Airbnb “hosts” are reportedly furious over a new policy that forbids them from requiring that quests complete chores that “would typically be performed by a cleaner,” such as “stripping the bed, taking trash offsite, or washing and putting away dishes.” These poor, put-upon “hosts” went into this with the best of intentions — turning a profit while ruining their neighborhoods. Now, they’re stuck treating their paying guests like people who paid money to stay in their property. It’s as they work in the hospitality industry. Oh, the horror!
An estimated 89 percent of Airbnb rentals charge separate cleaning fees, which average a little under $200 per stay. Professional cleaners charge about that much for a three bedroom home, and they almost always strip the bed, wash and replace the sheets, take out the trash, and even put away dishes. There’s a legitimate question as to whether these hosts are actually using that fee for actual cleaners or pocketing it. Even if they’re leaning on guests to reduce any hourly cleaning fee, it’s still a little underhanded.
“They will rob us of toilet paper, destroy our towels and linens, leave holes and dents in walls,” one Airbnb “host” lamented. “And now you are ALLOWING guests to come in and be slobs.”
If guests are stealing from you and vandalizing you property, you should simply leave a scathing review so they can’t do the same someplace else. Besides, not even the best cleaning service can help repair drywall. Still, unless you’re renting to the cast of Animal House, most guests don’t actively trash the place or even spend as much time there as they would if they were permanent residents. If you’re on vacation, after all, you try to spend most of your trip outside the rental, no matter how kooky the art is in the common area. If the average guest is a slob, just increase the cleaning fee rather than push those tasks onto people trying to make their early morning flight.
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I understand the original appeal of Airbnbs. When traveling, it’s sometimes nice to stay for a while in a neighborhood where normal people live than in a crowded city center. That’s how my wife and I picked places when we spent a few months in Europe in 2011 (though we used VRBO back then). However, it’s not great for the residents of those neighborhoods when so many homes effectively become unregulated hotels, barely skirting existing laws. Tourists on vacation aren’t always the best neighbors. They also rarely have a cup of sugar you can borrow. (I’d support a compromise that would permit more actual hotels in neighborhoods, especially if near a retail strip, as that would help local businesses. I often recommend the Cascada hotel in the Alberta Arts District to people visiting Portland.)
I confess that I’ve had my fill of short term rentals like Airbnbs. When I stay someplace that isn’t my own home, I appreciate a level of hospitality that Airbnbs simply don’t offer. I want a pleasant and responsive person at the front desk. I want an on-site staff that can deal with issues in my room as they arise, rather than my having to send emails into the ether. I like fresh towels every day and someone making my bed. Yes, I might have to pay a little extra, but it’s worth it to feel like I’m living with my mother again.
It’s also unclear how much of a cost savings Airbnbs offer relative to regulated hotels. The cleaning fees and service choices tend to make Airbnbs more expensive than hotels for short trips lasting one or two nights, and if you just need one room, traditional hotels are usually cheaper (plus you rack up points). This is particularly ironic because Airbnbs were originally all about home owners renting out a spare bedroom or their basement guest space. It was supposed to feel like staying at a friend’s house, except the friend was never around, never provided you actual hospitality, and charged you for the house cleaning when you left. In that scenario, you’d probably just stay at a hotel.
Many Americans have second homes, and renting them out is in its way less wasteful than the place staying empty, often for months. I know people who use home exchange programs, which offers an affordable way for families to travel, especially to cities like New York, where even a mid-range hotel in the off-season can run almost $300 a night. A home exchange also ensures that the house is occupied when families are away for a while. If the guests are polite and courteous, that’s better for the neighborhood than a deserted house.
However, greed and unrealistic ambitions have consumed Airbnbs. So often now, real estate agents will pitch a couple on a house that’s way past their budgets, but the agents will suggest the yuppie couple can offset this cost by renting out the “additional dwelling unit” on the premises. This is presented as if the ADU will just passively print money, but the reality is that it’s a time-consuming undertaking with its own significant ancillary costs. “You can afford this house only if you take a second job with unpredictable hours” would normally turn off prospective buyers, but too many people don’t seem to realize that “landlord” is a real occupation, one that requires specific skills to do well. Does polo shirt tech guy and his attorney spouse really want to leave their fancy dinner to come unclog a toilet?
All I have to say is, Airbnb and their ilk have turned what seemed a good way to earn a little extra dough into an effing menace to society. I'll use a regular B&B, thanks.
I am not a big AirBnB fan. I have used their services twice. I originally considered them bloodsuckers getting rich off other people's equity, but now I think they are a critical component of our housing unaffordability crisis. I booked an AirBnB once for relatives visiting Portland as it was the only "by the night" place close to where I live (I live in a hotel "desert") and once for a spur of the moment winter weekend getaway in Astoria (the place was fun, spacious, comfortable, VERY thoughtfully appointed and affordable - five stars, would definitely return - no, I am not sharing, you have enough clues). I have booked off-season properties three times through VRBO - once, a large off-season vacation home for participants in a writing residency, once for a stay in Tucson when the hotel I wanted to stay at was experiencing wildly unaffordable "surge" pricing (the BnB location was next door to a favorite place and there was a community pool - I have since found an affordable hotel I love and use instead), and once, a small beach cabin to stay nearby a friend having and recovering from major surgery. The ability to cook and do laundry and use a dishwasher during those longer stays made them better choices than a hotel. Otherwise, I am with SER. I LOVE me a hotel room and consider it (location and amenities) a key part of the travel experience. I am lying in bed in an "historic" one right now and my handwashed tights, socks and underwear are drip-drying in the shower.