In 2007, a new actor burst onto the scene of travel lodging. Airbnb was originally designed to allow people to rent out a spare room in their homes, functioning as a makeshift bed and breakfast. Since then, it has grown to be a major and direct competition to the hotel industry, with both rooms and entire apartments/houses available on the platform. In 2023, Airbnb generated nearly $10 billion in revenue, with 448 million bookings of just under 8 million listings by about 4 million hosts.

Yeah, that is big. And Airbnb has its issues, to be certain, highlighted by the multiple listings per host statistic. Many city centers, especially in Europe, are dominated by these short term rentals, at the expense of locals who once lived there and are now priced out, as fewer and fewer people own more and more rental properties. But this article isn’t going to go over the pluses and minuses of Airbnb as a system. Rather, I want to focus on Airbnb from a purely consumer standpoint, and how to weigh whether or not it is the right way for you to choose your lodging for your next getaway.

Positives of Airbnb

Let’s talk about some of the positives of Airbnb. Note that this is in direct comparison to hotels as opposed to any other lodging (hostels, couch-surfing, etc…).

Affordability

For the most part, the average cost of an Airbnb is cheaper on a per night basis than a hotel. This is especially true on stays of more than a week, and even more so on stays of more than a month; as someone who loves long travel, this is great. (Airbnb defines a month as 28 nights.) Many hosts offer discounts for those time periods, since longer rentals offer more stability for them, and those discounts can be as much as 40% for a month. (More often they are lower, but you can get lucky.)

Taking a look at Airbnb’s app for a month-long stay in Rio de Janeiro, for instance, I see a ton of stays for under $2000, a per night basis of under $70, with some running considerably less. Contrast this to hotel stays at U.S. chain properties of well over $100 per night for that same period.

A Feeling of Home

I use Airbnb almost exclusively to have a unit to myself. Especially in a post-Covid world, I don’t really want to share my space by having a room in a shared unit or in someone else’s home. So this category is specific to having that private unit.

With an Airbnb unit, I feel like I’m in a home. And for longer stays, it comes to feel like my home. Each is uniquely furnished. Each has quirks. The majority have a kitchen where I can cook my own meals. (This also helps with the affordability component as I don’t have to eat out all the time.)

I like that feeling especially for longer stays. Rather than feeling like a visitor in a city, I feel like I live there and belong. My unit is also more likely to be in a more residential neighborhood than a brand hotel, just adding to that.

Variety

Oh, the variety of Airbnb listings. From studio apartments to luxury villas, the platform has everything. I can find a quiet place for just me, a place with several bedrooms for a family getaway, or anything in between. I can have a place in a city center, or in suburbia, or in the middle of nowhere. As a result, regardless of the type of trip you envision, you will probably be able to find a stay that works, budget notwithstanding.

The Platform is Relatively Easy to Use

I’ll be honest; I mainly use Airbnb from my phone via their app. And I find it relatively easy to use. I enter a destination and dates, and then refine my search with the must-haves: my own unit, WiFi, a kitchen, heat or AC depending on the place. I am shown a map with dollar amounts corresponding to the cost of my stay. (As of this writing, that now includes extra fees.) Clicking on one takes me to the listing, with photos, reviews, a list of amenities, and information about the host.

I can add listings to a “wish list” to compare, expand my search area, zoom in to restrict it, and narrow them down by price range or any other “would be nice” amenities like having a washer for long stays, free cancelation until shortly before my trip, and more. It is a process, but a fun one that is reasonably user friendly.

Negatives of Airbnb

In addition to the positives, there are some major negatives with Airbnb.

Inconsistency

As Airbnb lets basically anyone add their listings, standards are inconsistent. Whereas at a hotel chain I largely know what I’m getting, for an Airbnb I have to rely on reviews and photos. Sometimes the kitchen is well stocked; other times there is barely a single pot. Sometimes WiFi is good; other times it is a struggle to work from the unit. Water pressure and heat, mattress firmness, ease of check-in… all of these are unit-specific and can vary greatly.

Some of these I can chalk up to the fun of having local quirks in my lodging, but others really do have a negative effect on my stay. During a month in Florence, WiFi was never strong enough to work from my unit, leading me to have to go to a coffee shop to work. That added an extra cost, both monetary and in time/effort, that I wasn’t expecting. (We will talk a bit more about trouble shooting during stays in a little while.) And unlike at a hotel, if something is a bit off, I can’t just switch rooms.

Likewise, there is considerable inconsistency among hosts. Some are amazing, communicating well, checking in to ask how things are, and offering help. I’ve had hosts go so far as to take me to brunch just for fun. Others are good but hands off. And then there are hosts who don’t communicate at all, even in the face of issues, or who outright lie in a listing. Some hosts need to meet me at the unit for check in, and I’ve had a couple be well over an hour late. I had a host not respond to me for days when I had an issue at the unit, forcing me to resort to calling Airbnb customer support. (Note that the good hosts have been much more frequent than the bad.)

Customer Service is Terrible

Ok, so what happens when something goes wrong with an Airbnb? In the case of that Florence stay, I did get a partial refund by complaining to Airbnb. On the other hand, the host then retaliated, after initially saying how much of a pleasure I was to have, and Airbnb customer service defaults to siding with hosts over consumers, since their business model depends on having those listings for revenue. I was let off with a warning.

I’ve had much worse happen. Though I’ve never been victim of a totally fraudulent listing (I make sure there are a decent number of reviews to mitigate against that possibility), I’ve had hosts ask me for more money before a stay, and then cancel when I’ve refused, leaving me scrambling to find new accommodations. On a Germany trip, I had multiple hosts back out on me in Munich, including one just over a week before my arrival. Whereas I would have been charged had I done so that close to my stay, the host was not penalized, and I was not given any compensation to help find another – more expensive – stay so close to my arrival.

Each time – and there haven’t been too many, fortunately – that I’ve had to deal with Airbnb’s customer support, I’ve come away disappointed and angry.

Huge Fees

This isn’t limited only to Airbnb, as hotels also add fees onto listed costs. But Airbnb allows hosts to pick any fees they want to add, especially related to cleaning. If you stay a single night at an Airbnb, a cleaning fee can exceed the cost of the lodging. It is ridiculous, and something Airbnb is trying to fix by including those in the listed prices. But allowing hosts to pick any number they want is not cool.

While we are talking about cleaning fees, there are also a large number of hosts who both charge for cleaning and expect guests to clean before they check out. While I’m happy to not leave dirty dishes and to take trash out, asking that I mop, vacuum, start linens in the laundry, and more is ridiculous if you are also charging me for cleaners. Airbnb allowing this is a failure.

Service During the Stay

While some hosts have offered me new linens during a long stay, for the most part, an Airbnb doesn’t really have service mid-stay. There isn’t housekeeping to make the bed, change linens, or clean. Now, I tend to be someone who doesn’t like people in my room to begin with, so it’s less of an issue for me. But it can be a negative for those who desire such things, and is part of the reason hotel pricing is higher.

Conclusions

So is Airbnb right for you? I’d break it down fairly simply like this. If you are staying somewhere for a week or more, I’d strongly consider an Airbnb. For less, I’d almost always pick a hotel. But the cost savings for those longer trips, and the ability to further save money by having a kitchen, outweighs the inconsistent product Airbnb offers. (After all, the cleaning fee is only a one time charge, for a stay of any length.)

But there are still some things to be cautious of. Make sure your listing has a reasonable number of reviews, and read those carefully. They may highlight things you’d find negative, like excessive noise, slow WiFi, or little hot water. Look at the photos to try to get a sense of the place, and be wary of a listing with few pictures. Sort by cancelation policy, as many stays don’t offer it at all, or only for 48 hours after booking. And communicate with your host prior to arrival to get a sense of whether or not this is someone who you like and trust, or is communicative at all. (Also mitigate against a bad host by taking room by room photos at check-in and departure to document the shape the place was in, similar to how you would with a rental car.)

Understand that there might be some extra inconveniences and costs at an Airbnb. Some don’t have shampoo or body wash in the bathrooms, and you’ll have to buy your own. Same with even basic kitchen items like salt, pepper, or cooking oil, let alone coffee/tea or sugar. I do a basic inventory right after check-in and then head to a grocery store. And if I have another Airbnb stay coming up after, I’ll take the things I purchased with me, leaving them at whatever my final stay is.

Finally, realize that Airbnb isn’t feasible in some places. Amsterdam and Venice, for instance, don’t allow short term rentals in the city centers. Barcelona is cracking down. The lack of regulation from Airbnb corporate will lead to more of this in the future.

I personally use Airbnb for many of my longer stays, liking the savings and the feeling of living in a place. But it isn’t for everyone, and offers both positives and negatives. I hope this introductory guide helps you decide if an Airbnb stay is the right thing for you.