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It was clear a long time back that you can’t just go by the rating alone. I’ve Airbnb’Ed regularly and here’s my tips: 1. Stop renting whole homes. Stop being

It was clear a long time back that you can’t just go by the rating alone. I’ve Airbnb’Ed regularly and here’s my tips: 1. Stop renting whole homes. Stop being part of the problem. Airbnb is good for someone letting out their spare room and that’s all I use it for. 2. Avoid any place with less than 30 ratings. Hard to tell with anything fewer. 3. Try your best to stick to superhosts. 4. Avoid places where you share bathrooms. Seems like a good filter. 5. Read through at least ten (if not all) of the non five star reviews. Read fully. Most people tend to leave somewhat positive reviews even if they had a less than positive experience but they WILL mention the problems they had in the last sentence or in a mellow way. Exaggerate and read between the lines to understand the reality. If you’re not willing to do all of this just book a hotel (though I have a similarly complex process for them as well).

hackernewds 4y ago
these are rather limiting. why 1?
- dorchadas 4y ago
  Because AirBnB is destroying the housing market for the people who actually live and work in an area. It's pushing them out and destroying cities because tourists feel entitled to have a home to stay at instead of a hotel
tiahura 4y ago
1. Stop renting whole homes. Stop being part of the problem. Why is this a problem?
- mariosisters 4y ago
  It’s not. If “too many vacationers” and short term rentals have priced you out, you can’t afford it. Tough shit, welcome to life. It’s insane to me that people feel entitled to own a home in whatever part of whatever city they desire, for whatever price they’ve decided is reasonable. If you want cheaper housing build more houses.
  - janalsncm 4y ago
    > It’s insane to me that people feel entitled to own a home in whatever part of whatever city they desire, for whatever price they’ve decided is reasonable. The same logic applies to renting, though. Is it really entitlement to expect to be able to not have to spend 50% of your income on housing? It’s definitely not a law of nature that housing has to be this expensive, it’s only a political failure that cities are becoming unlivable. You might call that entitlement but also keep in mind that those least able to pay rent are also least likely to be able to move once they’re priced out.
    - mariosisters 4y ago
      You don’t have to spend 50% of your income, you can move. I agree though, it’s a tremendous political failure that we have so under-built housing. Most cities could be affordable to most people with adequate supply.
      - janalsncm 4y ago
        As I mentioned, the people least able to afford rent are also least able to afford to move.
        tiahura 4y ago
        100 years ago my grandfather and grandmother moved to another state with nothing but what they could carry. 15000 years ago, some of my ancestors walked from Asia to North America without a dollar to their name.
  - bruce511 4y ago
    I sort of dont disagree with you in one sense, but on the other it feels like too much of a good thing is bad for you. So yeah, some tourist accommodation is fine, and the Airbnb model in concept is fine. I prefer staying in self-contained, self-catering places when I go away, and most places I go on holiday are small towns without hotels. Tourists bring money into the community, especially rural communities. We seldom see the owners at all (key is under the mat) and there've never been hidden charges. With good suppliers and good customers everyone is a winner. But there's a balance. Investors buying up properties does reduce housing stock. Too much of that drives out locals. Bad travellers (hosting parties etc) make for bad neighbors. As always the unrestricted free market corrupts and destroys, but hey, free market right? So yeah, it can't be just "tough, get out, you can't afford to live here." and it can't be "ban all short term rentals". But free market works best when paired with good governance, one that takes the whole big picture into account. (Ironically reducing supply also works to improve returns for those who have a permit to supply.) The key is in the balance. When the free market and good governance are in balance then you get optimal results. When the pendulum swings either way too far then there are second-order negative outcomes.
- gedy 4y ago
  You aren't encouraging people to rent out a home that could be used for local permanent residents. A room only likely means there are actual residents using the rest of the home.
- astura 4y ago
  It takes housing inventory off the market for locals.
kylehotchkiss 4y ago
What’s your process for hotels? I’ve found brand names to be reasonably good international qualities of service and problem resolution
xwdv 4y ago
For 1, I’m not renting any place where I have to stay in a spare room. This is because the host is too huge a variable. Maybe some hosts I wouldn’t mind staying with, but it’s quite stressful to guess what you’re going to get and they could end up being a rapist or mentally deranged. Worse, some of those spare rooms are just not much cheaper than a hotel room anyway. Sometimes the only real advantage they have over a hotel is location.
whydid 4y ago
The best Airbnb advice is to never use it.
turdprincess 4y ago
One other important tip - cross reference with google maps for things in the surrounding area that might annoy you. This might include * busy roads * buisnesses * churches (learned this one the hard way my last trip to Greece by renting a place next door to a church. The bell would be so loud that I would jump every time it rang).

hackernewds 4y ago

these are rather limiting. why 1?

dorchadas 4y ago
Because AirBnB is destroying the housing market for the people who actually live and work in an area. It's pushing them out and destroying cities because tourists feel entitled to have a home to stay at instead of a hotel

tiahura 4y ago

1. Stop renting whole homes. Stop being part of the problem. Why is this a problem?

mariosisters 4y ago
It’s not. If “too many vacationers” and short term rentals have priced you out, you can’t afford it. Tough shit, welcome to life. It’s insane to me that people feel entitled to own a home in whatever part of whatever city they desire, for whatever price they’ve decided is reasonable. If you want cheaper housing build more houses.
- janalsncm 4y ago
  > It’s insane to me that people feel entitled to own a home in whatever part of whatever city they desire, for whatever price they’ve decided is reasonable. The same logic applies to renting, though. Is it really entitlement to expect to be able to not have to spend 50% of your income on housing? It’s definitely not a law of nature that housing has to be this expensive, it’s only a political failure that cities are becoming unlivable. You might call that entitlement but also keep in mind that those least able to pay rent are also least likely to be able to move once they’re priced out.
  - mariosisters 4y ago
    You don’t have to spend 50% of your income, you can move. I agree though, it’s a tremendous political failure that we have so under-built housing. Most cities could be affordable to most people with adequate supply.
    - janalsncm 4y ago
      As I mentioned, the people least able to afford rent are also least able to afford to move.
      - tiahura 4y ago
        100 years ago my grandfather and grandmother moved to another state with nothing but what they could carry. 15000 years ago, some of my ancestors walked from Asia to North America without a dollar to their name.
- bruce511 4y ago
  I sort of dont disagree with you in one sense, but on the other it feels like too much of a good thing is bad for you. So yeah, some tourist accommodation is fine, and the Airbnb model in concept is fine. I prefer staying in self-contained, self-catering places when I go away, and most places I go on holiday are small towns without hotels. Tourists bring money into the community, especially rural communities. We seldom see the owners at all (key is under the mat) and there've never been hidden charges. With good suppliers and good customers everyone is a winner. But there's a balance. Investors buying up properties does reduce housing stock. Too much of that drives out locals. Bad travellers (hosting parties etc) make for bad neighbors. As always the unrestricted free market corrupts and destroys, but hey, free market right? So yeah, it can't be just "tough, get out, you can't afford to live here." and it can't be "ban all short term rentals". But free market works best when paired with good governance, one that takes the whole big picture into account. (Ironically reducing supply also works to improve returns for those who have a permit to supply.) The key is in the balance. When the free market and good governance are in balance then you get optimal results. When the pendulum swings either way too far then there are second-order negative outcomes.
gedy 4y ago
You aren't encouraging people to rent out a home that could be used for local permanent residents. A room only likely means there are actual residents using the rest of the home.
astura 4y ago
It takes housing inventory off the market for locals.

kylehotchkiss 4y ago

What’s your process for hotels? I’ve found brand names to be reasonably good international qualities of service and problem resolution

xwdv 4y ago

For 1, I’m not renting any place where I have to stay in a spare room. This is because the host is too huge a variable. Maybe some hosts I wouldn’t mind staying with, but it’s quite stressful to guess what you’re going to get and they could end up being a rapist or mentally deranged. Worse, some of those spare rooms are just not much cheaper than a hotel room anyway. Sometimes the only real advantage they have over a hotel is location.

whydid 4y ago

The best Airbnb advice is to never use it.

turdprincess 4y ago

One other important tip - cross reference with google maps for things in the surrounding area that might annoy you. This might include * busy roads * buisnesses * churches (learned this one the hard way my last trip to Greece by renting a place next door to a church. The bell would be so loud that I would jump every time it rang).