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Post by High Priestess on Nov 15, 2016 15:55:59 GMT
In a striking shift in its policy, Airbnb appears ready to modify its own software so that it can "police" hosts and ensure that they follow San Francisco city regulations for short term rentals. It is also striking that after speaking out so much about host's privacy and the importance of safeguarding that privacy, Airbnb appears ready to hand out a great deal of information about hosts to the city government, including names, addresses, and number of nights guests have stayed. I see this as Airbnb buckling under the pressure of the city as well as the judge in AIrbnb's lawsuit against the city -- the judge indicated he would probably rule against Airbnb. It's a problematic precedent, as this essentially suggests that hosts will no longer be able to privately do business with a company, without their information possibly being handed over to the government -- and not just through a subpoena, which is always legal, but as a matter of course. This is a very bad precedent for our freedom from governmental intrusion. What happens in SF can happen in other cities, and what happens with one company -- Airbnb -- could happen with other companies too, once the precedent is set. It's bad all around -- a collusion of big corporate interests with big government, against private citizens' right to privacy. www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/11/14/shift-airbnb-agrees-san-francisco-regs/93805068/ |
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Post by cc on Nov 15, 2016 21:32:31 GMT
Ultimately each of us will be our own little Holiday Inn, taking anyone at anytime, all our business a totally open book to govt or anyone else --or we give it all up. (It was nice while it lasted, but you have to admit it was way too good to be true.)
You know when Bob Dole was a child, his family had to move into their basement to rent their house out just to make it. That must've been hard, but it was their resourceful choice. Nowadays someone would say it violated zoning or violated countless other laws. Meanwhile true lawlessness and violence is all around us.
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Post by lambada on Nov 15, 2016 21:42:32 GMT
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Post by lambada on Nov 15, 2016 21:43:35 GMT
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Post by rhonda on Nov 25, 2016 23:26:36 GMT
Alohas to all,
I finally got the chance to watch lambadas stollel report somewhere down below.
Knock on wood, or my head, I no care; but I personally do not see an end to the airbnb website/core basis of it's beginning / it has become a world favored commodity.
It's a change in the world of travel that was necessary for those who chose something more intimate than valet, reservation desk, weighted refrigerators, wi-fi at the business office with hours from 3-9 down in the lobby. "Stealing" towels and supplies off the maids cart, when the flippin witch was busy vacuuming the hallway at 6 am, but couldn't refresh my bathroom? Not to mention a few extra 1/16 ounce of shampoo, as I need two for my long hair. Oh Wait? Never have I once seen a fresh bedspread. I insist on packing slippers as I know they didn't shampoo the carpet in the past 2+ years. I shall not resort to buying whatever light bulb they had on the Inside Edition to check if my sheets have been cleaned under that dirty ass bedspread.
My guests, along with myself, are totally over the hotel scene and ridiculous expenses involved for what we hosts have to offer for free on property.
It must be my charming personality that can actually take the 5 steps to exit the activity desk and give a true recommendation of an activity I've participated in, or am able to suggest what company I found the best.
I can see the argument of the host not living on property; although, I have long term rentals on the mainland; np, pay my taxes, I'm free to do as I like.
As I pondered moving to Hawaii, it was with the idea of a condo (just another crazy moment), renting it out to pay the taxes, whatevers while I wait for my one or two week 'vacation' to make repairs. That idea lasted about a minute and a half, and ever so glad, as I do not know what the Hawaii rules are for not living on property regarding STR, and especially the rules.
It has never been a problem in any state or country to Home Exchange. How much worse could that be than a 1 night stand? You're trading lifestyles! BINGO!! You've got a new neighbor, and I never informed my neighbors where I was going or how to contact me. NP
Oh Wait!!! yes I do, I got lost in paperwork, misunderstood the letter, and I lost my homeowners exemption here in Hawaii.
Made no sense to me, but I paid AG rate 10%+, instead of the homeowners 4% for two years until I finally stomped my feet at the tax office, and the assessor paid me a visit the next day and cleared it up. Of course it was not retroactive.
I hated Brian Chesky's Opening Speech at the Open.
Never once did I hear him utter the word HOST.
Now it's all about the Experiences.
God save me when I start offering my guests paid services; IRS will probably just camp on my front porch and get to figuring out their share on a daily bases, along with my estimated taxes due until I meet my Lord and Maker.
I find it sad to see Airbnb loosing what and how the beginning of the whole company was founded on.
It was an Air Mattress!.......Not Experiences, first plane, car, book the experience you are looking to enjoy, and then at the very last, without any interest that I could remember, was the word Homes.
Well stand me on my head, and giggle a few marbles please......It's the HOSTS that are the homes.
In spite of it all, we as hosts will never go away. The public has gratefully now been exposed to the next step up from a "B&B" at the hotel rate, or enough income to step up from a Hostel.
As Helga stated, it has always been history that people were provided accommodations who were in a short term transient time of need.
Hooray for Trump! He had a dream, and he's riding it out against all his opposition.
That's my word, and I'm stickin to it.
I kept checking back for Deborah's tidbits of words of encouragement for us Hosts from The Open.
That was obviously a Nada.
As always,
With much aloha to all, and happy hosting as we choose
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