5 ms·

Perhaps because I work in healthcare and not in ... whatever the analogous field is, but I don't see the massive harm to the public that attends an unlicensed B

by arkades 11y ago

Perhaps because I work in healthcare and not in ... whatever the analogous field is, but I don't see the massive harm to the public that attends an unlicensed BnB (except for the flouting of our collective rules-making about where businesses are, and the impact on neighbors who had one sprung on them), whereas allowing people to just say "I used an app, so I don't have to bother to follow the rules that keep me from sickening and/or killing people on a regular basis" seems significantly worse.

Mikeb85 11y ago
> massive harm to the public that attends an unlicensed BnB Reduces property value for everyone around them. Causes a nuissance. Can be a safety hazard, having a steady stream of non-residents coming and going in an apartment block.
BrainInAJar 11y ago
Some of the regulation exists to protect the housing stock, so allowing just anyone to open an arbitrary number of unlicensed hotels can (and definitely does) drive up the cost of rent
jacalata 11y ago
fire codes is a big one - "I used an app so I don't have to make sure that there is a smoke detector, or regular inspections on the building wiring, or a second exit from the bedroom, or any signs showing where the exit is if you wake up in an unfamiliar place with smoke in your room, or even enough exits to handle all the people in the hotel trying to leave instantly".
jinglewoof 11y ago
Imagine for a moment if your closest neighbors switched from being normal professional neighbors to being a short-term rental occupied by people who want to party on a budget. That projects a noise issue, a property value issue, and often a security issue onto external parties. There are also some issues for those who take the room (e.g. fire code, safety issues, etc that come up once in a million times, but aren't great); but my objection to AirBNB is the externalities generated, and the fact that Brian Chesky has made extraordinarily clear (through word and action) that he is intentionally facilitating the violations because that's more profitable for him. I'm using a throwaway to say this because stating honest truths about AirBNB (one of pg's highest return investments) gets you banned here, no matter how you say them.
- dang 11y ago
  > gets you banned here, no matter how you say them That's a lie, but it's a clever trick to plant it in a smear comment, so we can't ban you without seeming to confirm it. Or rather, it would be clever if HN trolls hadn't been using it for years. What does get you banned on HN is being a serial troll who creates new accounts merely to break the site rules.
  - danieltillett 11y ago
    Dang don't worry about this. I have been critical many times of various YC companies and as long as I have approached the criticism in a constructive manner I have not been voted down let alone banned.

by arkades 11y ago

Mikeb85 11y ago

> massive harm to the public that attends an unlicensed BnB Reduces property value for everyone around them. Causes a nuissance. Can be a safety hazard, having a steady stream of non-residents coming and going in an apartment block.

BrainInAJar 11y ago

Some of the regulation exists to protect the housing stock, so allowing just anyone to open an arbitrary number of unlicensed hotels can (and definitely does) drive up the cost of rent

jacalata 11y ago

fire codes is a big one - "I used an app so I don't have to make sure that there is a smoke detector, or regular inspections on the building wiring, or a second exit from the bedroom, or any signs showing where the exit is if you wake up in an unfamiliar place with smoke in your room, or even enough exits to handle all the people in the hotel trying to leave instantly".

jinglewoof 11y ago

Imagine for a moment if your closest neighbors switched from being normal professional neighbors to being a short-term rental occupied by people who want to party on a budget. That projects a noise issue, a property value issue, and often a security issue onto external parties. There are also some issues for those who take the room (e.g. fire code, safety issues, etc that come up once in a million times, but aren't great); but my objection to AirBNB is the externalities generated, and the fact that Brian Chesky has made extraordinarily clear (through word and action) that he is intentionally facilitating the violations because that's more profitable for him. I'm using a throwaway to say this because stating honest truths about AirBNB (one of pg's highest return investments) gets you banned here, no matter how you say them.

dang 11y ago
> gets you banned here, no matter how you say them That's a lie, but it's a clever trick to plant it in a smear comment, so we can't ban you without seeming to confirm it. Or rather, it would be clever if HN trolls hadn't been using it for years. What does get you banned on HN is being a serial troll who creates new accounts merely to break the site rules.
- danieltillett 11y ago
  Dang don't worry about this. I have been critical many times of various YC companies and as long as I have approached the criticism in a constructive manner I have not been voted down let alone banned.