It's insane to me as to why people still choose to use AirBnB in 2025. This is not the first such report and this certainly won't be the last. AirBnB is not a government authority - they can AT BEST get the landlord off of the platform AFTER the fact. And most of the times, they don't do that as well as it affects their bottom line. AirBnB is simply a middleman, no better than a real estate agent in a third world that gets all of the benefits of being a broker without the accountability.
I would rather sit infront of a reception talking to a real person than frantically be in the middle of the road trying to call non-existent support hotlines or email them hoping I get a reply AFTER I've blown my accommodation budget on the provider.
I use AirBnB to book whole houses for trips, which are better for families who want to cook. I use it interchangeably with VRBO, which I’ve been using for many years, before AirBnB was founded in fact.
Short-term house rentals are not a new idea. Before VRBO and AirBnB—before websites in general—we would call up the local chamber of commerce where we were going and they would give us the phone numbers for local real estate firms that managed short term rentals. Then we would call them directly and book.
Those types of companies are still around, and often when I book through AirBnB or VRBO, that’s who the “host” is.
Many people use Airbnb because it's cheaper and/or more conveniently located. Unfortunately it's not impossible to have shitty experiences with a hotel either, whether it's hidden cameras or overbooking your room.
However, Airbnb is becoming more expensive in a lot of places so it may work itself out.
I guess it depends on where you’re going but AirBnB surpassed hotel rates for my travels (mostly to major cities) back around 2017 or 2018. I haven’t used it since.
I would rather sit infront of a reception talking to a real person than frantically be in the middle of the road trying to call non-existent support hotlines or email them hoping I get a reply AFTER I've blown my accommodation budget on the provider.
Fuck AirBnb. Book. A. Hotel.