𝐆𝐞𝐭 $𝟒𝟎 𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐛𝐧𝐛: https://www.airbnb.com/c/justina8049
If you follow us on YouTube you know that for the past two years we've traveled full-time with our two kids and two cats. You'd also know that we've been to 34 states, traveled well over 38,000 miles and have been to so many national parks in those two years I've lost count. The first year and a half of our travels were completed using our fifth-wheel, but the past eight months wouldn't have been possible without Airbnb. The site has allowed us to get around faster and easier than we thought possible. It's a site that our family is grateful for and feels completely safe using. This, however, doesn't prevent family members from calling to fill us in on the potential safety risks, they heard on the news or the people we meet during our travels sharing their thoughts of Airbnb. We've even had a few of our YouTube subscribers say they have only heard the horror stories about Airbnb until they found our channel. In fact, a comment we received on a video we recently uploaded, giving a tour of our current Airbnb is what sparked my interested in writing this post. Is Airbnb safe?
Before I give you my thoughts on this topic, let me explain what Airbnb is and a how they got started.
WHAT IS AIRBNB?
Airbnb is an online platform that allows people to rent or host short-term lodging that could range anywhere from a tent site to a yacht or anything in between. The company launched in 2008 when a couple of friends were trying to make ends meet by renting out air mattresses to people in their San Francisco apartment. Today it's a multi-billion dollar company that is used by over 150 million people across the world.
With this amount of people using the online platform, there's bound to be a few horror stories out there just like there is with just about any company, including hotels. Every company has faults and in the beginning, Airbnb had quite a few, however, today as far as I can see the majority of them have been resolved to the best of their ability.
We've used Airbnb for eight months now, switching places on a weekly bases and have never had a bad experience that wasn't solved rather fast by Airbnb customer service. That's not to say that there aren't people out there who haven't had an issue. Our family just isn't one of those people and I think they're a lot more people out there who have good stories to share rather than bad.
So, is Airbnb Safe?
In my opinion, Yes, As long as you follow a few simple guidelines and pay attention to the details of each and every host home you're considering booking.
Be sure to do the following.
-Check the host profile
Make sure they're verified and have a completed profile with a photo.
This lets you know if they have given Airbnb their phone number, social networks and allows you to see any referrals they may have on file.
-Read through the host's reviews.
If there is a bad review take that review into consideration. Is the guest complaining about an uncomfortable bed or that the place was filthy or in a horrible neighborhood? Are these things you would consider dealing with if they turned out to be true? If not I wouldn't recommend reserving the place. In my experience that one bad review is very accurate.
-If you have a question ask before booking.
Most of the time hosts write detailed descriptions of their place but if there is something you want to know that isn't in the description don't hesitate to ask. Most hosts will reply within an hour.
-Read the hosts whole description
This is something I always make sure to do when considering a place. Knowing every fine detail of where you're going to be staying can create a good or bad experience with Airbnb. It's good to know the amenities included, the sleeping arrangements for each guest, and the house rules.
We travel with two cats and even though some listings say pet-friendly it's clearly written in the description they allow dogs, not cats. It's extremely disappointing when this happens, however, I'd rather know before I arrived and got turned away.
-Research the neighborhood of the home
Airbnb doesn't give you the exact address of the listing until after you have booked the home. Although they do give you an idea of where the neighborhood is located (photo above). Zoom in to the center of the circle and find two crossing streets and look them up on google maps. Now drive around that relative area looking at the houses and comparing them to the photos in the listing. This will give you an idea of the surrounding area of the home.
One last thing you need to remember is that Airbnb isn't a hotel. Its a peer to peer platform that doesn't have the same regulations. Meaning some hosts won't have first aid kits, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors. If this is a concern of yours simply add it to the filters to ensure you have these features.
Have you ever stayed in an Airbnb? If so what are your thoughts?
Do you think they're safe?
Also, If you haven't got the chance to stay in an Airbnb and would like to try them out be sure to use my link to get $40 off your stay.
𝐆𝐞𝐭 $𝟒𝟎 𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐛𝐧𝐛: https://www.airbnb.com/c/justina8049