AirBnB - What can WE do about this?

[swirt]

I'm an avid AirBnB guest and host who also loves a good BnB. I found AirBnB when I needed housing for a sailing class in San Francisco and couldn't afford the traditional options, but realized from that first stay that I got a lot more (new friends, local perspective, one-on-one attention, a sense of what it was like for another young person living and working in the city) than I'd bargained for. It was quite different from a BnB stay in a way that's hard to put into words. I still enjoy good BnBs and have recently booked several fabulous ones, for trips when privacy, flexibility, luxury, a unique setting and/or coming and going at all hours was a must. I take many trips which are suited to differing kinds of accommodations, but to be honest with you, the one constant for me is that I have a strong preference for accommodations where the owners/staff's care and passion into creating something special is evident. The rise of boutique hotels and budget boutiques, and AirBnB as well, are evidence that more and more people value unique and more personal travel experiences like myself. As a survival strategy, I think it would be more fruitful (and I would much prefer) for BnBs to reach or maintain that standard rather than seeing them waging a nearly impossible fight against existing service that works and makes a lot of people (many of them BnB patrons as well) very happy. I find the good ones already do..

I think it would be more fruitful (and I would much prefer) for BnBs to reach or maintain that standard rather than seeing them waging a nearly impossible fight against existing service that works and makes a lot of people (many of them BnB patrons as well) very happy. I find the good ones already do.
It is not a fight against the service..it is a fight against the misuse of a name. I'm sure there are lots of kids who like to sleep on someone else's pull-out couch for $60, great have at it...call it "air couch"...or "dude my back hurts" or whatever.
It's kind of like what your reaction might be to someone who is a Walmart cash register operator calling themselves a physicist ... they both punch numbers into calculators, right?

 

[egoodell]

I'm an avid AirBnB guest and host who also loves a good BnB. I found AirBnB when I needed housing for a sailing class in San Francisco and couldn't afford the traditional options, but realized from that first stay that I got a lot more (new friends, local perspective, one-on-one attention, a sense of what it was like for another young person living and working in the city) than I'd bargained for. It was quite different from a BnB stay in a way that's hard to put into words. I still enjoy good BnBs and have recently booked several fabulous ones, for trips when privacy, flexibility, luxury, a unique setting and/or coming and going at all hours was a must. I take many trips which are suited to differing kinds of accommodations, but to be honest with you, the one constant for me is that I have a strong preference for accommodations where the owners/staff's care and passion into creating something special is evident. The rise of boutique hotels and budget boutiques, and AirBnB as well, are evidence that more and more people value unique and more personal travel experiences like myself. As a survival strategy, I think it would be more fruitful (and I would much prefer) for BnBs to reach or maintain that standard rather than seeing them waging a nearly impossible fight against existing service that works and makes a lot of people (many of them BnB patrons as well) very happy. I find the good ones already do..

I think it would be more fruitful (and I would much prefer) for BnBs to reach or maintain that standard rather than seeing them waging a nearly impossible fight against existing service that works and makes a lot of people (many of them BnB patrons as well) very happy. I find the good ones already do.
It is not a fight against the service..it is a fight against the misuse of a name. I'm sure there are lots of kids who like to sleep on someone else's pull-out couch for $60, great have at it...call it "air couch"...or "dude my back hurts" or whatever.
It's kind of like what your reaction might be to someone who is a Walmart cash register operator calling themselves a physicist ... they both punch numbers into calculators, right?
.

I think it would be more fruitful (and I would much prefer) for BnBs to reach or maintain that standard rather than seeing them waging a nearly impossible fight against existing service that works and makes a lot of people (many of them BnB patrons as well) very happy. I find the good ones already do.

I'm more annoyed that I have to pay taxes, pay for a license, pay for insurance jump through expensive hoops to make money. You want these others to make the money without having to pay the cost of business.
I suppose working "off the books" and not paying taxes is okay with you as well.Just let the rest of us pay your way...
RIki edited to say I used the Quote thingy wrong again. I'm not talking to Swirt, but to supporters of either of these businesses. Neither one pays their dues to operate, I'm sure

 

[Don Draper]

Yes, but it again goes back to the using of the word "B&B"...it's misleading.

 

[wendydk]

I'm an avid AirBnB guest and host who also loves a good BnB. I found AirBnB when I needed housing for a sailing class in San Francisco and couldn't afford the traditional options, but realized from that first stay that I got a lot more (new friends, local perspective, one-on-one attention, a sense of what it was like for another young person living and working in the city) than I'd bargained for. It was quite different from a BnB stay in a way that's hard to put into words. I still enjoy good BnBs and have recently booked several fabulous ones, for trips when privacy, flexibility, luxury, a unique setting and/or coming and going at all hours was a must. I take many trips which are suited to differing kinds of accommodations, but to be honest with you, the one constant for me is that I have a strong preference for accommodations where the owners/staff's care and passion into creating something special is evident. The rise of boutique hotels and budget boutiques, and AirBnB as well, are evidence that more and more people value unique and more personal travel experiences like myself. As a survival strategy, I think it would be more fruitful (and I would much prefer) for BnBs to reach or maintain that standard rather than seeing them waging a nearly impossible fight against existing service that works and makes a lot of people (many of them BnB patrons as well) very happy. I find the good ones already do..

I think it would be more fruitful (and I would much prefer) for BnBs to reach or maintain that standard rather than seeing them waging a nearly impossible fight against existing service that works and makes a lot of people (many of them BnB patrons as well) very happy. I find the good ones already do.
It is not a fight against the service..it is a fight against the misuse of a name. I'm sure there are lots of kids who like to sleep on someone else's pull-out couch for $60, great have at it...call it "air couch"...or "dude my back hurts" or whatever.
It's kind of like what your reaction might be to someone who is a Walmart cash register operator calling themselves a physicist ... they both punch numbers into calculators, right?
.

I think it would be more fruitful (and I would much prefer) for BnBs to reach or maintain that standard rather than seeing them waging a nearly impossible fight against existing service that works and makes a lot of people (many of them BnB patrons as well) very happy. I find the good ones already do.

I'm more annoyed that I have to pay taxes, pay for a license, pay for insurance jump through expensive hoops to make money. You want these others to make the money without having to pay the cost of business.
I suppose working "off the books" and not paying taxes is okay with you as well.Just let the rest of us pay your way...
RIki edited to say I used the Quote thingy wrong again. I'm not talking to Swirt, but to supporters of either of these businesses. Neither one pays their dues to operate, I'm sure
.

I'm more annoyed that I have to pay taxes, pay for a license, pay for insurance jump through expensive hoops to make money. You want these others to make the money without having to pay the cost of business.
I suppose working "off the books" and not paying taxes is okay with you as well. Just let the rest of us pay your way...

That's not quite fair, Riki...we don't know that these people don't claim this income and pay taxes on it. I didn't see any that offer breakfast (so where the "bnb" comes in, I don't know) and since they likely don't advertise themselves as a business, don't need licensing or inspection. Nor does someone who rents a vacation home by the week or weekend, or a room in their home to a monthly boarder....those people are not required to collect taxes from their guests/renters...but are required to pay taxes on their income, and can also write off their expenses.
You and I choose to have this type of business, and do advertise ourselves as such, so we jump through the necessary hoops. Granted, you have far more hoops in your location than I do in mine...but that's not my fault.
Renting "guest rooms" is the type of thing I might consider doing after Innkeeping. As long as you play by the applicable rules, it's just one more way that your house can help to pay for itself.

 

[wendydk]

Yes, but it again goes back to the using of the word "B&B"...it's misleading..

I agree with that, as evidenced by my noting the breakfast issue. What I don't agree with is the automatic assumption that the participants are doing anything wrong or illegal. They probably pay more in taxes than I do.

 

[Don Draper]

Yes, but it again goes back to the using of the word "B&B"...it's misleading..

I agree with that, as evidenced by my noting the breakfast issue. What I don't agree with is the automatic assumption that the participants are doing anything wrong or illegal. They probably pay more in taxes than I do.
.

But I think Riki's point is that anyone benefitting from the site (thus benefitting from the use of the term B&B) is doing so without paying any kind of licensing fee, insurance, or sales tax. They MIGHT be paying income tax on their profits, but in my mind that's a humongous "might"...why would they if they are not even set up as a separate tax idenitity?

 

[wendydk]

Yes, but it again goes back to the using of the word "B&B"...it's misleading..

I agree with that, as evidenced by my noting the breakfast issue. What I don't agree with is the automatic assumption that the participants are doing anything wrong or illegal. They probably pay more in taxes than I do.
.

But I think Riki's point is that anyone benefitting from the site (thus benefitting from the use of the term B&B) is doing so without paying any kind of licensing fee, insurance, or sales tax. They MIGHT be paying income tax on their profits, but in my mind that's a humongous "might"...why would they if they are not even set up as a separate tax idenitity?
.

Maybe BNB stands for "bed and backpack" or "bed and bath".
Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending the people who run the site, just the people who advertise on it...who no doubt advertise on all kinds of different sites that don't have bnb in the title. If it's free to list, and getting all kinds of publicity, I would certainly do so in their position. I don't see the words "bed and breakfast" anywhere on the site, although I admit that domain is incredibly misleading.
I'm not set up as a seperate tax entity...we have a DBA and all our revenues and expenses are run through our personal tax returns. If I were doing what these people are doing, I wouldn't even need a DBA. As far as taxes go, I'm pretty sure there are alot of licensed "professional" B&B's who cheat on their taxes and don't pay their fair share.
Maybe I'm just looking at it from the perspective of someone who has thought about doing something similar in the future...certainly none of us know these people, so can't say what they do or don't do in terms of legality, taxes, etc....it's a pretty gray area. I doubt Michigan has any rules or regulations of any kind, although the insurance question is a good one.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

I don't think we need to do anything about it. $45 per night rooms in non-established businesses speak for themselves.
I think any guest that is unable to differentiate between what you/we offer and what is offered on airbnb you don't want as a guest anyway..

Agreed.
We will see more and more of this as folks are more and more desperate to save their homes.
It's the same trend that started the B&B industry to begin with. And for the same reason: folks can't afford their mortgages so are taking in boarders, who can't afford rates at real B&Bs because their own income is reduced.
All inn owners will need to be alert to these possibilities even though, as you say swirt, there's not much that can be done to stop them.
Nor should there be. They are not competition for real B&Bs. These folks wouldn't be staying there anyway.
Anyone who actually is a potential guest at a real inn with a real innkeeper who cares enough to do things right will know the difference. They won't even be looking at these places.
These crash pads will get the overnight travelers on a dime. They won't get the guests who cherish their time at a B&B and look forward to their next respite.
In short, they're no competition at all. So no need to sweat over them at all either.
Consider it, instead, a compliment. And then move on.

 

[egoodell]

I don't think we need to do anything about it. $45 per night rooms in non-established businesses speak for themselves.
I think any guest that is unable to differentiate between what you/we offer and what is offered on airbnb you don't want as a guest anyway..

Agreed.
We will see more and more of this as folks are more and more desperate to save their homes.
It's the same trend that started the B&B industry to begin with. And for the same reason: folks can't afford their mortgages so are taking in boarders, who can't afford rates at real B&Bs because their own income is reduced.
All inn owners will need to be alert to these possibilities even though, as you say swirt, there's not much that can be done to stop them.
Nor should there be. They are not competition for real B&Bs. These folks wouldn't be staying there anyway.
Anyone who actually is a potential guest at a real inn with a real innkeeper who cares enough to do things right will know the difference. They won't even be looking at these places.
These crash pads will get the overnight travelers on a dime. They won't get the guests who cherish their time at a B&B and look forward to their next respite.
In short, they're no competition at all. So no need to sweat over them at all either.
Consider it, instead, a compliment. And then move on.
.

In short, they're no competition at all. So no need to sweat over them at all either.
Consider it, instead, a compliment. And then move on.

I do not consider it a compliment that I have to pay for taxes, licenses and insurance and they don't. I'm still considering pointing them out to my county when I pay my taxes. And I don't mean someone sleeping on a couch. I see a full house rental for $1800 a week on one of these. If my taxes get increased I'm going to go in and ask them about that one for sure.
RIki

 

[gillumhouse]

I don't think we need to do anything about it. $45 per night rooms in non-established businesses speak for themselves.
I think any guest that is unable to differentiate between what you/we offer and what is offered on airbnb you don't want as a guest anyway..

Agreed.
We will see more and more of this as folks are more and more desperate to save their homes.
It's the same trend that started the B&B industry to begin with. And for the same reason: folks can't afford their mortgages so are taking in boarders, who can't afford rates at real B&Bs because their own income is reduced.
All inn owners will need to be alert to these possibilities even though, as you say swirt, there's not much that can be done to stop them.
Nor should there be. They are not competition for real B&Bs. These folks wouldn't be staying there anyway.
Anyone who actually is a potential guest at a real inn with a real innkeeper who cares enough to do things right will know the difference. They won't even be looking at these places.
These crash pads will get the overnight travelers on a dime. They won't get the guests who cherish their time at a B&B and look forward to their next respite.
In short, they're no competition at all. So no need to sweat over them at all either.
Consider it, instead, a compliment. And then move on.
.

In short, they're no competition at all. So no need to sweat over them at all either.
Consider it, instead, a compliment. And then move on.

I do not consider it a compliment that I have to pay for taxes, licenses and insurance and they don't. I'm still considering pointing them out to my county when I pay my taxes. And I don't mean someone sleeping on a couch. I see a full house rental for $1800 a week on one of these. If my taxes get increased I'm going to go in and ask them about that one for sure.
RIki
.

When this first came out I found one in Margantown and had no compunction about pointing it out to the CVB - they get their funding from the bed tax. Have no clue about the results, but in this State several taxes are involved - State sales tax, bed tax (hotel/motel by name), and B & O tax. We do not need to get another #1 in the Press - for tax evaders - although Washington DC probably holds that record - in the Capitol Complex.

 

[Copperhead]

I don't think we need to do anything about it. $45 per night rooms in non-established businesses speak for themselves.
I think any guest that is unable to differentiate between what you/we offer and what is offered on airbnb you don't want as a guest anyway..

Agreed.
We will see more and more of this as folks are more and more desperate to save their homes.
It's the same trend that started the B&B industry to begin with. And for the same reason: folks can't afford their mortgages so are taking in boarders, who can't afford rates at real B&Bs because their own income is reduced.
All inn owners will need to be alert to these possibilities even though, as you say swirt, there's not much that can be done to stop them.
Nor should there be. They are not competition for real B&Bs. These folks wouldn't be staying there anyway.
Anyone who actually is a potential guest at a real inn with a real innkeeper who cares enough to do things right will know the difference. They won't even be looking at these places.
These crash pads will get the overnight travelers on a dime. They won't get the guests who cherish their time at a B&B and look forward to their next respite.
In short, they're no competition at all. So no need to sweat over them at all either.
Consider it, instead, a compliment. And then move on.
.

In short, they're no competition at all. So no need to sweat over them at all either.
Consider it, instead, a compliment. And then move on.

I do not consider it a compliment that I have to pay for taxes, licenses and insurance and they don't. I'm still considering pointing them out to my county when I pay my taxes. And I don't mean someone sleeping on a couch. I see a full house rental for $1800 a week on one of these. If my taxes get increased I'm going to go in and ask them about that one for sure.
RIki
.

In short, they're no competition at all. So no need to sweat over them at all either.
Consider it, instead, a compliment. And then move on.

I do not consider it a compliment that I have to pay for taxes, licenses and insurance and they don't. I'm still considering pointing them out to my county when I pay my taxes. And I don't mean someone sleeping on a couch. I see a full house rental for $1800 a week on one of these. If my taxes get increased I'm going to go in and ask them about that one for sure.
RIki

I agree with you Riki... Vacation rentals have sored in this area and none collect tax. I have emailed them myself and asked what the total would be including tax...reply is 'tax is included'... Trouble is that here, the state only collects if place has 6 or more rooms, county collects on 2 or more rooms which they have FAILED to make these rentals quailfiy. Also here, if they do not need to collect taxes, they do not need a permit and are not subject to fire inspections either... As far as the insurance goes, it is their (owners) stupidity if they do not liability ins. and rentors ins. as if something bad happens, they will pay! Other issues I see with this are neighbors...in the area near the lake, vacation rentals have become very popular...but what about the neighbors who own and LIVE full time next door. One of my friends is battling that issue as we speak. The owner just sruggs off his complaints about loud music and people saying 'oh, they'll be gone in a couple of days'...well yea and then what will come in????

 

[EmptyNest]

I don't think we need to do anything about it. $45 per night rooms in non-established businesses speak for themselves.
I think any guest that is unable to differentiate between what you/we offer and what is offered on airbnb you don't want as a guest anyway..

Agreed.
We will see more and more of this as folks are more and more desperate to save their homes.
It's the same trend that started the B&B industry to begin with. And for the same reason: folks can't afford their mortgages so are taking in boarders, who can't afford rates at real B&Bs because their own income is reduced.
All inn owners will need to be alert to these possibilities even though, as you say swirt, there's not much that can be done to stop them.
Nor should there be. They are not competition for real B&Bs. These folks wouldn't be staying there anyway.
Anyone who actually is a potential guest at a real inn with a real innkeeper who cares enough to do things right will know the difference. They won't even be looking at these places.
These crash pads will get the overnight travelers on a dime. They won't get the guests who cherish their time at a B&B and look forward to their next respite.
In short, they're no competition at all. So no need to sweat over them at all either.
Consider it, instead, a compliment. And then move on.
.

In short, they're no competition at all. So no need to sweat over them at all either.
Consider it, instead, a compliment. And then move on.

I do not consider it a compliment that I have to pay for taxes, licenses and insurance and they don't. I'm still considering pointing them out to my county when I pay my taxes. And I don't mean someone sleeping on a couch. I see a full house rental for $1800 a week on one of these. If my taxes get increased I'm going to go in and ask them about that one for sure.
RIki
.

In short, they're no competition at all. So no need to sweat over them at all either.
Consider it, instead, a compliment. And then move on.

I do not consider it a compliment that I have to pay for taxes, licenses and insurance and they don't. I'm still considering pointing them out to my county when I pay my taxes. And I don't mean someone sleeping on a couch. I see a full house rental for $1800 a week on one of these. If my taxes get increased I'm going to go in and ask them about that one for sure.
RIki

I agree with you Riki... Vacation rentals have sored in this area and none collect tax. I have emailed them myself and asked what the total would be including tax...reply is 'tax is included'... Trouble is that here, the state only collects if place has 6 or more rooms, county collects on 2 or more rooms which they have FAILED to make these rentals quailfiy. Also here, if they do not need to collect taxes, they do not need a permit and are not subject to fire inspections either... As far as the insurance goes, it is their (owners) stupidity if they do not liability ins. and rentors ins. as if something bad happens, they will pay! Other issues I see with this are neighbors...in the area near the lake, vacation rentals have become very popular...but what about the neighbors who own and LIVE full time next door. One of my friends is battling that issue as we speak. The owner just sruggs off his complaints about loud music and people saying 'oh, they'll be gone in a couple of days'...well yea and then what will come in????
.

There was just an incident in a very upscale gated community in MD on Halloween. People rented out their mansion for 100 person Halloween party!!!! 2 people shot and killed!!!! Neighbors said it was rented frequently for parties!!!! And can you believe no one ever complained!!!!! If it were my neighborhood, I certainly would have said something. It is the same nearby here in Massanutten resort... they are trying to crack down on people renting out their homes as vacation rentals. Don't know what the final zoning decision is and how they will enforce it.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

I don't think we need to do anything about it. $45 per night rooms in non-established businesses speak for themselves.
I think any guest that is unable to differentiate between what you/we offer and what is offered on airbnb you don't want as a guest anyway..

Agreed.
We will see more and more of this as folks are more and more desperate to save their homes.
It's the same trend that started the B&B industry to begin with. And for the same reason: folks can't afford their mortgages so are taking in boarders, who can't afford rates at real B&Bs because their own income is reduced.
All inn owners will need to be alert to these possibilities even though, as you say swirt, there's not much that can be done to stop them.
Nor should there be. They are not competition for real B&Bs. These folks wouldn't be staying there anyway.
Anyone who actually is a potential guest at a real inn with a real innkeeper who cares enough to do things right will know the difference. They won't even be looking at these places.
These crash pads will get the overnight travelers on a dime. They won't get the guests who cherish their time at a B&B and look forward to their next respite.
In short, they're no competition at all. So no need to sweat over them at all either.
Consider it, instead, a compliment. And then move on.
.

In short, they're no competition at all. So no need to sweat over them at all either.
Consider it, instead, a compliment. And then move on.

I do not consider it a compliment that I have to pay for taxes, licenses and insurance and they don't. I'm still considering pointing them out to my county when I pay my taxes. And I don't mean someone sleeping on a couch. I see a full house rental for $1800 a week on one of these. If my taxes get increased I'm going to go in and ask them about that one for sure.
RIki
.

In short, they're no competition at all. So no need to sweat over them at all either.
Consider it, instead, a compliment. And then move on.

I do not consider it a compliment that I have to pay for taxes, licenses and insurance and they don't. I'm still considering pointing them out to my county when I pay my taxes. And I don't mean someone sleeping on a couch. I see a full house rental for $1800 a week on one of these. If my taxes get increased I'm going to go in and ask them about that one for sure.
RIki

I agree with you Riki... Vacation rentals have sored in this area and none collect tax. I have emailed them myself and asked what the total would be including tax...reply is 'tax is included'... Trouble is that here, the state only collects if place has 6 or more rooms, county collects on 2 or more rooms which they have FAILED to make these rentals quailfiy. Also here, if they do not need to collect taxes, they do not need a permit and are not subject to fire inspections either... As far as the insurance goes, it is their (owners) stupidity if they do not liability ins. and rentors ins. as if something bad happens, they will pay! Other issues I see with this are neighbors...in the area near the lake, vacation rentals have become very popular...but what about the neighbors who own and LIVE full time next door. One of my friends is battling that issue as we speak. The owner just sruggs off his complaints about loud music and people saying 'oh, they'll be gone in a couple of days'...well yea and then what will come in????
.

Here's the thing. If they're operating illegally, they're going to get caught.
If the innkeepers don't report them, the neighbors will.
They won't be around for long.
And if they're attracting parties, those are definitely not the kind of crowd you want at your B&B anyway.
So, for me personally, I wouldn't sweat them too much. Karma will catch up with them. And if karma doesn't, the taxman will.

 

[JBloggs]

and here it is again - another timely Inn the news:
Extra income from a now and then bed and breakfast
Petaluma Argus Courier
Records Another option is to run a bed and breakfast out of your home, making available a room or two to travelers now and then. This website enables you to ...
note from JB - ONCE AGAIN THEY ARE SAYING THEY ARE A BED AND BREAKFAST - for those who say "Awwww who cares" WE DO. We don't need unlicensed uninsured B&B's giving us all a bad rap!
Another option is to run a bed and breakfast out of your home, making available a room or two to travelers now and then. This website enables you to list your offering. I looked at rooms available in San Francisco and Corvallis (where a relative lives) and was impressed with the variety and pricing of what is available.

 

[JBloggs]

For anyone new:
When posts come up again with old post dates, that means someone has gone in and edited what they wrote. Just an fyi, as I saw this come up today (05/12/2010) and saw nothing new, and don't really want to reread everything to figure it out. (I didn't change anything on my post).

 

[Morticia]

For anyone new:
When posts come up again with old post dates, that means someone has gone in and edited what they wrote. Just an fyi, as I saw this come up today (05/12/2010) and saw nothing new, and don't really want to reread everything to figure it out. (I didn't change anything on my post)..

For anyone new:
When posts come up again with old post dates, that means someone has gone in and edited what they wrote. Just an fyi, as I saw this come up today (05/12/2010) and saw nothing new, and don't really want to reread everything to figure it out. (I didn't change anything on my post).

Spammer was deleted today. That's why the thread came up.

 

[EmptyNest]

For anyone new:
When posts come up again with old post dates, that means someone has gone in and edited what they wrote. Just an fyi, as I saw this come up today (05/12/2010) and saw nothing new, and don't really want to reread everything to figure it out. (I didn't change anything on my post)..

For anyone new:
When posts come up again with old post dates, that means someone has gone in and edited what they wrote. Just an fyi, as I saw this come up today (05/12/2010) and saw nothing new, and don't really want to reread everything to figure it out. (I didn't change anything on my post).

Spammer was deleted today. That's why the thread came up.
.

This is a good reminder to everyone...[/h3]Look at the date of the post for the first message before you post a reply to it.[/h3]If it is more than a few months old, FORGET IT....MOVE ON...it means someone has posted a spam message which has been deleted and this brings the thread up to the top again.
We don't need to be going through this old stuff over and over again...but we also don't want to delete some stuff either.

 

[white pine]

What level of government is the most typical for collecting occupancy taxes and other kinds of fees from innkeepers? Cities? Counties?
I ask, because I see no harm in sending a letter to the head of a group like the National Association of Counties or National League of Cities making them aware of the AirBnB phenomenon, who might be raising risk in their towns and who are not supporting the tax base like legitimate lodging establishments.
Thoughts?.

What level of government is the most typical for collecting occupancy taxes and other kinds of fees from innkeepers? Cities? Counties?
...
Thoughts?

We pay state sales tax and then county occupancy tax in NY. In some cities and towns there is an additional tax as well.
It would probably be worth you sending the letter Jay. Additionally it might be good to have a form letter that your membership (or maybe even non members) could fill in their names and send to whoever they see fit for their specific region.
.

I think this is it! A form letter that could be used as an informative notification to officials would be great. Local zoning restrictions could also come into play I would think.

 

[white pine]

I'm an avid AirBnB guest and host who also loves a good BnB. I found AirBnB when I needed housing for a sailing class in San Francisco and couldn't afford the traditional options, but realized from that first stay that I got a lot more (new friends, local perspective, one-on-one attention, a sense of what it was like for another young person living and working in the city) than I'd bargained for. It was quite different from a BnB stay in a way that's hard to put into words. I still enjoy good BnBs and have recently booked several fabulous ones, for trips when privacy, flexibility, luxury, a unique setting and/or coming and going at all hours was a must. I take many trips which are suited to differing kinds of accommodations, but to be honest with you, the one constant for me is that I have a strong preference for accommodations where the owners/staff's care and passion into creating something special is evident. The rise of boutique hotels and budget boutiques, and AirBnB as well, are evidence that more and more people value unique and more personal travel experiences like myself. As a survival strategy, I think it would be more fruitful (and I would much prefer) for BnBs to reach or maintain that standard rather than seeing them waging a nearly impossible fight against existing service that works and makes a lot of people (many of them BnB patrons as well) very happy. I find the good ones already do..

I think it would be more fruitful (and I would much prefer) for BnBs to reach or maintain that standard rather than seeing them waging a nearly impossible fight against existing service that works and makes a lot of people (many of them BnB patrons as well) very happy. I find the good ones already do.
It is not a fight against the service..it is a fight against the misuse of a name. I'm sure there are lots of kids who like to sleep on someone else's pull-out couch for $60, great have at it...call it "air couch"...or "dude my back hurts" or whatever.
It's kind of like what your reaction might be to someone who is a Walmart cash register operator calling themselves a physicist ... they both punch numbers into calculators, right?
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I think it would be more fruitful (and I would much prefer) for BnBs to reach or maintain that standard rather than seeing them waging a nearly impossible fight against existing service that works and makes a lot of people (many of them BnB patrons as well) very happy. I find the good ones already do.

I'm more annoyed that I have to pay taxes, pay for a license, pay for insurance jump through expensive hoops to make money. You want these others to make the money without having to pay the cost of business.
I suppose working "off the books" and not paying taxes is okay with you as well.Just let the rest of us pay your way...
RIki edited to say I used the Quote thingy wrong again. I'm not talking to Swirt, but to supporters of either of these businesses. Neither one pays their dues to operate, I'm sure
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I'm more annoyed that I have to pay taxes, pay for a license, pay for insurance jump through expensive hoops to make money. You want these others to make the money without having to pay the cost of business.
I suppose working "off the books" and not paying taxes is okay with you as well. Just let the rest of us pay your way...

That's not quite fair, Riki...we don't know that these people don't claim this income and pay taxes on it. I didn't see any that offer breakfast (so where the "bnb" comes in, I don't know) and since they likely don't advertise themselves as a business, don't need licensing or inspection. Nor does someone who rents a vacation home by the week or weekend, or a room in their home to a monthly boarder....those people are not required to collect taxes from their guests/renters...but are required to pay taxes on their income, and can also write off their expenses.
You and I choose to have this type of business, and do advertise ourselves as such, so we jump through the necessary hoops. Granted, you have far more hoops in your location than I do in mine...but that's not my fault.
Renting "guest rooms" is the type of thing I might consider doing after Innkeeping. As long as you play by the applicable rules, it's just one more way that your house can help to pay for itself.
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You say they "likely don't advertise themselves as a business", but if they are listed anywhere as offering this service then they DO. We looked into renting out our guest cabin. Of course, being honest folk, we spoke with the county. He said we weren't zoned for it, and could not do this without a variance. He also said off the record we could do it but "don't list it anywhere on-line, because then "He would have to take action". BTW we have never rented it.

 

[KayBee22]

Hi
The reason why airbnb has it's name is that they originally started as Air Bed & Breakfast. They shortened it to airbnb because of branding, but then realised they could get more places to list if they didn't force them to offer breakfast. We're guessing by then they thought their brand was too strong to change their name, so they ended up sticking with it. This is a problem on a lot of B&B sites - the sites claim to advertise bed and breakfasts, but then advertise hotels as well. In some ways they do this to increase profits, but then the question is, are they destroying the experience for people actually just looking for B&Bs?