Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky mocked for listing his spare room – but having NO AVAILABILITY

Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky was mocked for listing his guest room in a publicity stunt for the site, but apparently didn’t offer any available dates to join him at his home in San Francisco.

Chesky, whose value is estimated at $8 billion, has listed its ‘carefully crafted suite’ as part of a promotion to encourage more people to rent out their spare rooms on the platform to earn money. extra money in the midst of a cost of living crisis.

Guests, he said, would receive cookies upon arrival, tons of coffee, access to a shared bathroom, kitchen and living room, and the chance to join the tech titan in the gym and playing with her 16 month old golden retriever. , Sophia.

But, there is a catch – there is no availability.

Although the list – Beyond the Air Mattress — is live, anyone looking to book a night quickly discovers that there are no more slots to book for any date by the end of October 2024.

Potential guests took to social media to point out that Chesky’s guest room, which is tastefully decorated with memorabilia from the 15-year-old company he co-founded, wasn’t as available as his listing. suggested it.

“No slots available before 2024,” said software developer Gaurav Munjal.

“Those who have a slot machine can sell it on eBay? joked another user, named Ayush Jaiswal.

Another user, who goes by the name Priyansha, said she was “aggressively refreshing until the next dates open up”.

Technician Luke Carlson went further, asking if he could “call dibs March 13-20, 2038.”

Another user said he “tried to book” but complained only to find there was a “$237 cleaning fee” for a half-day rental.

Chesky, who became one of Airbnb’s first hosts with co-founder Joe Gebbia in 2007, responded to naysayers on social media, saying the ad was genuine, but his available dates had been “booked “before the ad even went live.

“I had a few weekends available in January, February and March,” Chesky insisted.

“I will continue to open more weekends throughout the year.”

In his listing, Chesky looks back at the original Airbnb rental, when he “blew up air mattresses and hosted three guests.”

The air mattresses are gone, he adds. The current rental is “a thoughtfully designed suite with personal photos and artifacts from Airbnb’s early days,” overlooking the Castro neighborhood.

“You’ll be spending time with me and Sophie, my golden retriever, as I share stories from those early days,” he wrote.

The listing is part of the company’s winter promotion, after it saw a “disproportionate” 31% increase in single room listings on its platform in the third quarter as more and more people were looking for additional income in the face of a cost of living. crisis.

The company said property listings have grown in all regions, without disclosing specific numbers, and to help with the growth it unveiled an app update last week to help with the process.

“We’ve seen a lot of people more interested than before in housing to cover their cost of living,” Chesky said, as high inflation due to war in Ukraine puts pressure on fragile household budgets.

About 46% of hosts on Airbnb said they used extra money from property rentals to pay for food and other items, while one in 10 said it helped them avoid eviction or foreclosure , the company said, citing an investigation.

Some popular tourist destinations, however, have accused the company of worsening housing shortages as landlords increasingly let properties to holidaymakers amid a surge in travel, rather than opting for long-term tenants .

Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk in an interview with Reuters blamed rising interest rates for creating a shortage of new homes, adding that it has also been difficult for the industry to s adapt to buyers who are increasingly looking for accommodation outside the big cities.

Meanwhile, the company said longer customer stays due to remote working will continue to boost results as travel demand shows no signs of slowing despite economic headwinds.

It is also expanding its “categories” feature, which will allow users to book vacations without entering a destination.