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I stayed in an Airbnb in Toronto last year. It was a beautiful new building in a trendy neighborhood. The unit was very clearly setup for continual airbnb renta

by kbos87 9y ago

I stayed in an Airbnb in Toronto last year. It was a beautiful new building in a trendy neighborhood. The unit was very clearly setup for continual airbnb rentals and wasn't anyone's primary residence. Only after booking was I given very specific and careful instructions on how to avoid any interaction with other residents or building security, entering and leaving through the parking garage. During my stay I felt like a criminal, even though I quickly figured out that this was a pretty normal thing in this particular building, which was known for loud parties and inconsiderate visitors. What a terrible experience for me as the guest and the people who have to put up with strangers constantly coming and going. Airbnb is cool when we're talking about a vacation home or occasional rental of your primary residence - not as a clandestine hotel. I'd be willing to bet that most people, homeowners or responsible renters agree with that, Airbnb's growth goals be damned.

52-6F-62 9y ago
There's a high probability that's my building. It's known for all of those things, and AirBnB stays have long been against building policy for that reason. I could care less -- I'm a renter, not an owner here -- but the parties do get real stupid and leave the place a real mess. I'm talking urine in the elevators on a Monday morning stupid. Most days there are people coming in and out with luggage. It's kind of ridiculous.
- kbos87 9y ago
  This was the place - http://globalnews.ca/news/2080213/two-people-shot-in-torontos-west-end-possibly-fatal/ http://globalnews.ca/news/2080213/two-people-shot-in-toronto... "She called it a 'party unit' and said it seemed like there had been a party going on for three days straight."
  - 52-6F-62 9y ago
    Well, nope. Not mine. I guess it's not such a rare occurrence anymore. Funny, I used to live in a less trendy neighbourhood and I hardly ever saw AirBnB-ers... I live in Liberty Village now, as a result of getting the boot from my last place because the owners wanted to take it over. They visited for the first time while I lived there. The buildings down here that aren't the million-dollar lofts seem to be rampantly used for AirBnB stays -- mainly as a party location -- often with people from the city who just wanted a place they didn't care about.
- megablast 9y ago
  You mean you couldn't care less? Anyway, you should, because it is driving up rents for you. And if the person renting to you decided they want to go the effort of making 2x as much money, they could kick you out and do it.
  - 52-6F-62 9y ago
    I wasn't issuing platitudes. I meant what I said. I've been through that situation before, and without AirBnB being the culprit. In fact, it was how well my girlfriend and I had done up the place that the owners wanted to take up residence there. I think my biggest peeve is the ease at which indiscriminatory lease is made to anonymous people for an unchallengeable fee, rendering buildings where security has been paid for open to anybody who's willing to put forward ~$50 - $100. I've used AirBnB to visit Montreal and stayed in a couple's charming townhome and it was a great experience. The two applications aren't equal in my eyes, so it seems there needs to be a line drawn -- the question where is a tough one. But that's me. There seems to be a wide range of opinion here. Anyway friend, I'm all for regulations where fitting but there are no guarantees no matter what guards you put up that you won't hit a bad run, so it's not something I'm going to spend my time worrying about and instead prepare for whatever I can.
orasis 9y ago
Did you give the place a one star review?
- kbos87 9y ago
  Yes. I don't have any sympathy; I felt deceived. Maybe some people don't care, but that isn't what I want to deal with on a vacation. If I had been booted out mid-stay by an astute security guard, it would have been a total nightmare.
  - orasis 9y ago
    I think you did the right thing. As a fellow AirBnB user, thank you for that.
megablast 9y ago
I hope you rated accordingly. Airbnb is great, but it is one of the number of reasons for rising housing prices in many cities today.

by kbos87 9y ago

52-6F-62 9y ago

There's a high probability that's my building. It's known for all of those things, and AirBnB stays have long been against building policy for that reason. I could care less -- I'm a renter, not an owner here -- but the parties do get real stupid and leave the place a real mess. I'm talking urine in the elevators on a Monday morning stupid. Most days there are people coming in and out with luggage. It's kind of ridiculous.

kbos87 9y ago
This was the place - http://globalnews.ca/news/2080213/two-people-shot-in-torontos-west-end-possibly-fatal/ http://globalnews.ca/news/2080213/two-people-shot-in-toronto... "She called it a 'party unit' and said it seemed like there had been a party going on for three days straight."
- 52-6F-62 9y ago
  Well, nope. Not mine. I guess it's not such a rare occurrence anymore. Funny, I used to live in a less trendy neighbourhood and I hardly ever saw AirBnB-ers... I live in Liberty Village now, as a result of getting the boot from my last place because the owners wanted to take it over. They visited for the first time while I lived there. The buildings down here that aren't the million-dollar lofts seem to be rampantly used for AirBnB stays -- mainly as a party location -- often with people from the city who just wanted a place they didn't care about.
megablast 9y ago
You mean you couldn't care less? Anyway, you should, because it is driving up rents for you. And if the person renting to you decided they want to go the effort of making 2x as much money, they could kick you out and do it.
- 52-6F-62 9y ago
  I wasn't issuing platitudes. I meant what I said. I've been through that situation before, and without AirBnB being the culprit. In fact, it was how well my girlfriend and I had done up the place that the owners wanted to take up residence there. I think my biggest peeve is the ease at which indiscriminatory lease is made to anonymous people for an unchallengeable fee, rendering buildings where security has been paid for open to anybody who's willing to put forward ~$50 - $100. I've used AirBnB to visit Montreal and stayed in a couple's charming townhome and it was a great experience. The two applications aren't equal in my eyes, so it seems there needs to be a line drawn -- the question where is a tough one. But that's me. There seems to be a wide range of opinion here. Anyway friend, I'm all for regulations where fitting but there are no guarantees no matter what guards you put up that you won't hit a bad run, so it's not something I'm going to spend my time worrying about and instead prepare for whatever I can.

orasis 9y ago

Did you give the place a one star review?

kbos87 9y ago
Yes. I don't have any sympathy; I felt deceived. Maybe some people don't care, but that isn't what I want to deal with on a vacation. If I had been booted out mid-stay by an astute security guard, it would have been a total nightmare.
- orasis 9y ago
  I think you did the right thing. As a fellow AirBnB user, thank you for that.

megablast 9y ago

I hope you rated accordingly. Airbnb is great, but it is one of the number of reasons for rising housing prices in many cities today.