Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/07/15/airbnb-asks-for-handouts-to-he.html
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10 Likes
Fuck’em. They actively encourage its hosts to break laws, violate leases and HO agreements.
Hosting an AirBNB in anything other than a single family home is being a terrible neighbor. Exposing a building to security risks, having people who have no regard for the property, and opening one’s self up to their home being used as convenient location for criminal conduct.
29 Likes
An Airbnb spokesperson told Business Insider that 100% of the proceeds from the kindness cards would go to the hosts.
Somehow I don’t think the landlord is getting 100%* of the proceeds without some shakedown from Airbnb itself.
I would like to see how the hosts feel about this, especially if there are onerous conditions attached to such generosity.
*The 100% of the proceeds are contingent upon the host accepting a mandatory additional cut on future revenues, payable to Airbnb execs upon future bookings.
12 Likes
Or, you could, I don’t know, sell your rental property if you can’t afford to keep it?
28 Likes
The only place I would tip to help out at this time would be the owner of the RV park in Texas who let me camp overnight for free because I was on a bicycle.
21 Likes
I think giving extra to a host that was exemplary is something i wouldn’t object to, but on its face i am deeply suspicious of Airbnb’s motives here. And as has been pointed out, most of these rentals are from scumbag landlords or owners that are breaking rules. Not to mention that these types of short term rentals make it much harder for people to rent or own property because it drives down the available housing.
9 Likes
As someone who lives in coastal GA (where the local infection rate per 100k is higher than the whole state’s rate), the local vacation rental market is doing juuust fine. This area is a mob scene of people coming in from all over the place. Inexplicable.
The simpler solution for any Airbnb hurting for cash is to rent it out long term to a local. Ya know, the people who can’t find an affordable rental anymore because Airbnb obliterated that market.
20 Likes
“I am AirBnB, Destroyer of Neighborhoods, temporarily unable to continue my work of destroying your neighborhood. Give me your money.”
24 Likes
Or you could rent it out to someone who actually lives in your community and needs a place to stay.
11 Likes
I’ve been trying to get a refund from AirBnB for 2 1/2 months because a host who ok’d a 6 month stay changed her mind at the last minute and said I could only stay 2 months. So I went elsewhere, assuming that AirBnB would refund my money. Nope. I finally got some back, from a customer service rep who didn’t have the authority to do so but who thought I’d been treated badly. She stopped answering my notes, and I was later told she “went on long term leave”, and I worry that they fired her. But they still owe me more than a thousand dollars, and they’ve stopped responding to me.
Some web exploring revealed whole sites devoted to the terrible things AirBnB has done to its customers. So they’ve lost me as a customer now.
12 Likes
Gosh, more bad behavior on the part of the Landlord’s Union? Shocking!
(In b4 yet another bad tenant horror story that evens the score)
4 Likes
Given that the majority of short term rentals listed on AirBNB and similar sites are from banks and real estate management companies rather than the residents looking for some extra cash claimed I’m sure they like it just fine.
6 Likes
9 Likes
Hey!
AirBnB, trickle down bitch!!
2 Likes
Every time I read the word “host” here this little voice in my head goes “parasite?!”
4 Likes
Support the people who are driving up rent for everyone in the neighborhood? So, literally, pay them to help keep my own rent high?
Hard pass. Die in a fire.
9 Likes
Tell you what, if those extra properties are too much of a financial drain then maybe you could sell them to some of the countless GenXers and Millennials who have never been able to afford their own homes due to the grossly overinflated housing market.
16 Likes
JFC, really? I wonder how much is from people traveling in-state vs. from out of state?
I’m sorry that you’re having to deal with people being so selfish during a pandemic. Good luck…
6 Likes
Yep, seriously. There is also an inflated house purchase spike here from people running from NY and NJ and other previously high areas.
The majority of the plates roaming around town are from NY, NJ, NC, FL, KY, and TN. Plus the usual amount of GA day trippers.
4 Likes
Or turn it into a legit rental, which is what happened in a lot of cities when covid hit. Suddenly there was an absolute flood of rental properties in cities that previously had shortages, ironically after AirBnB and landlords had long denied AirBnB were responsible for the shortage to begin with.
3 Likes
