Alternative Ways Around Hotel prices in NY/SF- Suggestion for Members

[+ g56whiz]

With these ultra-selective NYC listings, I'm guessing that the tenants/owners of the units have a small circle of trusted clients. Although they post their unit's availability on AirBnB, it's not really available to the general public.

 

Precisely BSR (although I'm an ex-NYCer now).

[maninsoma]

NYCers, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think if a tenant of a rent-controlled or rent-stabilized apartment rents it out via AirBnB (or any similar service), they are in violation of their lease and can be evicted. With building lots selling for a king's ransom, if not several kings' ransoms, in New York City, owners of buildings with rent-controlled or -stabilized units have enormous financial motivation to get rid of the tenants in those units. Landlords have even gone so far as to hire a private detective to go undercover as an AirBnB tourist to obtain the proof necessary to legally evict sub-market tenants. Owners of co-op units also risk eviction since I can't imagine there's a co-op in all of NYC that allows AirBnB hosting. For those unfamiliar with NYC real estate law, it is possible for a co-op board to evict the owner of a unit (who technically doesn't own the unit, s/he is a shareholder of ... blah blah blah). Even condo owners face possible fines for AirBnB hosting (it's extremely difficult to evict a condo owner since s/he does actually own the unit).

 

With these ultra-selective NYC listings, I'm guessing that the tenants/owners of the units have a small circle of trusted clients. Although they post their unit's availability on AirBnB, it's not really available to the general public.

 

Even though renting out to different people every few days or a week likely creates at least some negative impact on other building residents, when an owner decides to lease out his own apartment/condo at least there's some sense to it. I'm not quite sure why any tenant feels he has the right to pretend to live in someone else's property at a reduced rate and then turn around and lease it to other people at a greater cost. That's just what my former upstairs neighbors were doing, and unfortunately it was having a severe negative impact on me. The building was already noisy in terms of being able to hear activity in adjoining units and common areas, but I noticed a significant increase in noise after they started renting out their apartment. They were allowing 4 people to stay in their small 1-bedroom apartment, many of whom were up until the time I was ready to get out of bed because they were young and on vacation. So I got to hear people talking loudly because they were drunk, and people walking around above me all night. At first I thought I just had new inconsiderate neighbors, but the few times I went upstairs in the middle of the night to ask for the noise to be reduced I kept encountering different people. Then one day I saw one of my former upstairs neighbors in the common area with someone I didn't recognize, with a large suitcase open and her stuff all over the floor. At this point I had no idea what was going on, so I just innocently inquired as to whether she was a guest and had a luggage mishap in the hallway. When my former neighbor explained that the woman had just been visiting from Thailand for a week, it finally dawned on me what was going on. I went on AirBnB's website, confirmed their listing (they had photos of themselves in their ad), and then emailed it to the landlord. I guess he was nice enough to let them keep the apartment through the period they had already committed to other people, but their use of his property as a vacation rental for others ceased a couple of months later and I saw them moving their property out then.

 

I actually think they would have been able to get away with using his property for their gain for a lot longer had they been smarter in terms of screening tenants. Renting a small space to four young adults is likely to be a problem in terms of noise. The landlord had ripped up all of the carpet in each unit as he remodeled units, so the noise transmitted through the floor/ceiling could have been minimized had they purchased floor coverings. And they could have insisted on more standard arrival times so people weren't wheeling luggage through the hallways and inside their unit at all hours. (You have no idea how much noise such an innocuous activity can make until you hear luggage being wheeled around on a hardwood floor above your bedroom!)

[bobchitown]

The NYC tourist/hospitality industry is huge and the tax revenue it create is quite significant. The local poobahs have determined that airbnb hosts are evading any number of licensing and tax regulations. It's no wonder that those airbnb hosts in NYC are wary of being nailed by plain clothed pseudo tourists and are thus being very very cautious to whom they lease.

 

Yes. There are many stories about this. In my case, however, anyone who looks would instantly see that I'm not from NYC at all, have a history of great reviews, am fully vetted and even link to my linkedin page. I'd think I'd pass the "cop" test.

 

With these ultra-selective NYC listings, I'm guessing that the tenants/owners of the units have a small circle of trusted clients. Although they post their unit's availability on AirBnB, it's not really available to the general public.

 

This is what I think is really going on. With perhaps the twist that they have a picture of their ideal tenant in their minds - if you're renting a place in HK you're looking for a manscaped twink with a body like a god, even though others who apply may be perfect guests in every other way, they don't pass the test.

[Michael Wayne]

I have recieved some tips about using airbnb but after reading this great thread i am now unsure to say the least. I have always gotten really lucky with travelocity.com on hotels in major cities. For me it just seems like a hotel is a far better place to host a good client than a rental condo. Hotels dont ask questions...... lol! on the broken bed issue if that were me i would dispute the charge with my credit card company becuase that is total bs. http://www.rentboy.com/magicmikey

[AdamSmith]

[h=1]Airbnb User Loves How Easy Website Makes It To Ejaculate In Stranger’s Sink[/h]News in Brief • Science & Technology • technology • business • ISSUE 50•18 • May 5, 2014

 

http://o.onionstatic.com/images/26/26093/original/700.jpg?1976

 

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—Citing the website’s easy navigability, wide variety of lodging options, and ability to filter rentals by price range and neighborhood, Airbnb user Elliot Nofzinger told reporters Monday that he loves how straightforward the service makes it to ejaculate into a perfect stranger’s sink. “Airbnb is great—I just go online, scroll through a few photo albums, read some user reviews, and then boom: I’m rubbing one out in the bathroom sink of some guy I don’t even know,” said the 28-year-old traveler, who went on to add that the simplicity of online booking means that anybody can peruse lodging options one day and be aiming their semen into a sink the very next. “I’ve been to eight different places and I haven’t been disappointed yet. You get a nice clean bed, you save a little cash, and you can just grab some of the host’s family photos, line them up on top of the toilet tank, and get to work.” Advocates of the site say it is also ideal for hosts who provide accommodations to Airbnb guests, as the service makes it simple to secretly film a diverse array of masturbators.

 

http://www.theonion.com/articles/airbnb-user-loves-how-easy-website-makes-it-to-eja,35949/

[Frankly Rich]

I'm in Bangkok right now for a month. I have always stayed in a hotel. Decided to give airbnb a try this trip. I found a great apt. I'm back here in May and already have booked the same place. It is a great option to save a lot of money.

 

Bangkok probably has the best hotel rates in the world. For the quality you can get, I love staying in nice hotels, and it's usually at $100US for a five star hotel. For that, you get room service and maid service. It would have to be an awfully wonderful apartment for me to leave those nice hotels. (To each his own, of course.)

[paulsf]

Yep, it is a wonderful apartment. I have stayed there 3 times this year and headed back for 3 more weeks in August, and have 2 months booked starting in February. I couldn't go that often if I had to pay $100 per night for hotel.

I get housecleaning 3 times a week. It is 1 bedroom, full kitchen, king bed, large bathroom. Swimming pool, washing machine in unit, wifi, cable tv, 24 hour security. Walking distance to Sky Train. I don't have room service, but I rarely use that in hotels anyway. All for less than half of what the hotels charge.

[Frankly Rich]

May I ask if it is one of the serviced apartments like Crowne Pointe or Marriott? I did stay in those- once each, and was not disappointed, except that the dryer in the CP one took ten hours to dry anything.

[paulsf]

Not serviced apartment. I have stayed at the Marriott Serviced apt on Sathorn. I did like it, but 3 times what I pay now.

 

It's a 8 story privately owned apartment building. It's only a few years old, so in very good condition. The couple that I rent from, have 3 units in the building they rent out.

I am very happy with it. Sure it's not the JW Marriot or Hilton, but it's very clean and comfortable, and has the location and amenities, that work for me.

[+ ITakeItDeep]

My way around expensive NYC hotels is not to go there anymore. For the exact same cost for a 4 night trip to NYC, I can go anywhere in Europe for almost the same cost. My hotel cost in NYC ($190 x 4 nights = $760) is my airfare to Europe and my flight cost to NYC ($280) is my hotel bill in Europe ($70 x 4). Plus, NYC is quite BORING now...I know that's not the popular thing to say...but it's true. AND you're always guaranteed a great cup of coffee in Europe...