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Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

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Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#401

Post by mlrtime »

scarface_74 wrote: post #381
jjjjj55555 wrote: post #347

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't trust the laws. I think they're either implemented on behalf of the hotel chains, or else they only entrench people who already got "permits" for short term rentals, which now become basically golden tickets. I seriously doubt we'll see rents drop significantly anywhere.

And that’s how it should be - a hotel is a business in a commercial zone with professional management, pays taxes and doesn’t negatively affect home affordability

And why shouldn't I be able to rent out my apartment for a week if I go on vacation?

This was supposed to be the intent of Airbnb and is still a valuable resource if available.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#402

Post by mlrtime »

sschueller wrote: post #256

I find it sad how Airbnb has taken a market that worked (in many places) and re introduced all the problems that have been resolved through decades of regulations being put in place for hotels etc. Chances of finding a camera in a hotel room are near zero while at Airbnb you have no idea what kind of pervert the renter is. At this point prices for Airbnb have rissen so high why not get a hotel? It's like we don't lea…

Sounds like an ad from the Hotel lobby.

People should still be able to rent out their homes if they want.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#403

Post by lotsoweiners »

klinquist wrote: post #360
scarface_74 wrote: post #352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why wouldn’t you clean the sheets regardless after each stay? But everything else seems reasonable. If a host left a note explaining the reasoning behind the dishwasher and the trash, I would understand completely.

6 beds (comprising of 4 different sizes of beds/sheets) make it quite wasteful if a bed is not used. It already takes ~5 hours to clean the home.

Ewww…hosts like you are the reason Airbnb gets a bad rap. I don’t think any reputable hotel would find it ok to not clean the sheets on both queen beds in a room if only one “looked” used. Logistics of cleaning should be built into your pricing and scheduling and not be a chore or something the guests have to think about.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#404

Post by lotsoweiners »

bonton89 wrote: post #298
autoexec wrote: post #169

> The change comes after numerous reports of guests finding hidden cameras within their rental, leading some vacation-goers to scan their rooms for cameras. Checking for cameras seems like a smart move no matter what their policy is. You just never know.

How do you reliably find cameras?

Hack out all of the drywall.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#405

Post by ipaddr »

mrguyorama wrote: post #339
ipaddr wrote: post #325

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It cost you nothing but time and some supplies. If you asked a random person to clean it, they would refuse. So you have to pay them. Minimums for cleaning would be 3 hours. At 50 an hour plus taxes and travel $200 doesn't sound unreasonable.

The people cleaning your hotel room who can barely speak english and get skiddish if you are wearing a law enforcement uniform definitely don't make $50 an hour. If you can't efficiently get cleaning services for your rented out room, maybe you should get out of the hotel business!

Unless you have a pipeline of the undocumented then you have to go through a company.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#406

Post by ghaff »

xboxnolifes wrote: post #382
ghaff wrote: post #367

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not that I always could or would care to go to the effort for a fancy meal, but in general it's going to be a lot cheaper to prepare most meals at home. Or maybe I'm misunderstanding you.

Of course it'll be cheaper to make most meals yourself. Especially since the imagined price doesn't tend to include rent, kitchen labor, service staff labor, or depreciating costs of kitchen appliances, which all go into the price of restaurant meals.

I'm living in a house anyway. I'm not paying myself. Appliances last decades. It would cost me money to drive to a restaurant. With rare exceptions (e.g. high end kitchen you don't use much and eating out really cheaply) there's no world where the costs of preparing meals at home are higher than eating out every meal.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#407

Post by drdaeman »

hilux wrote: post #314
drdaeman wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same here. 16 stays so far (most long-term, 1+ months), so not much, but all with zero issues. Hosts usually ask to do the most basic stuff - check that everything is closed and turned off, sometimes take the trash out, and possibly collect the used towels and drop them in the bathroom. Stuff I'd do anyway without being asked. I remember having a request to run a washing machine once - and sure thing I did. It's just…

> Then, I typically spend about a week's worth of evenings carefully going over the listings, multiple times. This is the key. You're valuing your time at nothing. Which is fine, if it works for you. It doesn't work for me. I want to do a quick search, using the basic parameters, and to be able to trust my search without going full CSI. Increasingly, with Airbnb (also booking.com, also eBay, and now even Amazon), the…

If you know a service that has a working search over finer details (like a fridge size or having an ergonomic chair or path to a grocery store), and wide availability - please tell me. I’d probably ditch Aribnb instantly, I have no loyalty to it or anything.

It’s not good at all, but I’m not aware about any alternatives that can provide equally good results.

Having a good stay that I will enjoy is what I value of my time against. If I’m going to spend 2 months somewhere, I think spending a week isn’t worse than hating something every day for those two months.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#408

Post by TulliusCicero »

scarface_74 wrote: post #344
casenmgreen wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a digital nomad. One luggage, no permanent home, been fifteen years. I used to use AirBnB all the time. They gradually become more and more, well, "large company". Governments gradually made AirBnB illegal or effectively illegal, largely or wholly killing off AirBnB in given cities, or countries. For example, it used to be about impossible to get into Amsterdam, because of rent control and renting regulations; no…

I think it’s a good thing that laws are being passed to make it mostly impossible for AirBnbs to be in residential areas and to make it easier for residents to find affordable houses instead of tourists

It'd be better if there was enough housing to support normal residential uses AND Airbnb, but it's easier to just blame Airbnb for problems.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#409

Post by TulliusCicero »

ghaff wrote: post #343
EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK wrote: post #294

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Airbnb has a normal fridge, a microwave, a washing machine, a dishwasher and 700-100 sq ft area. A similarly priced hotel room will have 250 sq ft area and none of the above amenities.

Suite hotels have all that except maybe the washing machine and are often pretty comparable in price to "regular" hotel rooms. Those tend to be my preference although I use the refrigerator more than the rest of the kitchen.

> Suite hotels have all that except maybe the washing machine and are often pretty comparable in price to "regular" hotel rooms.

I have not found this to be the case at all. Getting a suite with a kitchen usually involves paying a large premium to a regular hotel room.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#410

Post by kshacker »

mlrtime wrote: post #399
unethical_ban wrote: post #393

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Almost like Uber was marketed, AirBnB was not initially sold as a "make primary income off this". It was a way for people with excess assets (spare car and some time, spare room in a big house, etc) to make some money and the companies were the broker. Turning Airbnb into a full-blown rental market with people and LLCs buying houses just for AirBnB was the downfall. At least, that's my interpretation.

I think Paris tried to curb this buy allowing Airbnb, but you can only rent out max 50% of the year. This makes it so local owners can make some money, but corporations wouldn't be able to get the yield they need at 50% occupancy.

And did it work?

I ask because corporates usually figure out how to use the rules to their advantage and I am now trying to sniff through how they would play this.

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