Airbnb

Adults Who Live in Treehouses Aren’t as Weird as You Might Think

Before I was born, my mom lived in a treehouse in the Smoky Mountains and had a pet goat with one ear. His name was Van Goat. This was the late 70s, and even then, it was a unique lifestyle. But my how treehouse culture has evolved. The Atlantic just offered a glimpse into the…

Airbnb already provides reimbursement for property damage, now they’veadded liability insurance that will protect both hosts and their landlords should anyone get injured during a stay. The coverage is automatic and goes into effect in January; U.S. only for now. [Airbnb]

Working airplane transformed into perfect loft now available on Airbnb

The latest marketing stunt from the Dutch airline KLM gives you the chance to spend a night in this airplane refurbished into a gorgeous loft. At first I thought that sleeping next to the runaway of one of the busiest airports in Europe sounded like a bad idea, but then I saw the pictures and…

San Francisco Has Legalized Airbnb

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has voted to formalize regulations around short-term rental schemes, like those made possible by Airbnb—though it’s not without its caveats. In the past, it’s been illegal to rent out a residence for fewer than 30 days in San Francisco. The vote, which took place yesterday, changes that. Now, hosts…

Ikea Showrooms Are Being Listed on Australian Airbnb

Most kids want to stay overnight at the museum of planetarium. But certain weirdos, like me, always wanted to sleep over at Ikea, amongst the endless rows of futons and 99 cent Swedish doo-dads. Now, we’re getting our chance, thanks to an Airbnb promo with Ikea that will rent out beds overnight. Just one problem…

The New Airbnb Logo Is a Sexual Rorschach Test For Our Time

Is it balls? Is it a vagina? Is it balls in front of a vagina? These are the questions the internet is asking after Airbnb revealed its new logo to the world in a puzzling webcast today. The “Bélo” (NOT MAKING THIS UP), as Airbnb refers to the mark “internally” (NOT MAKING THIS UP), is…

Train Strikes, Airbnb, Homogeneity: What’s Ruining Our Cities This Week

A train strike has paralyzed France, Airbnb has screwed San Francisco’s housing market, a lack of diversity has wrecked Austin, and two Southern California mayors fucked up, in two very different ways. It’s our joyously optimistic look at What’s Ruining Our Cities! A train strike is ruining France Called the worst strike in 13 years,…

Airbnb Is Giving NY’s Attorney General a Load of (Anonymized) User Data

Don’t freak out. But if you’re an Airbnb host in the state of New York, there’s a good chance your user data is on its way to the New York Attorney General’s office. It’s anonymized data, so personally identifiable data like your name and address have been removed. However, if the you’re suspected of illegal…

Airbnb’s becoming more like a hotel every day: The service now allows you to book a place to stay at the last minute. The “book it tonight/tomorrow” feature can be accessed on the Airbnb app and is currently only available in L.A. and San Francisco. [Engadget]

Airbnb Is Banning Thousands of Dubious New York City Listings

Bad luck, suspicious subletters: Airbnb is in the process of removing over 2,000 New York City listings that aren’t “providing a quality, local experience to guests.” It’s not clear what a lack of “quality, local experience to guests” actually means, but it does come on the back of an affidavit filed by the state Attorney…

Airbnb announced today that it will begin charging San Francisco’s 14 percent hotel tax on reservations in the city, starting this summer. The taxes will be paid by guests. Last week, the company announced a different partnership in Portland, Oregon, where Airbnb itself will pay some city taxes.

Airbnb: No Thanks for the “XXX Freak Fest” You Brought to My Home (NSFW)

Dear Brian and the Airbnb team, Usually I am a fan of your service. However, I have a minor bone to pick with you, in that it appears my apartment was reserved for some major boning. Also, it appears some stuffed animals were abused. We’ll get to the damage to my furniture and belongings –…

AirBnB’s Redesigned App Makes On-The-Go Hosting Simple And Social

Guests usually get all the glory in the hospitality industry—everything is catered to making their experience absolutely freaking perfect. In AirBnB’s booming hospitality empire, however, it’s hosts who make the world go ’round. Now, the company’s founders have rolled out a handful of new features geared directly toward the folks who put their places up…

I Bought an Apartment Just to Rent It Out on Airbnb

In 2012 I bought an apartment specifically to rent out on airbnb. I’ve been managing it remotely for the past year. This post includes everything I learned as well as some revenue numbers. Finding a Place to Buy Each listing on airbnb has a publicly visible calendar that shows which nights are booked and which…

When Will Airbnb Decide What Kind of Company It Wants to Be?

In 2007, I got an email from San Francisco. A big industrial design conference was coming to town and Bay Area hotels were predictably overbooked and overpriced. Two designers wanted to help their friends find affordable, un-scary places to stay, so they started a website called AirBed & Breakfast. The two designers were Joe Gebbia…

Here’s the First Short Film Made Entirely from Vines

You could say that every Vine is a six-second short film but Airbnb stitched together a hundred Vines to tell one story. Yes, there are some jump cuts and stop motion involved. Yes, there is an inspirational soundtrack. And yes, it’s actually pretty good. Called Hollywood and Vines, Airbnb offered up $100 of credit to…

11 Architectural Masterworks You Can Rent on Airbnb

As Airbnb has expanded, it’s come under fire from ornery landlords and wary neighbors—being blamed, in at least one case, for driving up citywide rent prices. But at the same time, Airbnb gives us access to an unprecedented number of otherwise inaccessible buildings. For example: Right now on Airbnb, you can stay overnight in a…

Exactly How Much Cheaper Airbnb Is Than a Hotel in Every Major US City

You’ve probably grappled with this question when you’ve traveled, and the answer is yes, renting a room or an apartment on Airbnb is going to be cheaper most of the time. But what does that savings look like? Priceonomics has broken the data extensively. Renting an entire apartment? You’ll save, on average 21.2 percent. Renting…

Judge Rules That Airbnb Is Illegal in New York (Updated)

Bad news for those seeking or offering cheap accommodation over the internet: a New York judge has determined that Airbnb is illegal in the city. Despite Airbnb’s attempts to persuade officials otherwise, the service has been found to violate the illegal hotel law—a statute which stops property owners from renting out their own homes on…

Airbnb Is Just Now Verifying Hosts and Guests

Airbnb is starting to offer something called Verified ID—meaning, it’s finally making user’s prove that they’re real human beings and not a robot or scam artist. Here’s how it works: You can earn a verified badge by showing Airbnb a piece of your online identity—Facebook profile, Twitter account, or even Yelp reviews you’ve written—as well…