These Are The Top 5 Reasons To Avoid Airbnb On Your Next Trip

These Are The Top 5 Reasons To Avoid Airbnb On Your Next Trip

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More than a billion vacationers have used Airbnb to search out distinctive journey experiences since its founding in 2008. With over half 1,000,000 visitors per yr visiting greater than 220 international locations in any respect totally different worth factors, Airbnb has successfully change into the one actual choice for journey leases.

woman handing man keys at airbnb

Unfortunately, within the absence of reliable world competitors for resort options, Airbnb has change into extra problematic because it continues to develop. 

Both guests and hosts are getting fed up whereas the challenges solely develop in line with the platform’s rise to ubiquity. 

While Airbnb has taken some steps to deal with widespread ache factors, similar to giving visitors the choice to see all charges upfront whereas looking, different extra systemic hurdles shall be almost not possible to surmount. These are options – not bugs – of the Airbnb system.

Here are the highest 5 causes you would possibly wish to keep away from Airbnb in your subsequent journey:

airbnb key in front of mountain

Missing or Mismatched Amenities 

Vacation time is a extra treasured commodity than {dollars}, euros, or pesos for many vacationers. With the vast majority of Americans taking lower than two weeks of trip per yr, it’s protected to say that each traveler needs to squeeze each final drop out of their journey days.

Unfortunately, the inconsistency of facilities throughout Airbnb properties means much less time to take pleasure in your vacation spot.

Sometimes absolute fundamentals like rest room paper or cleaning soap could also be lacking out of your lodging, turning a piece of your treasured vacation leisure time right into a anxious weekend-rush-hour grocery store run, presumably in a overseas language or far out of your lodging. 

More importantly, you by no means actually know what you’re getting till you learn pages of descriptions and home manuals, that are all inconveniently positioned in several sections of the net itemizing (and generally nonsensically auto-translated, only for giggles).

There’s merely an excessive amount of selection to keep away from mismatched expectations or miscommunications.

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disappointed female traveler in summer

Hosts Can’t Compete With A Front Desk

There are many genuinely excellent hosts on Airbnb who deserve critical commendation for his or her hospitality and love of their hometown. However, like facilities, Airbnb hosts’ hospitality and responsiveness are fairly luck-of-the-draw.

Even when staying with a superhost, there’s typically (understandably) a big delay in getting issues resolved or getting essential info. From days-long energy outages in sweltering warmth to flooded bogs, there are just a few issues that make a traveler lengthy for a resort’s entrance desk.

These kinds of points can shortly deteriorate from inconveniences into real well being and issues of safety. When hosts are usually not out there or in a position to resolve the issues, Airbnb assist ought to have the ability to fill within the gaps, proper? 

…Wrong.

basic empty airbnb

Poor Customer Support Means No Peace Of Mind

A current report analyzing over 125,000 Airbnb complaints on Twitter discovered that 72% of vacationers’ points with Airbnb have been associated to poor customer support. 

Top points included:

  • Limited assist in emergencies
  • Unreachable or very impolite, hang-ups
  • Denies refunds or full refunds unfairly
  • Promises however by no means delivers
  • Provides mistaken reply

Some visitors accuse Airbnb Support of prioritizing web earnings and sustaining its picture reasonably than serving to or defending visitors. 

In particularly terrifying circumstances, Airbnb’s shadowy ‘safety team’ particularly appears to focus much less on preventative adjustments to maintain vacationers protected and extra on paying millions in hush money when the shortage of host accountability and standardized security practices ends in break-ins and violent assaults, which predominantly have an effect on feminine visitors. 

airbnb app

A Not-So-Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood 

What was once an off path style of native life appears to have morphed into extra of a company machine. Foreign home flippers and sterile administration corporations have changed the down dwelling hospitality and quirky immersive experiences of early Airbnb.

Airbnb properties’ neighbors know this harsh actuality higher than anybody – and so they’re pushing back. 

One study in Hawaii revealed a number of the methods short-term trip leases like Airbnb erode the character and tradition of a neighborhood. “This thing is changing the sense of place of the neighborhood. It’s changing the feel of it, with almost a revolving door of strangers,” one resident mentioned.

Studies from Boston additionally present that short-term leases disrupting the natural group of a neighborhood also can have detrimental results on social ties and raise crime rates

A focus of Airbnbs inside a neighborhood can carry points similar to:

  • Cultural dilution 
  • Noise air pollution
  • Parties
  • Congested parking
  • Property injury
  • Rising rents
  • Displaced residents
(*5*)

Because short-term leases like Airbnb could make 2-8 instances more money than a long run lease, many long-term residents are being kicked out of multigenerational family homes all around the world to make room for vacationers’ subsequent trip pads. 

This displacement may be seen most severely when wealthier Western vacationers flock to cheaper international locations with decrease native wages for his or her low-cost price of residing; for instance, Mexico City

The common wages within the Mexican capital are $3,800 per yr. After final yr’s agreement, the place the Mexico City authorities welcomed Airbnb with open arms, a typical 2-bedroom house goes for extra in month-to-month lease ($1,500 – 4,000) than many native annual salaries. 

A vacationer calls their Airbnb worth an incredible deal. A digital nomad calls it geoarbitrage. Locals and consultants name it global gentrification.  

Palacio Bellas Artes Mexico City at sunset

Is Your Holiday Rental Illegal?

Unbeknownst to most vacationers, lots of the Airbnb listings proven of their search outcomes are in truth unlawful.

Some are working in cities or international locations the place Airbnb is illegitimate or closely restricted. Others haven’t adopted correct protocols for his or her space, similar to being a registered actual property or tourism enterprise or renting for the authorized minimal or most durations of time.

Some hosts even put visitors within the uncomfortable place of lying for them in an effort to skirt these laws.

Airbnb is banned or severely restricted in these high locations:

  • New York City, NY
  • San Francisco, CA
  • Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Paris, France
  • Barcelona, Spain
  • Singapore
  • Thailand
  • Japan
traditional japanese ryokan guesthouse

Airbnb started as a superb method to journey extra like an area. Now, it’s change into a essential evil that vacationers simply can’t appear to shake. 

No have to be discouraged by the shortage of well-known options to Airbnb. While the pickings are a bit slim, listed below are just a few trip-worthy concepts for these prepared to enterprise off path:

  • Alberghi Diffusi – In Italy and around the globe, you’ll be able to keep in villages which have reworked into “scattered hotels” targeted on reviving native historic and cultural gems.
  • Ryokan and Minshuku – These conventional guest houses in Japan are normally family-run and handed down by means of generations. Travelers can absolutely immerse themselves in Japanese tradition, from tatami rooms to scorching spring baths.
  • Fairbnb – This European co-op offers 50% of the vacationers’ fee to funding local people initiatives whereas permitting hosts to record their houses free of charge.
  • Home Exchange – Just just like the identify implies, you’ll be able to swap homes with somebody from one other nation. Talk about honest commerce!
  • Locally Owned B&Bs, Guesthouses, and Boutique Hotels – Check out 10 nice choices from The Guardian here, or search by yourself utilizing filters on Booking, Google, or elsewhere.

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This article initially appeared on TravelOffPath.com


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