

My heart, home is not in S.F. anymore - twidx
http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/my-heart-home-is-not-in-sf-anymore/Content?oid=2855023

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geebee
People are getting mad at airbnb, but they should also be getting angry with
the city, demanding more enforcement of zoning laws and building codes.

I'm not really against airbnb, but I do think that communities should have a
choice. In short, I think that there should be some places in a city where
people can trade their own right to run a hotel out of their apartment in
exchange for a legally enforced expectation that their neighbors won't do this
either.

The legal structure for this is zoning. In the past, it was difficult to
violate these laws (pre-internet, it took quite a bit of effort to find
tenants for an illegal hotel). As a result, enforcement could be indifferent.

Some laws become obsolete with new technology, others acquire new relevance
and need to be dusted off and enforced more rigorously. Airbnb will most
definitely not solve this problem, they stand to profit massively by denying
people the arrangement I described above - agreeing not to turn your house or
apartment into a hotel in exchange for an assurance that you will not have to
live next to one. We need city government to take this on and do something.

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calbear81
I wonder why Daneen didn't first try the most direct route which is to talk to
her neighbor about her concerns and ask that they be respectful of "quiet
hours".

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twidx
from my understanding is the actual owner is never there, just rents it out
all the time, and its a constant thing with different people using the space.
they tried contacting airbnb, to get ahold of the owner - but to no results.

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koberstein
The author's best bet is probably to find the owner's contact information
through the county assessor's office.

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rooneel
>Airbnb was dismissive when I contacted them about our security concerns. It
apologized for the inconvenience, but said it is just an Internet company and
can't get involved.

This. Happening over and over again, everywhere. No matter what your business
model is, involve the 'internet', and then you are just an Internet company,
and can't get involved in the problems you caused. Because, The Internet. This
sets a dangerous trend for new companies that will grow in an environment
where the claim of being an 'Internet Company' clears them of all
responsibility.

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twidx
pretty heartbreaking piece about an sf resident and her family who have made
the decision to move away from the city - both by pricing, but also by a bad
airbnb neighbor.

