As we head into winter, the holiday season is upon us…and so are our bills. The rent is high, the gas is high, and another recession seems imminent. So if you can afford to go on vacation this year, you might be considering cheaper options like home rental properties found on sites like VRBO and Airbnb…
…..or not. According Initiated, Airbnb bookings slowed last summer, and more recently hosts have started wondering aloud if other landlords are starting to feel the sting. In an online group for superhosts – Airbnb’s term for top-rated, experienced owners who rent out their properties on the site – one host asked, “Has anyone seen a huge drop in bookings in the last three to four months? We’ve gone from at least 50% occupancy to literally 0% in the last two months.”
Twitter: @texasrunnerDFW / Via Twitter: @texasrunnerDFW
After seeing the post, some hosts chimed in to suggest that this might be the location of the original questioner due to their low booking rate…
@texasrunnerDFW @zerohedge I’m 100% booked through December. All this is of geographical and real estate quality.
Twitter: @dawg_powers / Via Twitter: @dawg_powers
…however, after the post was shared on Twitter, thousands of current and former Airbnb users flooded the comments section with their own reasons why hosts may be seeing a drop.
1.
Many expressed the feeling that the site was originally a sustainable and healthy idea for families wishing to rent out their summer residence or spare room, but now it seems to them that the companies have ruined the experience:
@texasrunnerDFW I loved the concept of AirBnB when it was “rent your house when you’re away” or “rent your summer house out of season”. Not when it became a people business and thousands of homes for the people of this town were taken off the rental market.
Twitter: @heavygweit / Via Twitter: @heavygweit
2.
At a time when consumers are more interested in supporting people and values than businesses, renting from those who own dozens of properties leaves a sour taste in their mouths.
@_bahhumbug @texasrunnerDFW I rented one for a week a few years ago, looked at the profile of the couple who ran it and they had literally over 20 flats in central London that they only used for Airbnb …
Twitter: @rachosaur84 / Via Twitter: @rachosaur84
3.
They really hate the idea of short-term rentals taking homes away from those who need them.
Airbnb owners are like “how come nobody wants to book my house??” maybe it’s because you evicted a family of 4, converted their house to a shoddy duplex, filled it with TJ Maxx decor, and charged guests $200 for cleaning costs, all this because you don’t want to find a job
Twitter: @xanabon / Via Twitter: @xanabon
4.
Another common theme centered around price:
airbnb is an archetypal little slice of capitalism. they could have stayed private and remained an affordable alternative to hotels, but instead they created an overpriced and increasingly miserable experience for everyone but a handful of pensioners https://t.co/KPNgZCb4fl
Twitter: @The_Law_Boy / Via Twitter: @The_Law_Boy
5.
If you’ve ever booked an Airbnb, you know exactly what they mean. An $80-a-night room can quickly turn into a $250 stay after applying arbitrary cleaning and service charges.
@texasrunnerDFW Over $100/night fee. Just not a reasonable proposition. Wtf is a “service charge” anyway. If you are doing a short term of a week, the charge per night is simply cancellable. Cleaning should only be an expense of renting the place.
Twitter: @JoshhowardOR / Via Twitter: @JoshhowardOR
6.
And for that price, people think they might as well go back to the hotel.
@texasrunnerDFW I could get a hotel room in the same city at an upscale hotel with a waterfront view for $300/night and not have an additional $330 charge. I haven’t looked at Airbnb in a while. It is unbearable.
Twitter: @dadsof3 / Via Twitter: @dadsof3
seven.
As one user put it, hotels have amenities that can include “concierge, cleaning…roof, bar, restaurant, security, pool, taxi rank, and room upgrades for loyalty.” Short-term rentals, on the other hand, have made headlines for hosts allegedly hide cameras in rooms and refuse guests based on their race.
Hotel has concierge, housekeeper, rooftop, bar, restaurant, security, pool, taxi stand, + upgrades Airbnb Loyalty Room has hidden cameras, cleaning fees, discriminatory hosts + they ask you to take out the trash, strip your laundry, and scrub the tub before you leave lmao https://t.co/6jQelgQjCd
Twitter: @Jani__Gee / Via Twitter: @Jani__Gee
8.
Additionally, some hosts ask guests to complete cleaning tasks before ending their stay:
@JoshhowardOR @texasrunnerDFW They also expect you to clean the dishes, throw the trash, do the laundry. Do I also have to cook a 3 course meal before I go?
Twitter: @faroefool / Via Twitter: @faroefool
9.
Almost as if you were an odd-job freelancer:
Airbnb’s payment instructions are “please feed the neighbor’s cat and administer his heartworm medicine before you drop your key in the mailbox”
Twitter: @comradeflirty/Via Twitter: @comradeflirty
ten.
Which I personally have never seen in a hotel experience.
Twitter: @tunedloop / Via Twitter: @tunedloop
11.
And when all the money has been paid, there are still sometimes requests for more:
@ogjustinw @texasrunnerDFW I recently stayed at an Airbnb that charged a $150 cleaning fee and required you to take out the trash, do the laundry, wash all the dishes, and tip the housekeeper. Tip the housekeeper when I pay $150 and do all the cleaning??
Twitter: @briannayama212 / Via Twitter: @briannayama212
So, is inflation a contributing factor? Likely. However, as one host who operates without a cleaning fee suggested, providing a quality home without the added expense and hassle could also keep vacationers coming back.
@dawg_powers Booked throughout the year and May 23 graduation days have been taken since February of this year. No cleaning fees. In the city. Entire house. I don’t know why people book places that cost so much.
Twitter: @BeerBrewerDan / Via Twitter: @BeerBrewerDan
What’s the weirdest request you’ve received from an Airbnb or VRBO host? Let us know in the comments and we might publish your answer in a future article.
Comments are closed.