I`m just playing devil`s advocate to show that you can watch Airbnb from the other side of the lens, but I agree with you when it comes to Airbnb`s legality and the fact that in reality, it has now gone beyond what its original idea/purpose was. Okay, there are definitely problems with Airbnb. In the building where I live, we have several illegal ones. And now we seem to have constant problems with Airbnb tenants – parking and blocking people, being too noisy, even throwing up in the elevator. As a residency association, we wanted to turn a blind eye, but we can`t really do that any longer. Oh no, Brad! I am terribly sorry to hear that, how terribly frustrating it is for you. It`s a shame that Airbnb doesn`t do anything about it and you have to go through lengthy legal proceedings. I wish you all the best for the result! Sacred trout Moly, all this is simply terrible! I am very sorry to hear that you had to deal with these horrible experiences right next to your house. This is exactly why legitimate hotels/party venues are zoned so as not to interfere with residential areas. What happened next to you is totally unacceptable. Would your local police do anything about it? Isn`t it important to have so many people through illegal activities? And how can a 2-room place accommodate 14+ people? I hope the situation will improve for you very soon as it is not a way of life to deal with all this on a regular basis.

As someone considering Airbnb for the first time, I always want to do 😓 as much research as possible before traveling, usually staying in hotels because it was only short-term, and I came across your article. Now I have doubts about it. I had been looking for accommodation in Australia for a few months while moving in after living abroad and knew a hotel might be out of my reach, which is why I considered Airbnb and would rather have a place to myself than just rent a private room and cook for myself. instead of eating out all the time. But one thing I`ve noticed is that properties are often listed on multiple websites at decidedly different prices. Airbnb Australia and Airbnb UK showed the same property, both listed in AUD, but there was a price difference of $1000 for the same dates and length of stay. It is very difficult to know why there should be such a difference in price. Then, of course, you start thinking about the legality of everything, even if this particular apartment looks perfect, has a “great host” and excellent reviews. Now I realize that more research is needed because it`s too far to travel to end up living a nightmare. I agree with your points about illegal subletting and lack of local jobs (although the majority we stayed in had cleaners) and I find it similar to the local Taxi-VS-Uber debate – it`s a lot of “what if” risks, but for me, right now, anyway, the pros outweigh the cons.

Oh my God, I`m sorry to hear about your bad experiences, dux! I hope your spoiled accommodation didn`t have a negative impact on your entire trip. Japan has just introduced strict regulations on Airbnb and other homestays (called “minpaku” in Japanese) to reduce some of the problems you`ve encountered. Airbnb hosts in Japan are now required to provide guests with a Minpaku license, which proves they have registered their residency with the government. Maybe the fourth Airbnb you`ve stayed at has been denied its license and is therefore operating illegally. Thank you for your comment and I hope you won`t have any problems on your next trip 🙂 Thank you for your colorful comment, Caesar. As others have mentioned in the comments, this article is not about whether you personally had a good experience with Airbnb. It aims to highlight illegal and unethical concerns that may be associated with homestays. Interesting how you think I was paid to write this just because my opinion differs from yours, it says more about you than it does about me 😉 Hi Dono, I understand the points you are making and I`m glad to hear that you seem to be a responsible host. Since my travel blog focuses on responsible travel, I think whether hosting is legal or not should be a concern of the guest.

The article mentions many cases of negative effects of illegal listings on local communities and, as tourists, I believe that we should not contribute to making life more difficult for locals. I live above an AirBnB in Brisbane, Australia and it`s a nightmare. Because they are not under the supervision of hotel staff, they pretty much do what they want. I would like a real estate agent to declare the presence of an AirBnB in your building before signing a lease. It is a suburb, very far from anything that could be considered touristy. Hi Je, thank you for your thoughtful comments on my article. I agree with some of your points. While I agree that some people illegally rent their room unknowingly, etc. on Airbnb to help them make ends meet, unfortunately, ignoring local law is no excuse to allow it. It`s wonderful to hear that you, as a tenant, personally care about where you live, but from my personal experience, I`ve seen the damage that some tenants (certainly not all) do to a property, simply because they don`t care; That is not their problem. If only all tenants, long-term and short-term, paid attention to where they live, there wouldn`t be much need for this article. It`s good to hear that it`s now legal in Vancouver – if it`s legal and regulated, there are some benefits.

Thanks again for your comments 🙂 In June 2018, the Japanese government resorted to the fight against illegal Airbnb and similar homestays across the country (known as “Minpaku”) by requiring hosts in legally designated areas to obtain a Minpaku license, setting 180-day quotas on when properties can be rented, and closing those that don`t. fact. This crackdown reportedly cost Airbnb $10 million. Some landlords say you can sublet if you get approval from your landlord.