Airbnb: a home away from home

by Sarah Wooltorton | 05 Nov 2013

Offering unique and affordable alternatives to hotels, Airbnb lists short- term property rentals around the world – from treehouses to apartments.

What is Airbnb?

Seeking a home away from home? Airbnb is a community site that allows you to book unique accommodation around the world. From treehouses to houseboats to private islands and regular apartment settings, Airbnb has accommodation to suit any adventure and budget.

Generally though the majority of listings are standard residences.

There are plenty of benefits compared to traditional accommodation.

• You may find most listings are cheaper than the average hotel room. 
• It tends to be a more homely feel than a hotel.
• Generally you have access to more utilities such as full kitchens, laundry, free Wi-Fi etc.
• You’ll get to know the locals.
• Listings are reviewed by guests after each stay, which makes them somewhat verifiable.

Rentals vary from renting a space or spare room from a resident host, to get more of a local feel, or renting a place when the host is away. You can really choose how much interaction you want. Want to share a bathroom or kitchen? No problems. Want your own bathroom? That’s fine too.

The story behind the name? Airbnb’s founders were once struggling to pay their rent in their San Francisco apartment. One weekend an international design conference saw the town’s hotels booked out. Then came the idea for the ‘Air Bed and Breakfast’, where people could rent an airbed for the weekend. Today Airbnb covers 34,000 cities in 192 countries.

How to use the site

You can search the site by neighbourhood, or even by style of accommodation.

A few of the accommodation categories include Artsy Abodes, Trees & Zzzs (treehouses), Private Islands, Royal Treatment, Cabin Fever, I’m On a Boat and much more.

Here are five steps to get started:

• You can sign up via Facebook if you have an account otherwise you can use your email address.
• Provide as many details as possible; you are more likely to get the place you want.
• Search for your desired location and type of place.
• Check if your desired dates are available.
• Message the person who has listed the advertisement for more details.
  
  

What to look out for

While Airbnb goes to various lengths to protect both guests and hosts, there are a few things to be wary of when booking.

It isn’t regulated like a hotel, but Airbnb addresses some key issues by collecting the security payment on the host’s behalf.

Guests pay when they book and the hosts receive it 24 hours after check-in.

Secondly, you may not get what you pay for.

Check the photos and reviews carefully. Photos watermarked with ‘Airbnb.com Verified Photo’ are Airbnb-commissioned photos and have been taken by a professional photographer so are generally trustworthy.

Lastly, not all hosts are the same and ‘customer service’ isn’t guaranteed. You should clearly communicate to them what you expect and take any concerns to Airbnb.

Listing your own home

People around the world are using Airbnb to subsidise the cost of living and perhaps meet an interesting soul or two.

If you’d like to list your own spare room or property, here are a few simple tips:

• Ask for as many reviews as you can. You can speed up your reviews by prioritising short-term stays over long-term. You will rank up more comments quickly.
• The little things count. Providing simple things for your guests goes a long way. Coffee, shampoo, hair dryers and Wi-Fi will be appreciated.
• Provide as many details as you can. Provide a lot of photos, details about yourself and don’t forget about your neighbourhood.
• Check local restrictions on short-term rentals. There have been some instances where renters have been fined for hosting guests while they are not home. Check with your local council if these kind of short-term stays are a problem.

Generally these arrangements go down without a hitch but Airbnb covers hosts for up to $1 million for certain types of property damage.

Thanks to new websites like Airbnb, it is becoming easier to become a global, connected community.