AT THE FIRST JINGLE OF A BELL – WHO’S GETTING READY TO PRICE GOUGE?

Airbnb are masters at deflecting attention away from the real and profound effects of their corporate business model – their target and ‘capital’, of course, are our homes. Robbing residents of access to affordable housing doesn’t earn a US$31 billion private empire much in the way of karma. Who better then to wage a faux war against, thereby drawing attention away from their murky operations, than ‘big, bad Hotels’?

High on the list of Airbnb’s phony accusations: Hotel ‘price gouging’. At the same time, Airbnb landlords swap notes away from prying eyes on how much to ‘up’ their prices: “from $360 to $850 per night, ramping up from mid-October” (see photo), while others in Airbnb’s so-called ‘community’ are calling out Airbnb on doing exactly that – ‘price gouging all around’.

All the while a little heard of program of Airbnb’s looks set for the ‘chop’. Around 100 third-party websites – known as ‘Affiliates’ were earning silent commissions from Airbnb from bookings made when their users had clicked through to Airbnb’s website.

With Sydney Airbnb drug busts and reports that the Las Vegas shooter rented an Airbnb during an earlier music festival, residents are within their rights to be asking short-term rental operators: “Who exactly are you putting next door to us?”

Does anyone in their right mind want short-term rentals in their neighbourhood? These are our homes and our communities Airbnb; your battle is with us, the residents and homeowners of New South Wales. Guessing you’d prefer not to be seen in a scrap with us...not good for your profile?

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