Casa Santa Monica Airbnb in Taxco, Mexico |
Airbnb seems to be getting a bad rap lately.
Rome is imposing new rules that will make checking in less convenient for customers and hosts.
New York City passed a law last year that all but eliminated short-term rentals.
Even budget travel expert and author Rick Steves tends to discourage Airbnbs in favor of the small hotels listed in his guidebooks.
I've been booking Airbnbs around the U.S., Europe, Canada, Mexico and Asia since 2012, four years after the service began as a San Francisco start-up in 2008. The platform connects travelers with individuals who rent private rooms, homes, cabins and apartments for short-term stays.
With four reservations already on the books for 2025 (three in Mexico and one near Mount Rainier National Park in Washington), I remain a fan.
Mount Rainier Airbnb |
The common objections don't carry much weight with me, in that they seem not to come from customers, but rather from hotel lobbyists, renters seeking long-term leases and neighborhood residents who dislike tourists coming and going.
There are examples that prove the naysayers right, but for the most part Airbnb still seems like a win-win for both hosts and travelers looking for an option to overpriced hotels.
One complaint is that investors are buying up units that might otherwise be available to long-term renters. They hire an agency to rent them out by-the-night as Airbnbs.The traveler never has contact with the owner. Tenants, not tourists, is the rallying cry in neighborhoods where this is happening.
Turning Airbnb into a commercial enterprise does run counter to original idea of connecting travelers and locals for stays in homes or apartments owned or occupied by the owners. A look at listings in almost any city will bring up both, and for those seeking a more personal experience, there are plenty of options.
The Airbnb I booked in Paris last year was with family who converted three rooms in their townhouse for guests. They prepared breakfast each morning, and were always around to answer questions. The price was $130 per night, less than I would have paid for decent hotel in a similar location had I been able to find one outside the expensive tourist areas. This Airbnb was in a residential area called the Butte Aux Cailles, away from the center but with convenient bus and metro connections.
Paris Airbnb in Butte Aux Cailles |
In the U.S., we often want to stay in an area convenient for biking or hiking, but short on hotels. Our Airbnb ($86) in a mother-in-law apartment next to a couple's main house in Boring, Washington, was ideal for exploring the area around Mount Hood. The owner thoughtfully left half-and-half and snacks in the fridge, and made helpful suggestions for breakfast.
Rick Steves makes a case for supporting smaller, family-run hotels when traveling in Europe. I use them as well when it makes sense as it did in Bucharest, Romania last year and in Trabzon, Turkey. I wasn't satisfied with the Airbnb choices in either destination. Not knowing much about the neighborhoods, it made more sense to pick a small hotel in the historical center rather than an Airbnb in an unknown part of town.
The hotels and guesthouses I choose were all reasonably priced and good value. Perhaps if there were more options like these in the U.S., Airbnb might not be as popular as it is.
All one has to do is look at what has happened to hotel rates in New York City one year after more than 90 percent of Airbnb’s local listings were removed to comply with new regulations limiting the number of guests to two and requiring the property owner to reside in the unit.
With accommodations in short supply, hotels charged an average of $417 per night in September, the highest monthly rate ever for the city. City officials are now considering revising the rules to permit a permanent occupant to host a short-term rental for a maximum of four guests along with their children.
Like with everything to do with travel, there are caveats to keep in mind when booking an Airbnb.
*If you'd rather book an owner-occupied Airbnb rather than one managed by a service, check the listing to make sure this is the case. Avoid listings where the same person turns up more than twice, indicating they are managing the units for a company.
*After plugging in your dates, check the bottom line price against the dollar figure that appears in bold print on the listing. The final price will include the Airbnb fee, a cleaning fee if the owner charges one (not all do) and any taxes.
*Check cancellation policies. I always look for places that can be cancelled with a full refund within a short time (a week or a few days) of arrival.
*Check if the bathroom is private or shared. Lack of a private bath is a deal-breaker for us.
*Read current reviews to see what others have to say about their stays.
*Check the location, and message the host with any questions before booking.