A New Wrinkle - A-bnb

shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
gillumhouse

gillumhouse

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
May 22, 2008
Messages
16,075
Reaction score
747
I listed on A-bnb as one more avenue. I was as dismayed as everyone about the under the radar but thought perhaps as a legal entity, I could show WHY they want to stay at a legal B & B.
So! today I got an e-mail that shows our comments HAVE made inroads. Check it out. Here's our vision. Discover what a Shared City could mean for you.
In case that link does not work - https://medium.com/p/db9746750a3a?af=1977852&c=122515
 
Here more details about where they are going
http://skift.com/2014/03/18/19-hints-on-airbnbs-strategy-to-become-the-asset-light-global-hospitality-brand
and
http://skift.com/2014/03/26/the-4-public-companies-that-list-airbnb-as-a-competitor-in-sec-filings/
Booking have also informed us that, when answering to guests comments as hosts, we cannot mention their competitors (Expedia, TripAdvisor, Airbnb, ...).
Airbnb is going to be bigger than the likes of Priceline, Expedia, ... thanks to the power of social. Their number of hosts is far higher that the others. The fight to legalize these household rentals, to place them on an equal footing with hotels is only starting.
 
This thing is not going away. My hope is that someday it will become more legit with a level playing field. Here is an article that tells some history and a partnership that is so perfect, it's frightening.
Oh, and abnb has chosen our big city to become it's new hub. The mayor went on tv so proud to announce they are moving here and creating 165 new jobs. He failed to say that currently what abnb does in that city is totally ILLEGAL. From the news reports, the city's restrictions are already in the process of loosening up. G R E A T
 
Joey Bloggs said:
I have no idea what this means?.
Click to expand...
I think they are trying to get the illegal, uninsured, not collecting/paying taxes truth changed to say, "Hey, we are doing all we can to have legal hosts". NYC is where they caused so much problems that legitimate B & Bs cannot operate but they are not going there with the "New Us". Roanoke had the latest spotlight on the "no taxes" hosts but the yare no there. Nor are they taking it whole site. Trying it out in Portland. Make the effort everywhere.
They are giving free smoke detectors to the hosts listed in Portland (and other places) but I have not received any info how to get one for my place....
 
gillumhouse said:
Joey Bloggs said:
I have no idea what this means?.
Click to expand...
I think they are trying to get the illegal, uninsured, not collecting/paying taxes truth changed to say, "Hey, we are doing all we can to have legal hosts". NYC is where they caused so much problems that legitimate B & Bs cannot operate but they are not going there with the "New Us". Roanoke had the latest spotlight on the "no taxes" hosts but the yare no there. Nor are they taking it whole site. Trying it out in Portland. Make the effort everywhere.
They are giving free smoke detectors to the hosts listed in Portland (and other places) but I have not received any info how to get one for my place....
.
Click to expand...
We got a massive email through about "sharing cities" this morning and could yours be next - think they have covered their asses pretty successfully with sorting out all the taxes automatically and submitting them for their hosts.
I would like however to see how they roll that out in the UK as we have whats called "rent a room" where you can rent out a room in your house (you have to do all the fire etc stuff) but you don't have to pay any taxes on it till it reaches a certain limit (think its about £8,000) the idea is to encourage people to have lodgers for extra cash - so AirB&B would have to keep tabs on how many bookings to sort that out for a start!
Plus its not financially viable to stay within the tax limit and so all the legal stuff as well - just isn't worth it.
 
One more interesting
http://skift.com/2014/03/27/airbnb-is-already-making-a-dent-among-business-travelers/
and this
http://beyondstays.com/
Feels like the beginning of a big disruption...
 
souslechene said:
One more interesting
http://skift.com/2014/03/27/airbnb-is-already-making-a-dent-among-business-travelers/
and this
http://beyondstays.com/
Feels like the beginning of a big disruption....
Click to expand...
It's funny, the people doing this illegally originally came out strongly here to stand up for the product. When asked if they declared and paid their taxes on said income, they disappeared. The perception around here isn't a great one, especially since we pay a lot of taxes. The company has an image to clear up around here, especially since 98% of their business is illegal around here.
 
I still think that airbnb is just a brand marketer, marketing an IDEA that the Millennials love to hear. But as far as actually offering hospitality by renting spare room? ....I don't see it happening. They can offer all the classes they want to prospective airbnb hosts but YOU know and I know that hosting requires the kind of hard work that not many people want to do. So will air have luck getting the younger generation to book last minute rooms with keyless entry on their ever-present iPhones? Yes they will, and they will become rich doing it. But unless air can GUARANTEE that every host is offering a quality stay all of their marketing will end up in the trash.
In the end I see them branding themselves as a funky alternative to Ex Pedia....perhaps the Boo king.com of individually run, professionally run (that's us) B+Bs. That is really what they are heading for IMHO.
 
It is not just A - bnb, it is vacation rentals as well. All these places do not have to go through the hurdles we did to open legit. businesses. They are not monitored, inspected, required to pay business property taxes, higher property taxes than our neighbors and also collect and submit sales/lodging taxes.
It will all keep mushrooming until all the cities/counties/states in the country realize just how much they are loosing in tax dollars, then they will start to cry LOUDLY.
But for most of the gov. officials it appears to be too few to bother with, that was what I got back when I made the comment to my local gov. But that was the behind the back chuckle they made when I went for licensing 16 yrs ago and but I still had to jump through hurdles to be allowed to open. Funny, they sure enjoy receiving my check for taxes I collected for them, not once refusing them!!!
wink_smile.gif
 
copperhead said:
It is not just A - bnb, it is vacation rentals as well. All these places do not have to go through the hurdles we did to open legit. businesses. They are not monitored, inspected, required to pay business property taxes, higher property taxes than our neighbors and also collect and submit sales/lodging taxes.
It will all keep mushrooming until all the cities/counties/states in the country realize just how much they are loosing in tax dollars, then they will start to cry LOUDLY.
But for most of the gov. officials it appears to be too few to bother with, that was what I got back when I made the comment to my local gov. But that was the behind the back chuckle they made when I went for licensing 16 yrs ago and but I still had to jump through hurdles to be allowed to open. Funny, they sure enjoy receiving my check for taxes I collected for them, not once refusing them!!!
wink_smile.gif
.
Click to expand...
copperhead said:
But for most of the gov. officials it appears to be too few to bother with, that was what I got back when I made the comment to my local gov. But that was the behind the back chuckle they made when I went for licensing 16 yrs ago and but I still had to jump through hurdles to be allowed to open. Funny, they sure enjoy receiving my check for taxes I collected for them, not once refusing them!!!
wink_smile.gif
Click to expand...
Not just the number but the cost of dealing with the legal actions necessary. My (very small) town has spent an enormous amount of money taking first one illegal VRBO to court, and now a second one is on the docket. DH has been subpoenaed to appear for the second trial. I don't know where the VRBOs are getting their legal funding - must be all that money they save in not paying commercial taxes, bed taxes, or licensing fees.
 
muirford said:
copperhead said:
It is not just A - bnb, it is vacation rentals as well. All these places do not have to go through the hurdles we did to open legit. businesses. They are not monitored, inspected, required to pay business property taxes, higher property taxes than our neighbors and also collect and submit sales/lodging taxes.
It will all keep mushrooming until all the cities/counties/states in the country realize just how much they are loosing in tax dollars, then they will start to cry LOUDLY.
But for most of the gov. officials it appears to be too few to bother with, that was what I got back when I made the comment to my local gov. But that was the behind the back chuckle they made when I went for licensing 16 yrs ago and but I still had to jump through hurdles to be allowed to open. Funny, they sure enjoy receiving my check for taxes I collected for them, not once refusing them!!!
wink_smile.gif
.
Click to expand...
copperhead said:
But for most of the gov. officials it appears to be too few to bother with, that was what I got back when I made the comment to my local gov. But that was the behind the back chuckle they made when I went for licensing 16 yrs ago and but I still had to jump through hurdles to be allowed to open. Funny, they sure enjoy receiving my check for taxes I collected for them, not once refusing them!!!
wink_smile.gif
Click to expand...
Not just the number but the cost of dealing with the legal actions necessary. My (very small) town has spent an enormous amount of money taking first one illegal VRBO to court, and now a second one is on the docket. DH has been subpoenaed to appear for the second trial. I don't know where the VRBOs are getting their legal funding - must be all that money they save in not paying commercial taxes, bed taxes, or licensing fees.
.
Click to expand...
muirford said:
copperhead said:
But for most of the gov. officials it appears to be too few to bother with, that was what I got back when I made the comment to my local gov. But that was the behind the back chuckle they made when I went for licensing 16 yrs ago and but I still had to jump through hurdles to be allowed to open. Funny, they sure enjoy receiving my check for taxes I collected for them, not once refusing them!!!
Click to expand...
Not just the number but the cost of dealing with the legal actions necessary. My (very small) town has spent an enormous amount of money taking first one illegal VRBO to court, and now a second one is on the docket. DH has been subpoenaed to appear for the second trial. I don't know where the VRBOs are getting their legal funding - must be all that money they save in not paying commercial taxes, bed taxes, or licensing fees.
Click to expand...
Most of the people owning the VRBO properties are in multiple businesses and can afford legal council.
I was just told about one such property owned by a local business owner. The property rents for $5k up a week. Prime demand area but still that is a chunk of change.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top