I tried Airbnb several times, looking to find an apartment in London, Barcelona, NYC.. but it was only a waste of time for me, unfortunately.
The idea is great, but there are just too many people renting their properties who simply have no idea what they are really doing and how to do it responsibly.
I was receiving answers like 'Sorry, my flat is not available - it is a very short notice" from the renter, who's calendar was 'available' for my dates weeks in advance. From others I heard "This property isn't available, but I will offer you this and that", which were not even comparable. Then I came to the realization to avoid dealing with those who maintain multiple listings, as it's their main trick to lure guests with one available property and then try to market what they have really available.
All in all, there are just too many time wasting opportunities on Airbnb right now. I would rather pay a bit higher to deal with someone definitely reliable and who does it professionally.
I think it will take few more years for Airbnb renters to pass the natural selection and earn enough reputation to be easily discoverable among those who rent their flats out to get a payday advance..
I tried it once in DC, and it was perfect. First or second property we contacted agreed, and the host was a very pleasant guy. Later we tried it for London, which was a train-wreck (contacted many properties, got shady, if any, responses, the one we picked and agreed with eventually just backed out with no warning). I'm going to Paris next week, and we've a studio flat booked through AirBnB - first one contacted. It's got good reviews, so I'm optimistic.
Gut-feeling says that AirBnB works once it has critical mass in an area - but until it has that, it's a mess. I'm not sure what they could do about it, it's really a chicken-and-egg problem. Perhaps it'll solve itself in time, as more areas develop critical mass.
Keeping listings up to date is one of the issues they need to fix but I don't think it's impossible. I think it's a teething problem rather than a problem with the system.
I had a similar experience myself - applying for places and finding them unavailable - so now that I'm on the other end putting my place up for lease I'm sure to respond quickly and keep my listing up to date.
I've had a couple of ideas on how they could fix this problem with changes to the UX and considering I'm no designer I'm sure they have even better ideas and will fix it soon. I hope so anyway.
I am trying it for the first time, I just reserved an amazing-looking houseboat for a week in Amsterdam while I'm there for the Mobilism conference. Can't wait!
However I had tried it before in Paris and New York, and many people's places looked like they usually cater to couch surfers and are now doing the same but charging (often the same amount as a reasonable hotel!).
I think Airbnb has done a good job of curating certain lists (there's a collection of treehouse apartments/houses, for example, and cool, design-y places in London) and I'll probably look at those more than the regular area searches.
My experience was half-half. I got a pretty good place, but since I was new to the area (my first visit), I was displeased when I got there and found the surrounding neighborhood very sketchy. I mean, the host was nice but I didn't want to go out past 8pm for fear of my safety. Hopefully in addition to photos of the room, they will also encourage photos of surroundings at both night and day!
I rented my spot out for a week in SF. It was easy and casual and I made a couple hundred bucks. It turned out this girl from NY was pretty cool too, tho I was prepared to ignore her if she wasn't. I wasn't expecting much. Had tried CouchSurfing. I just saw it as a step above CouchSurfing with an exchange of money. Which is pretty much what it was. Perfect for both our needs. I'd def try being the renter next time I head out of town.
I actually used it to find this great place in Miami for the next week. While I haven't actually seen the place yet, the service has been great (and cheap!). My host has been very responsive and seems very nice. So, my pre-trip judgement so far is that the service this company offers is amazing.
Now, I'll update in a week, after I leave, to see if I still feel the same way about it.
The idea is great, but there are just too many people renting their properties who simply have no idea what they are really doing and how to do it responsibly.
I was receiving answers like 'Sorry, my flat is not available - it is a very short notice" from the renter, who's calendar was 'available' for my dates weeks in advance. From others I heard "This property isn't available, but I will offer you this and that", which were not even comparable. Then I came to the realization to avoid dealing with those who maintain multiple listings, as it's their main trick to lure guests with one available property and then try to market what they have really available.
All in all, there are just too many time wasting opportunities on Airbnb right now. I would rather pay a bit higher to deal with someone definitely reliable and who does it professionally. I think it will take few more years for Airbnb renters to pass the natural selection and earn enough reputation to be easily discoverable among those who rent their flats out to get a payday advance..