Dennis Schaal, Skift
Many Airbnb hosts of the mom-and-pop variety — yes, there are a few left — feel aggrieved when they welcome guests into their homes and have to bear the consequences of hostile reviews penned with the worst intentions. Airbnb is trying to tip the balance back toward hosts — and is probably making neither party totally happy.
1 month ago
Andrew Sheivachman, Skift
Airbnb has avoided these policies under the guise of being just a platform, much like the rest of the tech platform companies. We just hope at some point that tragedies are not the only way to propel change that lots of stakeholders have been asking for all along.
3 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
House parties and out-of-control guests are the scourge of Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms. The industry has to fix this — fast.
3 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
When guests stay in short-term rentals, they shouldn't have to worry that hosts might be sharing their intimate photos and personal information on Facebook, whether it be in nominally private groups or not. Airbnb, Vrbo, Facebook, and others need to be more vigilant so that their hosts aren't violating privacy policies on their platforms or elsewhere.
3 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
The professionalization of Airbnb may mean cleaner bedsheets and more front desks. But it may also contribute to higher home prices to the detriment of housing-squeezed neighborhoods — and a brand identity that is in dire need of a reboot.
6 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Booking.com wants to service professional managers while going after individual vacation rental owners, too. Airbnb wants to tap into the professional-manager set while branching out into resort areas, and HomeAway wants to get more urban. These companies' offerings will converge, and it's likely their business models will, too.
1 year ago
Olivia Zaleski and Gerrit De Vynck, Bloomberg
For those wondering what will likely happen in New York, we need only look at the examples of San Francisco, New Orleans, and Chicago. The big difference here, however, is the bad blood between Airbnb and New York City: Can both entities work together to develop a registration system as Airbnb has in those other U.S. cities?
2 years ago
Olivia Zaleski, Bloomberg
Financing litigation was an inevitable strategy for Airbnb, especially in, arguably, the company's most challenging regulatory market.
2 years ago
Deanna Ting, Skift
With these new features, it's clear Airbnb wants to reduce discrimination on its platform, sign on more vacation rental managers, and generate more bookings. But is this enough to keep hosts happy?
3 years ago
