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Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

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Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#421

Post by al_borland »

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…

This sounds like a lot of tech companies that look to shake up an old industry. They say they’re starting from first principles and try to reinvent every wheel. It usually ends up meaning pain for the customers as they rediscover why the old players in the industry do things the way they do them, and then act like they discovered something new.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#422

Post by Brian_K_White »

squokko wrote: post #411
mlrtime wrote: post #401

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Why shouldn't your neighbors be able to use their powers as voters to lobby their government to pass laws preventing their quiet suburban street from being used as a distributed hotel?

This. I hate staying in hotels and love varied and individual places like airbnb has, but this is simply valid.

As a consumer, it has to be good enough if there are only some areas where it's allowed, and some where it's not. Or maybe allowed but only up to a certain density or percentage.

Anywhere it would be allowed without limit I would probably not want anyway, just like a hotel. Most airbnbs are run like little hotels now anyway and I hate most of those, but at least there is variety and plenty are good still.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#423

Post by walterbell »

tareqak wrote: post #415
shagie wrote: post #271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To help put an end to this meme... Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. - https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/13-354 > While it is certainly true that a central objective of for-profit corporations is to make money, modern corporate law does not require for-profit corporations to pursue profit at the expense of everything else, and many do not do so. For-profit corporations, with ownership approval, support…

It would be nice for me as customer to see what sorts of objectives any given company values: a sort of barcode scanner / brand scanner that travels up the tree of parent companies and returns the objectives for each one.

B Corporations have a certification process: https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#424

Post by gnicholas »

madaxe_again wrote: post #420
klinquist wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a host. I charge a $200 cleaning fee and my cleaners charge me $250, so I lose money on cleaning. I ask guests to: * Strip the beds (otherwise, I find that people re-make beds and it's hard to tell if they have been slept in), * Load and start the dishwasher (the dishwasher takes 4 hrs, and the cleaners travel to my remote house, and I want to make sure they can finish in about that time) * Take the trash down to…

I’m a host, two properties in the U.K. I charge no cleaning fee. I don’t ask guests to do anything other than lock the door behind them when they leave. It’s really simple to manage - price it in. Our nightly rate is our nightly rate is our nightly rate. We have a two night minimum on our city property, so it doesn’t end up astronomical - and when we have single nights spare we open them up at a higher price point. O…

This approach makes sense. Not everyone will take it, both because they're trying to compete on (apparent) price and because they don't want to 'force' guests to pay for things that they might have been willing to do themselves. But it's good that there are hosts out there who bundle all of these services together, like they would be in a hotel or resort. For many people, this is what they're looking for. They don't want to do chores when they're supposed to be on vacation. And because there are all kinds of hosts on the platform, the types of guests who don't want to have services bundled in can book a lower-priced listing that requires guests to do more work (but not pay as much).

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#425

Post by TulliusCicero »

klausa wrote: post #414
TulliusCicero wrote: post #409

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

They don't mean upgrading to a suite at a "regular" hotel; there are chains specializing in renting out "home-style" rooms ("extended-stay" is the industry term, I believe), and I've seen them referred to suite hotels sometimes. The biggest chains have these sub-brands in the space, based off three minutes of googling/wikiing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residence_Inn_by_Marriott https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stayb…

I was thinking of those options too. I do tend to look for them when I'm searching for hotel rooms.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#426

Post by madaxe_again »

klinquist wrote: post #318
lotsofpulp wrote: post #309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>(otherwise, I find that people re-make beds and it's hard to tell if they have been slept in), That is why any half decent hotel has protocol to always change all the linens anytime someone rents a room.

I have 6 beds. Change 6 beds when one is used? Talk about energy use and wear/tear on the linens themselves. Hotels have cleaning "scale" on their side. I'm also operating a large home with a full kitchen, balcony, garage, etc. 8 people can comfortably stay. It ends up being a LOT cheaper AND more comfortable than a hotel for 6-8 people.

We just have a card with a couple of chocolates (bribe) on each bed asking that if it is used, the card is removed, and if it isn’t used, it’s left in place. If there’s any doubt, the linens get changed. Means the guests don’t have to do anything by default, the environment takes one less insult, and we save on linen hire costs.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#427

Post by matsemann »

MissTake wrote: post #385
klinquist wrote: post #375

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First, note that Airbnb shows it "built into the rates" when you put in the number of days you are staying when making a reservation. See this article from 2022: https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/7/23444561/airbnb-total-pri... But to answer your question - because it is a fixed cost per stay. If you stay two nights @ $250/night, you'll pay an additional $200 cleaning fee (so that would be $350 night if I were to "buil…

First off: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/airbnb-has-a-plan-... And secondly if you reread my post you’ll see that I think it’s morally wrong to charge a cleaning fee AND expect guests to clean as well. That’s double dipping.

My cleaning fee is for washing the bedding, mopping the floors, wash inside the oven, was inside the refrigerator, vacuum all floors, wash all floors, clean every surface, scrub the shower, scrub the toilets, clean the sink and mirror, etc etc.

None of which I expect guests to do. So it's not double dipping.

You've been explained why you're wrong ten times now, and still drone on about it. Maybe airbnb just isn't for you? Book a more expensive hotel instead, and then those thinking my cabin is a good deal can do so and be happy.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#428

Post by Brian_K_White »

ghaff wrote: post #348
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In my experience Airbnb isn’t even cheaper, just has more “interesting” housing available. I think it depends. For relatively short stays of one or two people, a hotel is nearly always a better deal in my opinion (for short stays the cleaning fee alone can be a big percentage of the total price). But for week or longer stays with a family or larger, they usually come out ahead given multiple bedrooms and the fact t…

The whole house thing for a group is where I see Airbnb (or VRBO) etc. being a big win over most hotel options. But for most singles or couples traveling, predictability and lack of issues is pretty much the priority. That's not to say I only stay in chain hotels--I've stayed in plenty of B&Bs and small inns--but I don't like rolling the dice on that aspect of my travel more than I need to.

Myself, wife, and most of both of our whole families find all hotels lifeless and impersonal and uninteresting. Sure nice ones are nicer than bad ones, and it's fun to do that once in a while just as an experience, but generally the nicest hotel with impeccable staff isn't prefferable to a cozy appartment even if it has a few problems.

The dice roll is way better. Even the bad ones once in a while are at least different and fun to mock.

It's funny how almost the whole families have the same gut response to stuff like that. Look at something and what is the most immediate natural reaction to an idea or the look of a thing. And some other family might all have the same some other natural reaction.

Like one person finds gold attractive and another finds it gawdy, and so do their whole family & friends groups.

For me, hotels are only good for work. That's the only time the predictability matters. I avoid scheduling as much as possible on vacation. There are events of course but I don't try to tetris pack the days.

But for a few days or a week at a customer, then a hotel just something I need like a highway rest stop bathroom.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#429

Post by matsemann »

ilrwbwrkhv wrote: post #351
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…

Most people these days get a hotel anyways. Also I only took a airbnb once in my life. Anybody who takes airbnbs regularly has for sure slept on somebody else's dried body fluids.

I'd wager the chance is higher in a hotel.

Source: worked at a hotel.

Re: Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

#430

Post by matsemann »

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!

Wait, your point is that those paying their cleaners well, above the board and with a contract should go out of business?

But those paying cash, no taxes, low salary abusing people, should remain in business?

What an insane take.

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