Airbnb Confirmation Not Uploading to Trip Itinerary
"As Invisible Tourists, we desire to support locals of the places we visit, not make their lives more than difficult." ~ Alyse.
In contempo years, the employ of Airbnb and other home-stay adaptation has exploded internationally. Sitting on the sidelines with one watchful eye monitoring this trend, as usual I decided to be a fleck of a skeptic before jumping on the bandwagon and investigate the little-known facts about using a service like Airbnb for myself.
Despite its growing popularity there are some pretty troubling issues with Airbnb and similar counterparts, leading many to ask if at that place are whatever upstanding alternatives to Airbnb? Here I'll reveal what it'due south like to lift the hat on the hidden Pandora's box of this craze – the results may surprise you lot, equally they did me!
Yes, loads of people use Airbnb all the time without issues and that's fine. Different people prioritise different things because there are different types of travellers. Many of my fellow travel bloggers could get you discounts on your first Airbnb booking and that'due south fine, likewise.
In saying that, there is a time and a identify for these services so I'd rather speak about the unpopular truths that seem to go buried under the discount codes that are worth considering before you book a stay with a homestyle accommodation service like Airbnb.
NOTE: I first published this commodity in March 2018 and have updated it since to reverberate more than recent events. Be sure to read my last comments for my overall thoughts on short-term homestay services.
This guide to Airbnb problems volition cover:
- viii of import reasons to reconsider using services like Airbnb
- What a lack of tourism does to neighbourhoods overrun with Airbnb listings
- Are there whatsoever sustainable & ethical alternatives to Airbnb?
- Terminal whether y'all should apply services similar Airbnb
This article forms part of my height strategies for to how to be a responsible a tourist, detailing constructive tips towards ethical tourism to benefit visitors and locals alike. Information technology also features in my #1 Amazon New Release volume, which outlines my design for what we tin practice as tourists to enrich our travel experiences and avoid contributing to issues caused by overtourism.
Important reasons to reconsider using services like Airbnb
I can totally hear you questioning my logic… You're thinking, "But, aren't you all about travelling similar a local and helping people learn how to not look similar a tourist? Then what's wrong with renting a local'south place on Airbnb? It's harmless and it'southward cheaper than hotels, correct?"
Ermm, wrong.
There's a saying, "Don't knock it 'til you've tried it" then truth be told, I take stayed in an Airbnb earlier. I was with a group for a girls' getaway and my friend had booked the accommodation on our grouping's behalf.
The place was fine (although I prefer to have my ain bed rather than share with a friend!) Despite this and combining it with the facts I talk over below, it just wasn't for me and may not exist for you as well.
To clarify, in this opinion piece I'1000 not referring to traditional Bed and Breakfast (B&B) accommodations. These are completely fine every bit they are regulated and in areas zoned for tourists. I've stayed in many throughout the UK, Europe, New Zealand & Japan and fully back up these businesses.
Let'southward start with me asking you a few questions:
- Practice you value your precious travel time, hate inconveniences and prefer to play it safe with adaptation rather than put yourself in a position that could accept been avoided when you travel?
- Practise you also prefer to enjoying everything a city has to offer without feeling similar you're getting in the way of locals going virtually their daily lives?
If yous answered yep to these questions, you're probable to prefer hotels anyway and then this post will probably confirm why yous don't like Airbnb either. If you answered no, the below facts may convince you why you should reconsider using a service like Airbnb for your adjacent trip.
While Airbnb's slogan is "travel like a local", in that location are some night truths that actually brand life more difficult for the locals they claim to support.
Let's become into information technology!
1. Airbnb could be illegal in the metropolis you lot're visiting
This is a pretty surprising and very important point. Just considering there are listings for your destination doesn't mean the host and Airbnb are abiding past the local laws. For instance, here are some facts that might make you recall twice nigh using Airbnb and similar services in the below major cities.
These are simply a few examples and definitely not the only places where Airbnb is problematic. I highly advise doing some enquiry into your destination if you are considering using Airbnb for your accommodation:
Airbnb problems in New York Metropolis, United states
Did you know in 2014 that 72% of reservations fabricated in New York City were illegal?
The New York country attorney full general's office released a report on Airbnb listings that revealed this unfortunate fact. Local laws in New York make it illegal to rent an unabridged apartment on Airbnb for less than 30 days, as this helps to go along the long-term supply of property available to locals. Despite this, New York City is one of Airbnb's biggest markets where listings under 30 days are available to tourists.
"Airbnb consistently undermines the City'due south efforts to preserve affordable housing, and regularly attempts to thwart regulations put in place to protect New York City residents." ~ statement from NYC Council members Helen Rosenthal and Jumaane Williams.
Airbnb issues in Barcelona, Spain
Almost half of holiday rentals in Spain'southward second-largest city are unlicensed according to the council, which makes them illegal.
In 2016 Barcelona fined Airbnb €600,000 for refusing to adhere to local laws by continuing to advertise unlicensed properties. As a effect, Catalonia's capital has a team of inspectors who wander the streets sniffing out illegal rentals using designated apps that cross-reference licences with advertised properties. This helps to identify illegal properties and gives regime the power close downwardly the bounds, boot out occupants and fine the owner €60,000.
"Barcelona exists for its people. The priority is it's a place to alive." ~ Janet Sanz, Barcelona Housing Councillor.
Airbnb problems in Paris, France
In 2015, 44% of advertised properties on Airbnb were permanently available for rental, despite laws in France'due south capital stating that holiday rentals are capped at only being available for 120 days of the year.
The survey that revealed this disturbing fact triggered raids across Paris and fines of up to €25,000 for hosts. Notwithstanding, the authorities are now looking to increase this fine to €100,000 similar Berlin (meet below). Information technology is at present necessary for hosts to obtain a registration number from the Town Hall so regime can monitor the 120 day cap is non exceeded and so hosts cannot avoid paying taxes.
Airbnb problems in Japan
The recent explosion of visitors to Japan looking to travel on the cheap meant Airbnb's started popping up in unzoned areas to capitalise on the new demand.
Beingness an ultra-conservative land, locals filed an overwhelming number of "tourist pollution" complaints: unruly tourists coming and going at all hours, hosting noisy parties in otherwise quiet neighbourhoods and disrespecting local customs.
In June 2018 the Japanese authorities resorted to tackling illegal Airbnb and similar homestay accommodations across the land (known as "minpaku") by requiring hosts in legally zoned areas to obtain a minpaku license, placing 180-day quotas on when backdrop can be bachelor to rent and shutting down those who did not comply. This crackdown is said to have cost Airbnb $10 one thousand thousand.
Issues with Airbnb in Berlin, Germany
Federal republic of germany'south capital got so tired of Airbnb creating a rental property shortage for locals they created a law entitled "Zweckentfremdungsverbot"…
What a mouthful, right! Roughly translating to "Anti-Airbnb" this law bans short-term leasing of properties to tourists without a city let. Hosts in Berlin tin exist fined up to €100,000 for disobeying this law and yous could be left without accommodation if your host is busted.
Airbnb issues throughout Europe
In 2019, ten European cities banded together and sent a joint letter of the alphabet to the European Commission highlighting the flaws of services like Airbnb. Cities who suffered from "explosive growth" of curt-term Airbnb listings – Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Bordeaux, Brussels, Krakow, Munich, Paris, Valencia and Vienna – demanded the Commission address this upshot during their next calendar.
Many Other Destinations: Illegal Subletting
Another disturbing trend with Airbnb is illegal subletting. Did y'all know recent statistics in Australia revealed that 35% of Airbnb listings are by people who don't fifty-fifty own the property, and exercise so without the knowledge of their landlord?
"Recall of what yous'd say to a neighbour if they were to ask who you are and why you're staying there… Awkward." ~ Alyse.
While tenants may not run across an issue with secretly renting out their spare room on Airbnb for actress cash, at that place are risks involved for both the tenant and holding owner. What the tenant fails realise is they could actually exist in alienation of their leasing understanding by having boosted people reside in the belongings.
This leads to exceeding the number of people residing on the bounds, handing out security keys without authorization, no applicative insurance for problems related to subleasing, more bug regarding illegal subletting here. A tenant subletting without the permission of the property owner can result in eviction.
2. Airbnb can have negative impacts on locals' quality of life
Tourists hiring a place on Airbnb to enjoy a "cheaper" vacation actually pushes rent prices up for locals who demand to alive in the urban center. Tourists are visitors competing with locals for accommodation. The only difference is locals need it long-term, but hosts tin can accuse tourists more than for short-term stays and so this is fashion more appealing to some.
For instance in 2018 on the Castilian island of Palma de Mallorca, tourist lets sharply increased by 50% due to need, which in turn lead to residential rents rise by forty%. This made housing unaffordable for most local residents and pushed them out. As a result t he isle voted to ban Airbnb listings to brand housing affordable for residents who needed to alive and work.
Making the conscious decision to save a few bucks for a trip of your selection should non come up at the expense of an actual local'due south style of life. As invisible tourists nosotros desire to support locals of the places we visit, not make their lives more difficult!
Residents are also concerned and complain to Airbnb about the abiding stream of different tourists bumping their luggage up and down stairs in apartment blocks as well as coming and going at all hours. For long-term residents information technology'southward easy to empathize that all the thumping and noise is bound to get annoying.
Every bit someone who lives in a metropolis where over 200,000 backdrop sit vacant due to landlords not renting them to locals (or anyone at all), I've seen first-paw how this has negatively impacted the rental marketplace past causing prices to skyrocket as long-term rentals for locals become scarce. It isn't really fair (or ethical) on the local population trying to get past.
It'south also becoming known that some Airbnb hosts are treating their rentals as businesses. Padlocks or combination touchpads on doors rather than keys, instructions stuck effectually the belongings and "No Smoking" signs are dead giveaways that the Airbnb is being treated as a permanent holiday rental, which I mentioned previously under point #ane is probably an illegal listing. What happened to only renting out a spare room?
three. There's no reception, housekeeping or room service
Earlier you lot dismiss me as a total snob, hear me out! Hotels use dozens of locals to take intendance of things like housekeeping, reception, concierge services, kitchenhands and the like to keep the identify running smoothly. To me, providing locals with jobs is quite important and staying in a hotel supports this cause.
Additionally, the lack of a reception surface area with an Airbnb means checking in and out with your host may not be flexible enough to suit your travel plans, as I'll expand on in point #4 below.
Another downside is at that place's no place to leave your baggage after checking out, either! The modest conveniences that come with hotels are quite convenient, aren't they?
four. You're at the complete mercy of your host
Even if a room is showing available, the host has the correct to modify their mind and cancel your booking at a moment's discover. If yous're like me and prefer to exist prepared and organised, being left in limbo a few days before a trip – and all other adaptation in the expanse existence sold out – literally sounds similar my thought of a nightmare.
In another example, imagine arriving at your Airbnb simply to find two people already there hanging curtains, a Idiot box left face-downwards on the lounge and a stiff dog odour throughout. Animate being fur, hair and dust were all over the house, information technology clearly hadn't been cleaned in very long time, mouse droppings were in the kitchen and other accommodation options nearby were all sold out. Hither's how Airbnb treated these guests in this bodily situation.
Airbnb have thousands of complaints almost how they can't really exercise annihilation to assist guests who are left stranded. In contrast, hotels have a lot to lose from this and will observe you lot a room or compensate yous somehow if they've taken your coin.
Let'south not forget the potential issue of your host running late to meet yous to exchange keys. This unaccounted-for filibuster could seriously impact your travel plans and may lead to yous missing a crucial flight or railroad train to your next destination. With a hotel, checking in and out times are fabricated articulate and during that menstruum there is always someone there when y'all demand to leave then it's elementary to plan your journeys.
There isn't always time to await around for someone to race from one side of the city to the other to collect keys!
Personally, I like to sleep in for as long as possible before having to get upwards and fix whilst I'm on holiday. With many Airbnbs hosts require you to do the washing upwards, take out the rubbish and may leave you with other obligations you need to fulfil earlier you go out. I practise all that at home and would rather forget about that during a vacation – thankfully a hotel will have your back here so you can spend more time out exploring.
5. Do tourists really demand an entire kitchen (and firm)?
A lot of the time tourists don't actually need an entire house or flat with a kitchen when they're travelling short-term. To me, visiting a new place is all well-nigh getting out there and part of this is experiencing local, authentic food.
In turn this helps to support local jobs and businesses. Cooking some noodles in an Airbnb in an try to save money does non. Distressing, merely it's true! Hotels exercise a practiced enough chore of providing the bones amenities needed for a stay.
Additionally, booking an entire apartment or house on Airbnb means tourists could be inadvertently taking away long-term accommodation from a local. If the rental is existence run equally a business by a company who has multiple property listings, it's usually wise to steer abroad from information technology equally it goes against the original idea that Airbnb was founded on – a property owner renting out a spare room.
6. Privacy is never guaranteed
So, your Airbnb host has also allowed friends to crash at their identify during your stay and failed to mention information technology at any point. This may put a damper on the romantic weekend away you had planned with your partner as the intimate moments yous were hoping for may not be then intimate afterwards all!
Recently, some stories have emerged about Airbnb hosts using sneaky hidden cameras in the bedrooms of their rentals. If that oddly-placed object or random fume warning appears to take a picayune webcam lens on closer inspection, you tin can be certain that affair is hooked up to the net and the host is watching your every move.
Alternatively, in a hotel you're never going to be left surprised with an unexpected stranger when you come dorsum to your room afterwards a long day of sight-seeing and the likelihood of being spied on in your room is almost non-existent. A hotel doesn't demand to spy on you because they have insurance cover. It'due south never ok to flick someone without their consent.
seven. Lack of condom and security regulations
Consistent standards and regulations are lacking across Airbnb rentals as they are basically private backdrop. Due to this hosts don't have to follow the aforementioned strict regulations that hotels do like fire, security and safety. What fire and other types of hazards are there in your rental? Can you lot tell from the photos?
As mentioned earlier, illegal subletting sees a tenant distribute unauthorised copied keys to short-term visitors, resulting in unknown people in a residential cake having access to edifice amenities. This can be a major security concern for other residents in the building who are there legally.
People who listing on Airbnb as well don't have to pay for the same insurances that hotels exercise, therefore if anything were to happen Airbnb may not cover you at all. This also includes theft of your greenbacks/valuables from the property, whether it was from the host, other guests or as a result of a break-in. Is in that location even a safe or secure place to shop your valuables during your stay?
Additionally, some of the properties may not exist very child friendly which is sometimes only possible to be discovered on inflow.
eight. Bait and switch
If you're non familiar with this sneaky tactic, bait and switch refers to the more often than not illegal act of "baiting" a guest into paying for a rental that is substituted for an inferior one later down the track. The intent is never to provide you the rental in the nifty location with amazing photos yous paid for.
If your host is being a bit shady, they may contact you close to your arrival date to inform you of the modify so y'all're made to think y'all're left with no other option simply to accept the sub-standard accommodation they offering instead, sometimes even for more than money! Know your rights if this happens to you.
You're not obligated to accept their new offer. If your host is asking you to switch without officially changing the reservation on Airbnb, you lot'll need to ask the host to cancel your reservation then you can get a total refund. If you have further issues, you lot'll need to immediately phone call Airbnb so they can resolve the trouble for you or find another place to stay, which may testify hard if all other accommodation in the area is sold out at the time.
This fraudulent trend is becoming more and more common with Airbnb. Certain it's as well possible this can happen with smaller hotels likewise, but is less likely as hotels take much more to lose by participating in this muddy exercise.
Yous tin read some Airbnb allurement and switch stories here and here to give you an thought of what could happen.
What a lack of tourism does to neighbourhoods overrun with Airbnb listings
As we all know, in 2020 tourism completely footing to a halt due to a global event that shall not be named. This helped to starkly dilate the issues caused past short-term rentals for fifty-fifty the nigh stubborn of deniers.
Let'due south examine the knock-on effects caused by the absence of tourism in destinations that had loftier percentages of Airbnb listings.
Airbnb issues in Lisbon, Portugal
In the early months of 2020, there were 22,000 Airbnb listings in Lisbon. A sudden lack of tourists meant the majority of these sat empty for months.
Urban geographer Luís Mendes from Living in Lisbon stated, "[2020] has helped betrayal the negative aspects of Portugal's recovery from the financial crisis, which was driven by real manor and tourism rather than a focus on the basic needs of local people."
This excellent commodity virtually overtourism in Lisbon, Portugal highlights the demand and urgency for sustainable cultural tourism if y'all're interested in learning more than nearly the topic. Unfortunately, this consequence is not unique to Lisbon and is further proof of why beingness an invisible tourist whilst travelling is win-win for anybody.
Airbnb problems in Barcelona, Spain
Local authorities are seeking to repossess empty short-terms rentals. If vacant backdrop don't re-enter the long-term rental market place for local residents, new legislation allows authorities to buy them outright at 50% of the market value.
The plan for seized backdrop is to be rented past the city as public and subsidised housing, while potentially fining the owners from € ninety,000- € 900,000 for backdrop left vacant for 2 years.
Airbnb issues in Athens, Greece
According to local residents in Kaisariani, Athens, their neighbourhood actually became a "tourist hotbed" full of Airbnbs rather than a residential surface area.
Airbnb issues in Paris, France
As one of Airbnb's elevation destinations globally, tourism to Paris took a huge hit. According to the Deputy Mayor of Paris, the urban center "needs to use the pandemic to address affordable housing and supply.
In the four central arrondissements of Paris, a quarter of all properties are at present no longer homes simply purely brusque-term rentals for tourists." As a outcome the city is planning to agree a plebiscite on the future of Airbnb listings.
Airbnb bug in Dublin, Republic of ireland
Due to increased demand in brusque-term listings from tourists and express supply, Dublin saw rents for local residents skyrocket and more than than double from 2011 – 2019. The sudden lack of tourists in 2020 meant 64% of short-term Airbnb listings in Dublin rushed to enter the long-term rental market instead. Great news for locals, at least!
Are there any sustainable & ethical alternatives to Airbnb?
Now we've examined all the issues with unregulated homestay accommodation services, it begs the question – are there any ethical alternatives to Airbnb? The answer is aye! At that place are sustainable services that can be used to aid avoid contributing to overtourism issues. All it takes is a await back to the time before the sharing economy took off!
Read my detailed guide to upstanding alternatives to Airbnb for responsible tourists that actually benefit locals, rather than leaving their neighbourhoods empty shells of their former selves.
Concluding why you should reconsider services like Airbnb
Sure, in that location certainly are benefits of using Airbnb if it's done in an ethical and legal manner.
Thousands of travellers apply the platform without ever having an effect. I'thou not going to dispute that and I'yard certainly not proverb ALL hosts are bad – it'south neither fair nor authentic to paint everyone with the same castor. Also, this stance piece is not nigh that. It'south about questioning whether a service like this should be immune to keep unregulated.
There is a fourth dimension and a identify for homestay accommodation. For instance, in rural areas where adaptation choices are slim services similar Airbnb tin can actually aid locals. In major cities where there already is plenty of regulated accommodation, whole property rentals by hosts listing multiple backdrop should be avoided in club to help preserve local life and their culture.
If curt-term rentals take taught united states of america anything, it'due south at present very clear that they create the likes of a horizontal hotel that spans the breadth of a urban center, pushing out local residents.
I exercise think that initially the idea of Airbnb was fantastic a few years ago, where hosts would share a room of their home with a visitor who wished to feel the city like a local. Unfortunately, there are e'er people looking to make a quick cadet, exploit the system and ruin the feel for everyone.
Every bit someone who values time more than anything else when travelling, the explosion of illegal listings, risks and ethical issues associated with Airbnb and the like do not outweigh the benefits of staying in a hotel for me. Considering that a pair of YouTubers also pranked Airbnb by listing a dollhouse and fabricated $three,000 worth of bookings, information technology really begs the question of how much listings are actually checked.
By ignoring local laws, causing negative impacts on locals' quality of life and lack of consistent standards, I believe unregulated homestay accommodation is unethical and I'grand sorry to say for these reasons cannot support it.
What are your thoughts? Do you lot feel the same? Let me know in the comments below! If you found this commodity helpful or you learnt something new, delight share it or take a expect at my popular travel guides and itineraries and my book for more means to assistance yous Non look like a tourist on your next trip.
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Until next fourth dimension,
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Featured image & New York pivot image credit: Unsplash
Paris pivot image credit: Chris Karidis
Airbnb logo used under Wikimedia Commons
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Source: https://www.theinvisibletourist.com/why-you-shouldnt-use-airbnb-issues-you-didnt-know/
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