

5 ways to be a great Airbnb host, courtesy of Conan O'Brien - painterhacker
http://blog.airbnb.com/team-coco-on-air

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pamelafox
I've toyed with the idea of renting out a room in my SF apartment for the
nights I'm out of town and making a bit of extra $$ that way, but am concerned
about security. It's worrisome to think about giving a stranger the key to
your apartment - not just because they can do stuff while you're gone, but
because they could copy the key. Anyone have experience with being a host? Did
you take extra security precautions, like changing the lock/key system?

~~~
reverend_gonzo
I think Airbnb only really works when treated like a hotel.

I do believe that most people are good people and wouldn't steal, destroy your
place, etc, but the thing is, it only takes one. This is your home, not just a
building you own/have access to. You probably have things there that have
intrinsic value to you (photos) as well as things which could compromise your
identity (mail, passports, computers).

Would you let a random stranger stay in your house while you were gone?
Probably not. There's just too much risk.

Now if its run as a hotel room/rented out condo, it would be different, but in
this case, the place would be minimally furnished, there would be no important
documents on site, and so, everything would be relatively easily replaceable.

I think Airbnb is a great idea, but more for businesses, extra rooms (when
you'll be there), rather than renting out your room when you're out of town to
make a few extra dollars.

By the way, the worst -has- happened:
[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/28/airbnb-burglary-
sf-...](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/28/airbnb-burglary-sf-woman-
violated_n_912788.html)

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peterwwillis
Is this why airbnb's site has been going down faster than the ShmooCon ticket
reg page? _oooh sick burn!_

