As we’re barreling toward winter, the holiday season is upon us…and so are our bills. The rent is high, the gas is high, and another recession feels imminent. So, if you can afford to go on a vacation this year, you may be considering cheaper options like home rental properties found on sites like VRBO and Airbnb…
…..or not. According to Insider, Airbnb bookings slowed down this past summer, and more recently, hosts have begun wondering aloud whether other owners are starting to feel the sting. In an online group for superhosts — Airbnb’s term for top-rated and experienced owners renting out their properties on the site — one host asked, “Has anyone seen a huge decrease in bookings over the last three to four months? We went from at least 50% occupancy to literally 0% the last two months.”
Twitter: @texasrunnerDFW / Via Twitter: @texasrunnerDFW
After seeing the post, some hosts chimed in to suggest it could be the original questioner’s location attributing to their low booking rate…
@texasrunnerDFW @zerohedge I’m 100% booked through December. This is all geographical and property quality.
Twitter: @dawg_powers / Via Twitter: @dawg_powers
…however, after the post was shared on Twitter, thousands of current and former Airbnb users flooded the comment section with their own reasons for why hosts may be seeing a drop off.
1.
Many expressed feeling that the site was originally a sustainable and wholesome idea for families wanting to rent out their summer home or spare bedroom, but now it seems to them as though businesses have ruined the experience:
@texasrunnerDFW I loved the concept of AirBnB when it was “rent out your house when you’re away” or “rent out your summer home in off-season”.
Not when it became a business for people and thousands of homes meant for inhabitants of that city were taken off of the rental market.
Twitter: @heavygweit / Via Twitter: @heavygweit
2.
In an age where consumers are more interested in supporting people and values over corporations, renting from those with dozens of properties leaves a sour taste in their mouths.
@_bahhumbug @texasrunnerDFW I rented one for a week a few years back, looked at the couple’s profile who ran it and they literally owned 20+ apartments in central London that they were using just for Airbnb…
Twitter: @rachosaur84 / Via Twitter: @rachosaur84
3.
They truly hate the idea of short-term rentals taking homes from those who need it.
Airbnb landlords are like “how come no one wants to book my house??” maybe it’s bc you evicted a family of 4, converted their home into a shoddy duplex, filled it with clearance bin TJ Maxx decor, and charge guests $200 for a cleaning fee, all bc you don’t feel like getting a job
Twitter: @xanabon / Via Twitter: @xanabon
4.
Another common theme centered around the price:
airbnb is such an archetypal little slice of capitalism. they could’ve stayed private and remained an affordable alternative to hotels, but instead they created an experience that’s overpriced and increasingly miserable for everyone but a handful of rentiers https://t.co/KPNgZCb4fl
Twitter: @The_Law_Boy / Via Twitter: @The_Law_Boy
5.
If you’ve ever booked an Airbnb, you know exactly what they mean. An $80 a night room can quickly turn into a $250 stay after arbitrary cleaning and service fees are applied.
@texasrunnerDFW Over $100/night in fees. Just not a reasonable proposition. Wtf is a “service fee” anyway. If you’re doing short duration than a week, the per night fees are just undoable. Cleaning should just be an expense of renting the place.
Twitter: @JoshhowardOR / Via Twitter: @JoshhowardOR
6.
And for that price, people figure they may as well go back to staying in hotels.
@texasrunnerDFW I could get a hotel room in the same town, in a top end hotel with a waterfront view, for $300/night and not have an extra $330 in fees. I haven’t looked at Airbnb in while. This is unsustainable.
Twitter: @dadsof3 / Via Twitter: @dadsof3
7.
As one user put it, hotels have amenities that can include “concierge, cleaning…rooftop, bar, restaurant, security, pool, taxi stand, and room upgrades for loyalty.” Short-term rentals, on the other hand, have made headlines for hosts allegedly hiding cameras in rooms and refusing guests based on their race.
Hotel has a concierge, cleaning lady, rooftop, bar, restaurant, security, pool, taxi stand, + room upgrades for loyalty
Airbnb has hidden cameras, a cleaning fee, discriminatory hosts + they ask you to take out the trash, strip your linen, and scrub the tub before you leave lmao https://t.co/6jQelgQjCd
Twitter: @Jani__Gee / Via Twitter: @Jani__Gee
8.
On top of this, some hosts require guests to complete cleaning tasks before ending their stay:
@JoshhowardOR @texasrunnerDFW They also expect you to clean dishes, throw the garbage, do laundry. Should I also cook 3 course meal before I leave?
Twitter: @faroefool / Via Twitter: @faroefool
9.
Almost as if you’re an odd jobs freelancer:
Airbnb checkout instructions are like “please feed the neighbor’s cat and administer his heartworm medicine before depositing your key in the mailbox”
Twitter: @comradeflirty / Via Twitter: @comradeflirty
10.
Which I’ve personally never seen as part of a hotel experience.
Twitter: @tunedloop / Via Twitter: @tunedloop
11.
And when all the money has been paid, there are still sometimes requests for more:
@ogjustinw @texasrunnerDFW I recently stayed at an Airbnb that charged a $150 cleaning fee and asked you to take out the trash, do the laundry, wash all the dishes and tip the cleaning lady. Tip the cleaning lady when I’m paying $150 and doing all the cleaning??
Twitter: @briannayama212 / Via Twitter: @briannayama212
So, is inflation a contributing factor? Likely. However, as one host who operates without a cleaning fee suggested, providing a quality home without the extra charges and fuss could also bring vacationers back.
@dawg_powers Booked through the year and have had May ‘23 graduation days taken since Feb of this year. No cleaning fee. In town. Whole house. Not sure why people book places that charge so much.
Twitter: @BeerBrewerDan / Via Twitter: @BeerBrewerDan
What’s the oddest request you’ve received from an Airbnb or VRBO host? Let us know in the comments and we may feature your response in an upcoming post.
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexalisitza/airbnb-bookings-down-twitter-reacts