IS THE ‘CASH FOR COMMENT’ COW BACK?

It’s proving difficult to keep up with the stream of stories Fairfax Media is pumping out on short-term rentals via Gumtree, Expedia/Stayz and Airbnb. What is noticeable though, by its omission, is mention of a fire at an Airbnb holiday rental from which 10 travellers narrowly escaped.

Meanwhile, the Airbnb listings we mentioned some days ago in the Bennelong Point property in which Alan Jones lives have disappeared. Oh to be so fortunate! The ‘friendly buildings program’ where neighbours can seek help from Airbnb might just be working for MrJones and fellow residents.

With all this lovely free publicity about, we though it best to balance up matters a little and tell you of Websites and Twitter accounts that will give you daily, a never-ending global feed of the hell that is short-term rentals. Appropriately enough, one site is called AIRBNB HELL. So follow them on Facebook, or on Twitter, and follow too their Twitter partners @bnbpi. You’ll find report backs and details from ‘Hosts’ and ‘Guests’ that are guaranteed to have you checking the contents of our various Competition and Consumer Acts faster than you can say ‘get me out of this mess!’ Funny thing is, when things go wrong, clients never go to another Airbnb; it’s straight to the nearest Hotel every time.

We could link you to academic reports from centres everywhere with analysis of what the ‘Airbnb Contagion’ is doing to rental and housing prices and the impacts on student housing etc – debunking all the Airbnb spruikers’ oft-repeated ‘data’ - plus police reports on meth labs and out-of-control gatherings where ‘Guests’ sometimes end up shot. Then again, our local Media will no doubt offer more gentler, kinder journalistic gems on this “sharing and caring economy” in the morn. Until then…

Homes not Hotels Communities not Transit Zones People before Profits Neighbours not Strangers