To AirBnB or not to AirBnB? That is the question...

[Japanfan]

I don't use it because I don't like staying in other people's homes and I won't stay with strangers or share a bathroom.

I'm the same. I've had to fight with family members because I don't want to stay in their home when I visit them.

One of the key reasons for this is that I'm not a particularly clean and tidy person by nature, and I also don't travel well in that I don't sleep well away from home.

For that reason, I don't want to have to worry about whether I've left the bathroom sink spic and span, or whether I've got clothes and stuff on the floor . It's hard enough just getting going for the day.

I visited family for a wedding last summer and fought with my sister about not wanting to stay with her. She had my brother are both super anal retentive clean freaks, whereas I'm the 'black sheep' - the messy one. She and her husband had a newly renovated semi-private basement suite and in their home and really wanted me to stay in it. I tried to explain why it would not work, but do not think they understood.

However, that is preferable to the stress of staying with her, and knowing that she'd be complaining about anything I did wrong - like leaving scum in the sink or forgetting to take clothes out of the dryer - for the rest of her life.

To give an example of what my sister and brother are like, my sister went to visit her daughter and her daughter's husband some time ago. My sister got into a difficult situation with her SIL when she put the dish detergent in the cupboard below the sink. SIL was not happy, because the dish detergent belonged on top of the sink.

I would think that Air Bnb hosts might have similar or certain expectations of their guests?

Plus, wouldn't there expectations regarding quiet hours? I stay up very late, and wouldn't like to have to worry about the possibility that my footsteps on the floor were keeping people awake.

And they leave you alone- no housekeeping banging on your door early each morning...

The "Do Not Disturb' sign that you put on your door is your friend.

I usually ask Housekeeping to come in later in the day.

To me housekeeping is one of the perks of paying for a hotel. I love having them come in to freshen up the room, empty the trash, change the linens, and so on.

 

[Kruss]

My brother has actually lived in an AirB&B for over a year now, and assists the managers with checking customers in, etc. I can't imagine living in that situation, but it's worked well for him. The stories of the challenges everyone sometimes faces with the customers is interesting. Mostly, he says that reading all the rules and understanding what is being offered (a shared room that some customers don't realize they're renting, or the fact that cats live in the home) are just some of the few things he's told me about.

 

[MamaS]

I’ve used Airbnb/VRBO 3 times now. Twice in Europe and once in Canada. All 3 experiences were fabulous (always rented the whole house/apt). All three places were very clean, well stocked and well located. I highly recommend it. Glad you decided to book and I hope you’re really happy with the place you chose.

 

[MsZem]

I'm the same. I've had to fight with family members because I don't want to stay in their home when I visit them.

One of the key reasons for this is that I'm not a particularly clean and tidy person by nature, and I also don't travel well in that I don't sleep well away from home.

Airbnb does not mean living with people in their home. Some hosts do offer a shared space, but it's quite easy to find ones where you have your own place - often bigger and nicer than a hotel. For a short stay, I'm perfectly happy at a hotel, but for a longer period it's nice to have a kitchen, washing machine, and more space.

Well-managed Airbnbs have regular arrangements for cleaning - my friend who manages a couple of properties pays a cleaning person; the owner of the first flat I stayed in when I moved to Paris had her mom come in between bookings, and that place was spotless. Airbnb hosts are even more dependent on good reviews (and the coveted Super Host rating) than hotels, and it's in their best interest to make sure their properties are appealing. And trust me, they'll have seen worse than someone moving the dish detergent.

 

[genevieve]

Airbnb does not mean living with people in their home. Some hosts do offer a shared space, but it's quite easy to find ones where you have your own place - often bigger and nicer than a hotel. For a short stay, I'm perfectly happy at a hotel, but for a longer period it's nice to have a kitchen, washing machine, and more space.

One thing I've learned about Airbnb is to read the amenities very carefully, and check photos and reviews as well. Many, many places put in the bare minimum equipment to be able to say they've got a kitchen, only to arrive and find that there is only 1 cooking pot, or one set of dishes. I don't get this, as installing the stove top is the hard/expensive part, but I figure listing a kitchen adds curb appeal or justifies a higher price but most travelers don't actually end up cooking.

One thing I wish more Airbnb guests would do is leave useful reviews. Saying "It was great!" is worthless. Talking about how well things worked, how comfortable the bed was, was the wifi consistent, was the neighborhood noise, is the location description accurate - those are things that will help future guests decide if it's the right place for them. I realize most people aren't thinking about future guests, but basically, if it's something you'd want to know ahead of time, good or bad, put it in the review!

 

[Anita18]

I love Airbnb! I've booked shared apartments and private guest houses alike, and have had great experiences in all of them. The only issues I've experienced is when my husband has booked the Airbnb for a shared space. Definitely read the amenities and what the hosts are like. And good communication is always a must - my husband tends to not voice his concerns with people-who-are-not-me until they become BIG concerns, which isn't great for a shared living space...

What I like about Airbnb is that you can get a new experience, and it can be as "real" as you want. The last few times I stayed in NYC, I booked <$100/night shared walk-ups in Brooklyn and LIC. I felt like I got an authentic experience of really living there, instead of the "could be anywhere" hotel experience. Plus the hosts were super friendly and helpful.

My mom books entire vacation rental houses on VRBO, for us to gather during Thanksgiving, and same deal there. It's always an adventure to see what you get.

 

[MacMadame]

A lot of the house on VRBO are also on AirBnB so it's definitely not all rooms in someone's house.