The last Airbnb I stayed in was a cabin just outside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during spring break last year. The house was perched on a mountainside, with beautiful views and even a nice hot tub. There was just one problem: no WiFi.
To be honest, WiFi was guaranteed when my parents booked the accommodation—I’m not an ungrateful member of Generation Z. I’d rather have access to the internet for emergencies and to keep up my Duolingo skills.
We contacted the property owner several times about the problem and she said she would look into it – eventually she stopped responding. Luckily we had a few bars of cell reception, but this experience put me off Airbnbs as a concept. There was no way to get around it other than texting the owner if something wasn’t working – who, by the way, lived on the other side of the country, not even near our property.
Airbnb increasing worthlessness has caught the attention of users across the country – and even the company itself. Outrageous cleaning fees and booking costs have become major talking points surrounding the service.
But Airbnb creates a deeper problem than expensive vacations. As affordable housing becomes increasingly scarce, the problem is exacerbated by a small group of people with the means to buy up homes and rent them out for short periods of time.
The typical single-family home here in Indiana is worth around 245,000 US dollars; five years ago it was $158,000. Places with larger populations and more tourists have bigger problems. In Florida, a typical single-family home cost $254,000 five years ago; today it is $418,000. And the problem is not going away anytime soon – national home prices are expected to Increase of 2.9% in 2024.
Owners who buy properties and use them for Airbnbs are reducing the opportunities for locals. Most of the listings on Airbnb are not just regular people sharing a room in their home, but investors. About a quarter of Airbnb hosts own two-thirds of the listings.
It annoys me that permanently habitable homes in cities across the country are being used for such temporary purposes. I often reflect on how the dream of home ownership is out of reach for me and many people my age. buy a house at the middle price Today, Americans must earn $110,000 a year – the average salary across the country is almost 60,000 dollars per yearIf only we could put a few more houses back on the market instead of just allowing them to benefit a small group of owners.
Gentrification erases identity and makes it difficult for locals to access important services.
Cities such as New York, San Francisco and Santa Monica have enacted short-term rental regulations to free up more space for long-term living. San Antonio has also recently demanded higher fees for short-term rentalswith one council member citing investors and scarce housing resources as justification for the fees. While many of these regulations have not been in place long enough to assess their impact, it is clear that lawmakers recognize the problem inherent in Airbnb and similar services.
However, much more needs to be done to fully solve the housing crisis in our country. A study found that Airbnb only helped about 1% of total rental growth in New York City—and rents have risen 32% in the last decade. A simple ban on Airbnb will not be a final solution for lawmakers.
While Airbnb isn’t the only factor contributing to our housing crisis, it’s certainly not helping. This summer vacation, avoid Airbnb unless you want to be frustrated rather than relaxed.
Danny William (she/her) is a junior student Film art.
