Is Air BnB safe for women?

I feel this way about Uber, being just about old enough to remember when getting in a car with a stranger off t'interwebs was considered A Very Foolish Thing To Do.

See also: Deliveroo etc. I'm all for people being entrepreneurial, but I feel the whole 'gig' economy, and enabling what are effectively unregulated and unchecked service providers, is both f*cking stupid AND ethically hugely problematic (don't get me started on how Deliveroo 'agents' are treated), for the sake of saving a few quid.

I would never use Airbnb because there's just too many ways for women to get seriously harmed by staying with strangers. I'd rather just pay the price of a hotel room and so forth.

I'm not disagreeing that Air BnB is probably risky for lone women, but the victims in.two of the three examples you give were men.

It should be illegal to say an owner is female if they aren't.

Agree.

I've had positive experiences with Air BnB but have rented apartments not just a room in a house and Airbnb was often one of several places they advertised the house/ apartment. If just wanting a room I'd go for a guest house and usually use tripadvisor.
It should be illegal to say an owner is female if they aren't.

We are currently letting out our summer cottage through an agency. They take 40% and all we get for that is that they advertise and arrange the bookings, but if something gets broken or the guests don't pay for the electricity we get no help at all, so we are considering switching to Airbnb and let electricity be included. That way we can lower our prices but still get more income in ourselves. However, I would never rent a room in a strangers house. The problem with the host not leaving I have also heard about from hotels, but I still think hotels are safer than a room in a private house.

I wouldn’t use Air bnb or Uber but I’m very much in the minority amongst my age group (early 30s).

If you feel unsafe renting from a stranger (and possibly sharing with them), I would just go with a traditional hotel.

It was Juzzal, but a more specific thread regarding a particular person's experience. It's been deleted due to identifying information in some posts. Interesting to read a more general thread of wider experiences though.

No it was deleted for including identifying info about someone.

Yes it's causing problems in my own city, regular B&B's and hotels losing business plus loss of regular rental properties. The B&B's complain (quite rightly) that they have to go through lots of checks including fire safety and food hygiene. Air B&B bypass all that. Makes me sound a bit hypocritical as a satisfied customer but I shall be reconsidering, especially re safety and advice to student DD.

Air bnb is causing problems in cities like Edinburgh. I hope they crack down on it.

That sounds terrible Yourvagesty. Thank goodness you had someone come to the rescue.

I've used Airbnb several times and loved everywhere I've stayed but they all have an established B&B business, just advertise on Airbnb for extra bookings. One was a lovely last minute holiday cottage. I'd be very cautious staying alone, just a room. DD and her uni friends have used it a lot for trips abroad, always booking entire flat and a group staying. I like being able to scroll through lots of places, check price and availability all on same site instead of working through individual B&B's with different websites and having to email re availability etc.

I'd never use Uber though. Thank goodness they are getting challenged. Also very concerned about the gig economy generally. I was glad to see Pimlico Plumbers lost their case in the high court. Hopefully the tide is turning and employees can expect some rights.

Lass, my boss booked it and it was in a block of flats that all get rented out (largely for exhibitions at the Excel). I thought it'd be like a hotel where you get the keys and that would be that but apparently not!

Never again.

Sparctopus that thread has been deleted due to identifying posts, now you have done it again!

No. AirBNB’d once as no other accommodation available in small village.

1. Self-contained flat as actually an annexe with connecting door to owner’s house. Lockable from our side but also unlockable from other side and no chain/bolt
2. Tiny bathroom created out of a cupboard with electric shower over loo and sink with drain in middle of floor. Not the bathroom pictured.
3. Female owner was hostile, intimidating and frankly, racist. But careful to use language that only insinuated her vile prejudice (references to what we would cook and keen interest in whether I worked or not).
4. Decor featured culturally appropriated colonial relics and military paraphernalia (again, photos didn’t feature this).

The hosts were just cheap and out modes rather than actively malevolent. Shudder to think what someone with s real agenda could achieve.

I hired an apartment in London and the host wouldn't leave (it was a whole apartment rental)

I wouldn't do this either unless it was a purpose built apartment hotel. It isn't the security aspect as much as having to be involved direct with an owner.

I can’t understand why anyone would use AirBNB male or female! I know the majority of people are nice and all that, but really what’s the point of cutting these corners?

Me neither. Same with Uber.

DJLippy

The last link you posted is about a man getting gang raped in the street. Nothing really to do with airbnb other than the fact he locked himself out and says that's the reason he was out on the streets.

I used airbnb a couple of times at the start but once I became aware of how dodgy it is, and the negative effects it's having on neighbourhoods and rental markets, I stopped. A friend of mine uses private rooms in airbnb when she travels, to save a few quid (she is frugal rather than skint) and I've told her she's completely mad. Sleeping in unlocked rooms in strangers' houses in unfamiliar places, just nuts.

I hired an apartment in London and the host wouldn't leave (it was a whole apartment rental). He finally took the hint and left but returned at 8pm with a bottle of wine. He let himself in and just would. Not. Leave.

My boss arrived at around 9pm and only at that point did the host give up and go. He kept sending me flirty texts for ages afterwards too. Hotels from now on!