Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Airbnb

hotel

Airbnb has become one of the world’s biggest online advertiser of temporary accommodation. Through their sites people are able to find alternative places to stay than just hotels as holiday homes or even first homes will be listed to be available to stay in whilst they are vacant. It is a cost effective way of finding somewhere to stay whilst allowing you to have the bonus of being in a home rather than a hotel. Its popularity continues to increase and people are even making use of the service for business trips as well as just for holidays. However, it is fair to say that there has been some mixed press regarding the pros and cons so here is a quick summary of the advantages and disadvantages of using the service.

Disadvantages

Let’s start first with the drawbacks. There have been reports where people have experienced very unusual hosts. Given that you are staying in someone else’s home you will potentially have to contact or meet the host on certain occasions such as chasing up maintenance issues or incorrect advertising. If the host themselves are a bit strange, unapproachable or unhelpful this could be a hassle you didn’t wish to have to deal with. As touched on you could also end up staying in an incorrectly listed property which either does not match the description at all or has serious maintenance problems which could ruin your stay such as broken plumbing or heating etc. Sometimes this could lead to a few days waiting for the host to get back to you and resolve the issues. Finally, be aware that some countries charge additional fees for the use of these sort of services. Make sure you check the full costs with a host before making a booking.

Advantages

airbnb

It is fair to say that as long as you avoid the issues above there are many more benefits of using an Airbnb property than drawbacks. Firstly, you will tend to find that properties will be cheaper to stay in through Airbnb than hotels. You could end up getting far more bang for your buck and have much more space and amenities for similar or lower costs. Another bonus is that you will probably be located in a very different place if you are living in someone’s property than if you are staying in a hotel. This will allow you to get a better feel of the place and you will feel like you are genuinely living there temporarily rather than just in a hotel located in the heart of a city or next to an airport. You will also have a greater selection of property types through an Airbnb listing. You will be able to find things as wide ranging as a single room in a house to 5-star opulence. You might want to stay in a villa with a private pool or you might be looking for a traditional cottage out in the countryside. Your scope of choice will be much greater. The duration for which you can stay will vary greatly also and it may be possible to find somewhere to stay for an extended period of time. Due to the fact that a lot of listings will be people’s holiday homes which they only use for a month or two a year you could be able to find somewhere to stay for a long time and potentially on a regular basis. As stated before your host can make a big difference but this can work out for the positive as much as a negative. If you have a great host, they may be able to impart advice and make recommendations to you whether that’s places to go and eat or with any maintenance issues which may arise. There are a great many reasons why Airbnb is beneficial to people looking for temporary accommodation and with more and more companies providing affordable Airbnb management your rights are protected and combined with all the advantages listed above is something you should absolutely consider it next time you are looking to go on holiday or take a business trip.