[okreallywtf]

You said in a lot less words the same thing I just finished typing.

To expand on your point, I have friends who have been occupying a nearly 100 year old house for 30+ years who in the last 2 or 3 started renting it on AirBnB. I lived there while in college for a few years as well. It had live knob-and-tube wiring [1] whose asbestos sheathing had long since flaked off or were ready to flake off at the slightest touch and many other not-even-close-to-current-code issues that were 100% legal due to it being grandfathered in. When doing renovations (prior to being an AirBnB) a lot of these issues were fixed but had the city not forced them to add extra exit lights and fire extinguishers and smoke alarms, people would have been staying there with absolutely no idea about any of this.

Unfortunately it varies it seems whether or not BnB's (air or not) are subject to extra regulation, even if its not the same as a large hotel.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knob-and-tube_wiring

[wyager]

> When doing renovations (prior to being an AirBnB) a lot of these issues were fixed

Exactly. Any house that has not been renovated recently enough to adopt modern safety regs is unmarketable.

> but had the city not forced them to add extra exit lights and fire extinguishers and smoke alarms, people would have been staying there with absolutely no idea about any of this.

So you're complaint is that in a hypothetical universe where rennovations didn't involve bringing buildings up to code, AirBnBs would be unsafe? That's true, but irrelevant. We don't live in that universe.

[okreallywtf]

But we live in the universe where you can 100% guarantee that all AirBnB's have up to date building codes because they've been renovated? Do you not see the issue with that logic? Can you not imagine a circumstance when a house was renovated right before a major change in building codes and didn't have to be renovated again prior to being a AirBnB? I'm not entirely sure you aren't just trolling at this point.

Of course, this doesn't really matter since as has been stated by myself and others: normal building codes that are sufficient for a homeowner are not necessarily sufficient for other occupants who are paying to stay a night there, but your logic is terribly flawed anyways and it must be pointed out.

[mcguire]

Renovations don't automatically involve bringing buildings up to code. Renovations aren't required, either.

[digitaltrees]

> Any house...not renovated..is unmarketable.

Only because there is (i) enough modern housing stock (with safety reg compliance) to provide other options, (ii) knowledge sufficiently available for the public to know the difference, (iii) strict and consistent enforcement to over come the collective action problem.

I would welcome any evidence or analysis showing a free market would create sufficient incentive for home builders and landlords to voluntarily adopt this level/kind of fire or personal safety standards. To me the market would clearly incentive most structures be build at the lowest cost. I would gladly stand correct, I don't have enough knowledge to know what the facts would support.

[digitaltrees]

Read mcguire's post above, the point is that residential fire codes are insufficient and less safe for a property that is being used as a bed and breakfast, and the industry group that represents bed and breakfast operators says it puts them at a cost disadvantage.