former employee: "individual hosts are good for pr"
Here's what they're thinking through: that $86 billion post-IPO market cap
A former Airbnb employee told Reuters that hosts with single listings are for PR, a human shield for what short-term rentals have become: large scale commercialization and conversion of residential homes into tourist accommodations.
Today, it's big real estate business with absentee investors and corporations, miserable neighbors, and the loss of affordable housing.
The Times and Forbes reported Chesky apologized for the impact on communities. He said he wants a “reset for everything and everyone" and a “serious audit” of who should rent what. Of course, the company also promised a "party ban" three times, so don't hold your breath. Every weekend, local taxpayers around the country still pay police to clear out 300-person COVID parties.
Short-term rentals are big business invading your neighborhood.
Short-term rental businesses: Barnstable's proposal takes away residential zoning protections
There will be nowhere you can live in town, no quiet street you can buy a home, where a real estate investor can't buy next door and operate a full-time Airbnb/Vrbo lodging business. The chair of the Zoning & Regulatory committee that approved the policy admitted it on May 3, NewsRadio 95 WXTK.
The Town said it has no idea what effect its investor-friendly short-term rental policy will have
In February, the proposal was presented to the Town Council. A question was asked: "Do we know the effect it will have on the town in 1, 3, or 5 years?" The answer was "No." Fact is, the Town's zoning change allowing commercial lodging everywhere, next door to you, is a Pandora's Box.
Only 1/3 of hosts are real home-sharers, local business interests put them out front for PR
These moms and pops, who often need the rental income, are used as "human shields" to distract from what short-term rentals are now: large scale conversion of homes into businesses by investors and corporations with 25+ listings. (We don't know anyone who objects to our traditional summer rentals.)