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I read their Discussion and Conclusions and feel they missed an important point: the dynamic of short-term rentals even in quiet, socially-connected neighborhoo

I read their Discussion and Conclusions and feel they missed an important point: the dynamic of short-term rentals even in quiet, socially-connected neighborhoods is to disarm the vigilance of neighbors. Tight-knit communities look out for each other, and have a sense when things are out-of-place. When short-term rentals invite a stream of tourists, neighbors can’t discern if they are criminals or visitors. It’s like the presence of constant novelty disables the neighborhood’s immune response.

dontbeabill 5y ago
100%. we had a tight knit community and no one would dare do an airbnb. but once they got a foothold, and airbnb lawyers started threatening our council (or buying them) we know have 12 in a 2 block radius, direct home sales to out of town investors making airbnb (aka hotels). we lost the battle as the community is now not tight knit, and more people selling to leave
watwut 5y ago
You described the community that operates on the assumption that if they dont know you, you are criminal. It is the only way it can work like that. I dont really think it is so valuable. It is what makes people harassed just for walking home or taking random walk.
- Tostino 5y ago
  Exactly what I was thinking as I read that. I've been harassed when visiting friends who live in neighborhoods like that, and don't see it as a positive trait.
  - reilly3000 5y ago
    Right, I’m with you on that front. The neighborhood watch committee isn’t for me… it’s probably an archaic concept that peaked in the 80’s but still is an instrument of racism in some places today. See also: Ahmaud Arbery. I currently reside in a post-war suburb and it’s not really anything malicious, but there is still that dynamic here in some ways. It’s kept alive mostly by my 82 year old neighbor who is in everyone’s business. I used to see these signs more often: https://nnw.org/sites/default/files/bpslr_150.gif https://nnw.org/sites/default/files/bpslr_150.gif I think those are a relic of the early 90’s fears about crime and gang activity; not so common today.
NationalPark 5y ago
This historical example comes to mind https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundown_town https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundown_town.
throwaway0a5e 5y ago
I think a larger component of it is that when you're living in a neighborhood with a large transient population it's a lot easier to justify the kind of bad behavior they wouldn't do to people they'd have to deal with again. This is basically how a tourism economy works (granted the many people getting fleeced are doing it willingly) to normalize dishonest business dealing. In the case of AirBNB and short term rentals you get an increase in crime.
- asdff 5y ago
  I imagine you get an increase in trash, too. For many people, renting an airbnb solely to party extremely hard with your friends is a regular vacation for them. You end up getting drunken people stumbling back from the bars pissing and puking everywhere and throwing bottles because they don't live there. Leaving empty cases of Naturdays to clog the storm drains. Getting into fights with other groups of tourist out posturing. Booking rental exotic cars for instagram pictures and getting pulled over for driving drunk. Whats the saying go, you don't shit where you sleep? These people come to my city and proverbially shit everywhere, sometimes literally.
  - geoduck14 5y ago
    I've rented from air bnb and vrbo more than a handful of times. I've never engaged in the activities that you described here. We always clean up after ourselves- and we contribute to the local economy via: paying a maid, tourist dollars, and petting local pets
baby 5y ago
It's funny but I feel the same way about SF in general. People are here for a bit, and so nobody seems to care about the state of the city. In European cities it's so dense that you really don't care if people are here short-term or long-term, you don't know the people around you anyway.

dontbeabill 5y ago

100%. we had a tight knit community and no one would dare do an airbnb. but once they got a foothold, and airbnb lawyers started threatening our council (or buying them) we know have 12 in a 2 block radius, direct home sales to out of town investors making airbnb (aka hotels). we lost the battle as the community is now not tight knit, and more people selling to leave

watwut 5y ago

You described the community that operates on the assumption that if they dont know you, you are criminal. It is the only way it can work like that. I dont really think it is so valuable. It is what makes people harassed just for walking home or taking random walk.

Tostino 5y ago
Exactly what I was thinking as I read that. I've been harassed when visiting friends who live in neighborhoods like that, and don't see it as a positive trait.
- reilly3000 5y ago
  Right, I’m with you on that front. The neighborhood watch committee isn’t for me… it’s probably an archaic concept that peaked in the 80’s but still is an instrument of racism in some places today. See also: Ahmaud Arbery. I currently reside in a post-war suburb and it’s not really anything malicious, but there is still that dynamic here in some ways. It’s kept alive mostly by my 82 year old neighbor who is in everyone’s business. I used to see these signs more often: https://nnw.org/sites/default/files/bpslr_150.gif https://nnw.org/sites/default/files/bpslr_150.gif I think those are a relic of the early 90’s fears about crime and gang activity; not so common today.

NationalPark 5y ago

This historical example comes to mind https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundown_town https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundown_town.

throwaway0a5e 5y ago

I think a larger component of it is that when you're living in a neighborhood with a large transient population it's a lot easier to justify the kind of bad behavior they wouldn't do to people they'd have to deal with again. This is basically how a tourism economy works (granted the many people getting fleeced are doing it willingly) to normalize dishonest business dealing. In the case of AirBNB and short term rentals you get an increase in crime.

asdff 5y ago
I imagine you get an increase in trash, too. For many people, renting an airbnb solely to party extremely hard with your friends is a regular vacation for them. You end up getting drunken people stumbling back from the bars pissing and puking everywhere and throwing bottles because they don't live there. Leaving empty cases of Naturdays to clog the storm drains. Getting into fights with other groups of tourist out posturing. Booking rental exotic cars for instagram pictures and getting pulled over for driving drunk. Whats the saying go, you don't shit where you sleep? These people come to my city and proverbially shit everywhere, sometimes literally.
- geoduck14 5y ago
  I've rented from air bnb and vrbo more than a handful of times. I've never engaged in the activities that you described here. We always clean up after ourselves- and we contribute to the local economy via: paying a maid, tourist dollars, and petting local pets

baby 5y ago

It's funny but I feel the same way about SF in general. People are here for a bit, and so nobody seems to care about the state of the city. In European cities it's so dense that you really don't care if people are here short-term or long-term, you don't know the people around you anyway.