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by farrel 5433 days ago
It's not just the issue of accurate information. Hotels have a security infrastructure in place and the rooms are checked regularly.

Had the criminals who did this tried it in a hotel there is a very good chance they would have been arrested straight away. They also have an agreement with the guest that the guest is liable for damages.
2 comments
rmc 5433 days ago
It's not just the issue of accurate information. Hotels have a security infrastructure in place and the rooms are checked regularly.

And they have much much less to lose if you trash the room. Hotel rooms aren't filled with a person's prized possesions.

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pseudonym 5433 days ago
To be fair. I'd think a guest-liability thing wouldn't be too hard to work into AirBnB's infrastructure, although keeping the hosts honest is another question entirely.

Thinking about it as a whole, I have to wonder if the proper response would be to have a host-to-guest feedback system. As a host, you can request that guests have a certain "level" of feedback, with the drawback of receiving a reduced amount of money. Then on the other side, guests can get that as discounts-- as they travel and get good feedback from the hosts, they then can bunk at with the people who are, in essence, charging less.

Or maybe the whole system is untenable and couldn't possibly work without webcams set up in every room of the host's house. I guess we'll find out where it goes in the next week or so.

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LogicX 5433 days ago
They already have host and guest reviews and feedback. Granted, most people are new to the system, and don't have feedback. As an AirBNB host, I screen potential customers all the time, and definitely seeing positive reviews from others is helpful.
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hv23 5433 days ago
Curious-- how does this incident affect your thoughts on being a host, if at all?
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