“The Airbnbust is upon us,” wrote a Dallas-based housing expert, who tweeted screenshots from a Facebook group called “Airbnb Superhosts” in which members complained of low bookings. (Don’t think about leaving bad reviews, either.) But when you’re inundated with household chores, abiding by excessive rules, and hit with hidden fees without the amenities of a hotel, do the pros of an Airbnb rental still outweigh the cons? Even the seediest motels will at least attempt to solve problems and change your room, but guests at Airbnbs often need to deal with problems on their own if their hosts aren’t responsive. Many of Airbnb’s issues arise because unlike hotels, individual rentals lack full-time staff. “The cons of staying at Airbnb properties so often outweigh the pros that travelers-even cheapskate backpackers-might reconsider its outsized role in the travel universe.” But as unique mom-and-pop vacation rentals have given way to corporate property management behemoths, the charm of Airbnb has slowly eroded until all that’s left are unpredictable lodging experiences at high prices,” Sam Kemmis writes for Nerdwallet. “The change was so slow and incremental that there was never one moment when Airbnb became so awful. Airbnb has hired a world-class “ safety team” that keeps guests at bay when their rental experience is outright nightmarish in order to prevent more PR disasters. Faced with a torrent of backlash and public scrutiny at every misstep, Airbnb listings now come with a laundry list of rules that guests must follow or risk poor ratings-and even more fees. Early complaints about negative experiences have intensified. Since Airbnb’s starry-eyed origins, the tech unicorn has gradually devolved into chaos. Guests and hosts praised its variety of options and hassle-free online booking. Co-founded by RISD schoolmates Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia and later joined by technologist Nathan Blecharczyk, the service successfully booked its first customers during a conference in summer 2008, when travelers had difficulty securing short-term lodging in San Francisco. When Airbnb first debuted, the travel industry hadn’t seen anything like it.
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