, or to which a closet could be added, may also be considered a bedroom. https…

A space that doesn't qualify as a bedroom is typically referred to as a "bonus room". Finished basements are one example.

Re: Airbnb Plans to Verify Every Listing

#147

Post by tjbiddle »

notyourwork wrote: post #130
tjbiddle wrote: post #126

Good. Living in SEA, the number of times where I want to book an AirBnb and they advertise it as "Entire house" and it ends up being a single room and shared living is ridiculous. It takes me 10x as long to vet out and find a place out here. And even then, I'm disappointed the majority of the time.

Plenty of hotels in SEA.

The reason I book an AirBnb is that I want my home away from home. I don't want a hotel. I want to pop into an area that I'm visiting and feel as if I have my own space.

Re: Airbnb Plans to Verify Every Listing

#148

Post by goodcanadian »

dickeytk wrote: post #100
RustyBucket wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In many places (e.g. in Europe) there is no standard definition of bedroom at all. Rather generic room, which is space surrounded by walls.

I would be very surprised if that was the case. It's certainly not in the US or UK: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/68/part/X in the US it"s that it needs a window + closet I think.

Depends on the state, I'm sure, but in Hawaii it was a minimum of 70 sq ft with a minimum width (smallest dimension) (8ft?). In Canada (and I suspect the US), there has to be a window large enough for emergency egress.

Re: Airbnb Plans to Verify Every Listing

#149

Post by CaptainZapp »

accidentaldev wrote: post #24

They should make it mandatory, every user should be forced to answer certain question after their stay or pay a fine - they can pitch it as a 5% discount Next advancement would be to tax every stay and use it to an agency that would establish rules on “hosts” and regulations on room conditions. After that, next advancement would be to realize this has existed for 200 years and is called government.

They should make it mandatory, every user should be forced to answer certain question after their stay or pay a fine - they can pitch it as a 5% discount

Yeah, sure. After I get the privilege to stay in a soulless, cookie cutter appartment where I have to tiptoe around the neighbors because the lease is illegal and pay essentially the same amount as for a hotel room, I also get threatened with a fine for not working for free for AirBnb?

And all that while possibly recorded by hidden cameras, which are not part of the description and for which AirBnb doesn't really give a fuck, unless there's some bad PR to counter?

I think I stick with hotel rooms.

Re: Airbnb Plans to Verify Every Listing

#150

Post by hndamien »

RustyBucket wrote: post #91
RHSeeger wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm be curious if you could have pushed back on the bedrooms one. The term "bedroom" has a legal definition in many places (ex, must have door and closed).

In many places (e.g. in Europe) there is no standard definition of bedroom at all. Rather generic room, which is space surrounded by walls.

AirBnB was kind of built on the premise of a random air bed anywhere. So I think they should actually get a pass on this. The rest not so much.
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