
I’m a black man – What happened when I booked an Airbnb - blhack
https://medium.com/@rodiggedy/i-read-about-this-phenomenon-of-black-people-being-rejected-on-airbnb-f36dd3ab0375#.442h75fsq
======
osazuwa
I am a black man, and I have dealt with this too. Here is few hacks I came up
with.

1\. In your profile picture wear one or more of the following fedora,
suspenders, thick rimmed glasses, and a bow tie. 2\. Position a white or (more
ideally) an Asian woman center frame, and position yourself behind her left-
center. 3\. Have some animals in the picture. Cats are easy, ponies work best.

Try to add other things that make you less threatening, eg. babies and ice
cream.

~~~
jamestnz
> thick rimmed glasses

I don't know if you're familiar with Curb Your Enthusiasm, but Larry gives
this exact theory to his friend Leon ("white people revere black people with
glasses... no glasses, no job."). It's really quite amazing how closely it
mirrors what you're describing!

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ECj4OcCC0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ECj4OcCC0)

~~~
kelukelugames
A lot of black comedians have similar jokes about performing rituals to be
accepted by whites. For example, Aries Spears says white women only date him
after they hear him sing to 80s rock songs.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg-4e4PWGY8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg-4e4PWGY8)

Not a new concept to people of color. Despite the jokes, it's depressing.

------
shekyboy
There should be some sort of penalty for canceling/rejecting even if you had
availability. Just like canceling an Uber. These cancellations ought to add up
over time and reflect in the rating...

Additionally potential renters should be able to rate this initial experience
as well, which should factor in the rating.

Dont think that will fix this problem but might curtail some of this behavior.
I believe that technology and applied correctly has potential of changing
behaviors (we have seen that in spades with AirBnB already).

~~~
ArtDev
Forcing hosts to accept questionable guests is a terrible idea. Many people
don't read the house rules before they book.

Yes, you have to make effort to show that you are not going to trash my house.
Its not a hotel.

~~~
tptacek
False. If you're going to let your house out for short-term rentals on the
market, you are obliged to follow the same rules regarding who you rent to as
the hotels are.

If you don't want strangers in your house --- and I sure don't either ---
don't try to capitalize on it on Airbnb.

~~~
ArtDev
In my town the permitting process for vacation rentals is quite different than
hotels.

I have a very expensive permit ($2300 for the first year) and jumped through
all the hoops. We pay occupancy tax, etc.

What makes it most different from a hotel is that we have to vet our guests.
We won't take anyone off the street. This is perfectly reasonable and also
different from a hotel.

I do hope that cities avoid passing laws around vacation rentals. The law is
our town is an expensive illogical nightmare.

------
JPKab
Unfortunately, a service that connects people with other people directly to
rent their homes is always going to have issues like this.

I'm not sure that it's fair to expect Airbnb to "fix" this. Why? Because if
they prevent people from discriminating on the very evil dimensions of race,
gender, sexual identification, religion, etc, then they will also prevent
people from discriminating on the basis of reasonable factors like "5 guys
from 19 to 21 from a fraternity".

~~~
DenisM
The notion of "protected class" specifically addresses which groups need
protection and which don't, at least in the eyes of the law. Sex, race,
disability are on the list. College kids are not.

This list would be a good start for AirBNB.

~~~
jasode
_> Sex, race, disability are on the list._

Yes, but it looks like owner-occupied homes that are renting out a bedroom on
AirBnB are exempt[1] from those discrimination laws. Paraphrase of law: _"
other than ... a building which contains not more than five rooms for rent ...
which is actually occupied by the proprietor ... as his residence"_

Basically, it is _legal_ for homeowners to discriminate on race for their
personal dwelling. The concept appears to be related to the "roommate wanted"
being exempted from the FHA Fair Housing Act.[2]

There may be a grey area regarding a larger 6-bedroom home that the owner
occupies but is renting out for a week while he's out of town. The owner
doesn't have to physically share the space simultaneously with the renter. I
can't tell if anti-discrimination laws applies to that situation.

[1][https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/2000a](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/2000a):

 _(1) any inn, hotel, motel, or other establishment which provides lodging to
transient guests, other than an establishment located within a building which
contains not more than five rooms for rent or hire and which is actually
occupied by the proprietor of such establishment as his residence;_

[2][https://blog.splitwise.com/2012/02/07/court-allows-
discrimin...](https://blog.splitwise.com/2012/02/07/court-allows-
discrimination-in-roommate-selection/)

~~~
dragonwriter
> Basically, is legal for homeowners to discriminate on race

There is a big difference between "not a violation of federal law" and
"legal". Many states have anti-discrimination laws with broader scope than the
Federal Fair Housing Act.

~~~
jasode
_> Many states have anti-discrimination laws with broader scope than the
Federal Fair Housing Act._

That's true but I can't think of one example of a state having tougher
discrimination laws than the Federal code in regards to a _homeowner 's
personal dwelling._

~~~
dragonwriter
California's roomer/roommate exemption is significantly more limited than the
Federal one, so that's at least one state:

1\. The federal exemption is a blanket one from the anti-discrimination rules,
California's allows most discrimination but still limits advertising and still
prohibits discrimination on medical condition or age (over 40)

2\. the federal exception applies up to 5 rooms for rent, California's applies
only when the owner is renting to a single roomer or boarder.

~~~
jasode
_> and still prohibits discrimination on medical condition or age (over 40)_

The webpage (you cited previously) from the California Department of Consumer
Affairs that mentions "medical" and "age" doesn't look to be correct.

For reference, the source laws it cites are the following:

(51) California's Unruh Civil Rights Act:
[http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection...](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=51.&lawCode=CIV)

(51.2) (special case for senior citizens housing):
[http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection...](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=51.2.&lawCode=CIV)

Government Code Section 12927(a)(2)(A): [http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-
bin/displaycode?section=gov&gr...](http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-
bin/displaycode?section=gov&group=12001-13000&file=12925-12928)

Government Code Section 12955(c): [http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-
bin/displaycode?section=gov&gr...](http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-
bin/displaycode?section=gov&group=12001-13000&file=12955-12956.2)

Reading the actual laws doesn't find any exceptions to the exemptions for
roommates and homeowners renting out a private room. The "medical condition"
and "age" (along with "gender", "race", etc) are all part of California's
Unruh Civil Rights Act. The only age-specific laws (51.2) was discrimination
against _younger people_ being acceptable so as to maintain the housing for
senior citizens.

In any case, it looks like the exemption for roommates based on it _not_ being
a "business". The law in (51) is directed at _business establishments_ and not
roommates/homeowners sharing a house/apartment. Based on a plain reading of
the previous 4 cites, an 18-year-old girl in California _can_ refuse to share
accommodations with a 70-year-old asthma sufferer with a noisy oxygen tank.

 _> 2\. the federal exception applies up to 5 rooms for rent, California's
applies only when the owner is renting to a single roomer or boarder._

Ok got it. But I wasn't using "tougher discrimination" in the sense that one
state allows 1 room (or some other threshold number) instead of 5. Instead, I
meant "tougher" as in certain state says you can't discriminate on race for
the private bedroom in your house -- whereas FHA says you can.

------
bdcravens
When we applaud the AirBnBs and Ubers for going around regulation to get the
outcome we want, isn't it inevitable that many will use some to exact the
outcome they want but that violates social rules we _thought_ were in place?

~~~
lbn
In the UK it is illegal to refuse to let your property based on the person's
race [1] and I am sure it's the same way in many other western countries.

People using Airbnb to rent out their property are effectively breaking the
laws and due to loopholes in regulations cannot be held responsible. It's a
lot more than just social rules.

[1] [https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/discrimination-
in-...](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/discrimination-in-
housing/overview-of-discrimination-in-housing/)

~~~
niccaluim
Dunno how common this is but in my home state of Indiana the non-
discrimination laws include specific exemptions for properties used as homes
by the lessor. I imagine that would provide an out for people like Crissie if
it ever came to a civil suit.

~~~
Steltek
Just to set the record straight for Crissie's sake. Crissie is the friend he
was going to visit and is not responsible for any of the discrimination.

Also, the racist does not use this property as a primary residence. It's one
among many vacation rentals she owns so she has no protections under the law.

~~~
niccaluim
D'oh, sorry. Reading comprehension ftw.

------
evan_
Everyone is saying "well obviously AirBnB can't end racism" but what have they
actually done to solve their local problem? Have they sent out an email to
their hosts that says "please don't discriminate based on race"? Is there a
way to report hosts engaging in discriminatory practices? If so are those
taken seriously?

Not being able to solve the problem 100% doesn't mean they shouldn't try to do
anything.

(Now, maybe they have done a bunch of stuff, I don't know, but it seems like
there's still a problem)

~~~
golergka
AirBnB is a platform to connect vendors and buyers; they're closer to a
measenger app than a hotel business. Airbnb trying to end hosts racism makes
as much sense as Facebook censoring racist messages.

~~~
abalone
That's like saying Amazon's not responsible for the products sold on its
platform.

There's plenty Airbnb can do to ensure their hosts aren't racists. They have
complete oversight of the booking process. They can detect racist rejection
patterns and investigate.

~~~
Will_Do
No it isn't. Amazon owns the majority (although not all) of the products sold
on its platform.

Airbnb owns 0% of the houses put up for rent on their platform.

~~~
abalone
Yes it is. Amazon supports 3rd party sellers.

~~~
evan_
In fact 40% of its sales in 2014 were third-party sellers.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Marketplace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Marketplace)

------
abalone
To those saying "that's bad, but what can Airbnb do?", I will repeat my
comment: they can definitely end this problem if they wanted to, using the
same techniques that the bloggers have used to uncover it.

If Airbnb sees a suspicious rejection of a person of color, Airbnb themselves
could try rebooking it under a fake white profile. If it gets accepted, ban
the host (or flag for further review, etc.)

It could be mostly automated and has no negative impact on good hosts.

~~~
Madmallard
No people should not be forced to let anyone in their homes. This is
unreasonable.

Edit: Something else important here. We do not know that the reason he was
denied was because he was black. You have reviews of yourself that you cannot
see. Who's to say this isn't some race baiting article and this guy is a
creep.

~~~
the_ancient
I agree and if the government was attempting to pass a law mandating this I
would support you

But if AirBNB want to have a racism free site where only non-racists
homeowners are allowed to post listing then it is perfectly with in the right
to do so and I support AirBNB in banning any racist persons they find trying
to use their site.

No one has a right to a AirBNB listing, and just as the homeowers can refuse
service to anyone, so can airbnb

~~~
w4
> _I agree and if the government was attempting to pass a law mandating this I
> would support you_

The government already passed the law mandating this, way back in 1968:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Housing_Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Housing_Act)

Yes, it applies to Airbnb: [https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/898/ada-and-
fha-complian...](https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/898/ada-and-fha-
compliance-policy)

------
V-2
I know it's just a blog post, but if we consider blogging to be journalism
(even in some remote sense), then the accepted practice is to reach out to the
other side and ask for comments. She could - obviously - refuse, then you
write she refused comment. Or she might have some explanation that doesn't
involve racial bias. It may be some BS excuse, we might not believe in it,
etc. but this is her problem and it doesn't change the principle. On the other
hand, not even letting that person know that you made the situation public,
and offered conclusions at that, is kind of shady to me. But maybe I'm just
old-fashioned (in the sense of believing in journalism standards, not racial
segregation).

~~~
dragonwriter
> I know it's just a blog post, but if we consider blogging to be journalism

Some blogging aspires to be the kind of neutral, third-party journalism to
which that standard applies, but this kind of sharing of one's personal
experience is not that kind of blogging.

It's more like a personal version of an institutional press release, which
might be the _trigger_ and starting point for a journalistic story, but isn't
one itself.

~~~
V-2
Where the boundary lies is subjective in my opinion, personally I feel it's
better overall to "err on the safe side" as far as these matters go. At any
rate, I would be quite simply curious about she would have to say

~~~
csydas
While I get what you're saying, this form of blogging is closer to opinion
pieces, not journalism; it's why news papers formerly segregated the op-ed
pieces from the rest of the paper, as it's less about a journalistic
investigation and more a writing opining/pontificating. Blogging can have all
sots of forms, some closer to news, some closer to personal diaries/journals.
Based on the piece, this is closer to the latter, someone's personal
experience made public.

I realize that nowadays it's not as clear cut when you're reading an op-ed and
when you're reading a piece of news, and sometimes it seems like authors try
to blur the lines, but the distinction exists for a reason. The author of the
piece did not really seem to try to make this anything more than "this is my
story", which should set the tone and understanding of the writing he's about
to present.

------
chrisBob
Isn't the whole point to provide a hotel like service that is unregulated and
ignores the law? I thought that is what disrupt meant. Why would they follow
this specific law?

------
benbenolson
It sucks that this happened; some people can really be scumbags.

However, I'm really not sure that there is a solution to this. People in
general are racist/biased/sexist/thing-ist, all over the world. Trying to
regulate that fact doesn't make sense (how would you even police that?), but
perhaps confronting her about it could help. If you sent her your blog post,
detailing the steps that you took, she could come around and tell you a more
reasonable explanation, like that her schedule is unstable and she had lots of
other offers.

~~~
abalone
They could police it the same way bloggers are policing it: If Airbnb sees a
suspicious rejection of a person of color, Airbnb themselves could try
rebooking it under a fake white profile. If it gets accepted, ban the host.

They could even automate it with a bot.

~~~
leppr
Except the host could argue that they rejected the guest for some other trait
than color ("looked untrustworthy", etc).

It'd be better to rely on statistics: if a host systematically rejects some
"protected class", THEN you can accuse them of unjust discrimination.

~~~
abalone
Yeah, when I say suspicious rejection I mean probably as part of a pattern.
And maybe you're right, pattens alone might be enough to ban. But with a
"test" like this Airbnb could take action sooner and more definitively.

(Also it should be noted, "looked untrustworthy" can be code for racism.)

------
sdiq
We have a minority South Asian population in my East African country. The
South Asians are relatively wealthier than the other groups living in the
country. However, it is not uncommon for one coming across adverts for houses
to let, sell, and even a job or two, targeting only vegetarians. One of the
jobs wanted only Gujarati speakers. While this is (or should be) illegal, the
same happens quite openly.

~~~
kelukelugames
Hey congrats! Your country is experiencing dogwhistling. In America we use
terms like welfare.

------
xiphias
I would think twice to rent out my apartment to a guy and his friend ever. I'm
a guy but when I see how other (especially unknown) guys treated my flat at a
house party (compared to unknown girls) I decided that I don't want to allow
guys I don't know beforehand. And I would do the same thing with rentals
probably. It's just not worth the risk for that amount of money.

~~~
dudul
So you would discriminate based on sex?

~~~
ArtDev
I do. A group of college guys cannot stay at my house. A group of girls could
if they convinced us that they weren't going to party and trash the place.

When we first started renting it out we did have a bunch of girls throw a
party and there was some damage. They lied about their intention to have a
party.

The neighbor has been mad at us ever since.

Discriminate? Absolutely! No one can force me otherwise.

You have to trust the guest not to trash your house. Its very subjective.
Rejecting someone means I lose money but its worth the risk.

------
millstone
Here is an idea: make it a standard practice for hosts to publish the a "we do
not discriminate" clause in their listing. Maybe even provide a checkbox that
adds that boilerplate.

I'll bet most people prefer to rent from hosts that say they don't
discriminate.

Of course this won't solve the problem, but for hosts like the one our blogger
found, it will at least tug on their conscience.

------
dajohnson89
African American male here, living in a major and supposedly progressive city
(Washington). Just last night, I was trying to hail a cab. I was in a
predominately black and poor neighborhood. Two obviously empty cabs saw me and
kept driving. The third stopped for me, but made me tell him my destination
before letting me in. After I told him, he said, "are you sure?".

Not a huge deal isolated, but this type of minor discrimination really gets
old.

------
lomnakkus
Yet more evidence (as if we needed any) that racism is alive and well. I was
going to try to be all superior by saying "in the US", but it's not really
confined to the US[1]. It happens everywhere where there's any obvious way to
do the whole "us" and "them" thing, whether that's skin color, gender, etc.

We humans can be terrible :(.

[1] Plus, I caught myself doing the exact thing I was lamenting. (Not "racism"
per se, but still "us-vs-them".)

~~~
weberc2
Why is this evidence of racism? It looks like it could equally be anti-male
sexism, no?

~~~
lomnakkus
Are you joking? What's the most obvious explanation here?

~~~
weberc2
Not joking. It's unreasonable to conclude any sort of discrimination based on
a single sample, but if I had to guess a malicious motive, I would pick anti-
young-male sentiment over racism. This is probably not very satisfying if you
came for a witch hunt.

------
soyiuz
I am thinking of a constructive way to solve problems such as these. What do
you think of making public the host's acceptance and rejection rate by race
and gender?

~~~
puppers
Consider if the host is black and the only caucasian people that inquire about
the BnB are _obviously_ hillbillies. Let's say he doesn't have a problem with
caucasian people in general, but really doesn't like hillbillies. Let's say he
promptly rejects them all. His rejection rate will make him look like he
dislikes caucasians.

~~~
tbabb
And why, exactly, should the homeowner's right to make superficial snap
judgments about people be protected? Why does AirBnB have some obligation to
protect his image, which he brings upon himself with his own choices? Why is
his _image_ more important than somebody else's ability to find basic services
like lodging without being judged or excluded based on outward appearance?

~~~
TotallyHuman
So you are saying people don't have a right to choose for themselves who they
want to rent their home to? It isn't illegal being a bigot or religiously
deluded yet.

~~~
tbabb
I am saying that AirBnB has no duty to hide which hosts are racist from its
customers, and, in fact, highlighting the information is a fair way to combat
the problem-- and let customers punish hosts with their business-- without
being authoritarian.

------
Madmallard
The only thing wrong with this is that they knew ahead of time and changed
their plans to cancel instead of cancelling/denying at the start.

It is people sharing their homes they should be able to deny anyone for any
reason. It's not like their house is a public service that everyone needs.

I've used AirBnB several times. If you're there for any appreciable amount of
time that isn't one night, these people will vet you and interview you
beforehand and if they don't like you they will deny it. There is nothing
wrong with that.

Who's to say this guy didn't have an iffy review that he doesn't know about?

------
gizi
For a starters, in any discriminatable situation, I do not show pictures of
myself.

That is indeed one reason on a long list, why I only work online. I simply do
not accept job offers or service contracts in which I would have to disclose
racial information.

Generally, if the counterparty decides to proceed, and then breaks our
contract on impermissible grounds, they will obviously be facing a bill for
the damage, as specified in the T & C of the marketplace in which we execute
the trade. In those cases, we do not discuss. We repossess and confiscate
only.

Fundamentally, I believe that anybody has the right to be as racist as he
wants and towards any race of his own choosing. That is certainly not the
problem.

I only demand that the third party who will be the judge of it, must be color
blind, objective, and impartial. That is one reason on the list of so many,
why I never agree to any part of any state apparatus to be the judge of such
situation.

I am personally not racist. That would be utterly contrary to my fundamental
beliefs. In the Farewell Sermon, delivered after the final double recitation,
as narrated by Ibn Hanbal, you can find my fundamental belief about racism:

Indeed, there is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, nor of a non-Arab
over an Arab, nor of a white over a black, nor a black over a white, except
for his greater obedience to the laws of God and his good works.

------
ArtDev
When I am traveling to a tech conference as a solo (white) dude, I expect that
it is tough to find a place to stay on Airbnb.

If someone rejects me, no big deal. Sexist? Probably but I understand. It just
means I need to either: a) try harder to look trustworthy b) just stay at a
hotel c) stay at an airbnb with guaranteed booking

------
tangled_zans
I'm surprised by people saying "well how could AirBNB end racism?!"

It's not like they have access to all the data from who the hosts accept and
reject and the profile pictures of each.

------
hemantv
I always find using hotels.com or booking.com works better than AirBnB just
too much hassle and back and forth, unless I really want to save that extra
$10 motel will do just fine.

------
alistairSH
I wonder if booking "Super Hosts" helps avoid the problem? Obviously not a
full solution (they tend to be clustered in urban areas), but these hosts seem
to be "pros" (often multiple listings, etc) and may be less likely to reject
guests.

This also assume you're looking for a full house/flat, not a room, but I think
that's probably the majority use for AirBnB these days.

------
serge2k
This may be a bit controversial, but I read this then I go back and look at
his picture and I can't help but think...

... his beard looks pretty decent. You want spotty you should see mine.

Dude wants to pay me a 1000+ dollars to stay at my AirBnb I'm probably gonna
be okay with it.

------
arjn
Brown man here, 40 years old. I've used AirBnB extensively in the last year or
two and have never faced a problem like this (or at least i'm pretty sure I've
not).

------
dawhizkid
I don't think Uber shows the rider's photo on the driver's phone (from what
I've seen it's only my name) - perhaps for this very reason?

------
ksou32
This is why I just book hotels.

Uber on the other hand may actually reduce profiling . You don't have the fear
of a driver ripping you off

------
kisstheblade
Any experiences where the landlord is black? Do they have any preferences as
to who they want to use their home?

------
fiatmoney
Should a woman living alone be free to refuse to rent her spare bedroom to
men?

~~~
dragonwriter
Renting a spare room when the owner is present is a different thing that
renting the entire unit when the owner is not present.

~~~
fiatmoney
Yes, those are different words. Could you explain the legal principle, if
there is one, that allows discrimination under one circumstance but not the
other?

~~~
w4
> _Could you explain the legal principle, if there is one, that allows
> discrimination under one circumstance but not the other?_

In case you're not being obtuse, the Fair Housing Act:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Housing_Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Housing_Act)

It applies to rentals of full properties, but not to roommates or (some) owner
occupied properties.

~~~
fiatmoney
That's legislation, not a principle. If I ask "why is mortgage interest
deductible", the principle is "because it encourages homeownership" \- not the
1986 Tax Reform Act.

~~~
w4
> _That 's legislation, not a principle. If I ask "why is mortgage interest
> deductible", the principle is "because it encourages homeownership" \- not
> the 1986 Tax Reform Act._

Intentionally obtuse it is!

The reason it's permissible is because the exception is permitted under the
Act. It's not predicated on some vague legal principal (nor, for that matter,
is your example - that's a policy reason, not a legal one).

If you want the _policy_ justification for permitting discrimination in one
case but not the other, it's exactly what you outline above: there is a
significant difference between renting out a portion of your own home, and
renting a property exclusively for business purposes (i.e. real estate
investment):
[https://fairhousing.foxrothschild.com/2010/06/articles/fha-b...](https://fairhousing.foxrothschild.com/2010/06/articles/fha-
basics/the-mrs-murphy-exemption-to-the-fair-housing-act/)

~~~
fiatmoney
Yeah, that "significant difference" is what I'm interested in. There seems to
be some underlying principle that we'll ask you to put your property & other
tenants' lives at risk in the service of Ending Discrimination, but not your
own, as long as you're "Mrs Murphy"ing it and your house doesn't have more
than 4 rooms, after which point you can afford to hire a super to deal with
the people the law previously allowed you to exclude.

Is that an accurate assessment of the logic, or is there a more charitable
explanation?

~~~
w4
The idea is that you get to choose your immediate neighbors (on any basis
_other_ than race, because race is always protected) if they share the same
house with you. When you're running a business the tenants aren't your
immediate neighbors, so you don't get to choose them based on certain
protected criteria. You can only choose them based on their ability to pay,
for instance, or any other criteria not deemed to be socially harmful.

> _There seems to be some underlying principle that we 'll ask you to put your
> property & other tenants' lives at risk in the service of Ending
> Discrimination, but not your own_

Seriously? If you think that renting to minorities or other protected classes
means "putting your property & other tenants' lives at risk," then I just
don't know what to tell you here.

------
interesting_att
If the hotel industry ever got its act together, they could really use this
for a great marketing push.

Advertise the fact that AirBnB lets racial discrimination go unabated, unlike
the hotel industry which is regulated for this. Younger, more liberal minded
individuals will be less likely to use AirBnBs.

~~~
ArtDev
The sharing economy is based on trust. Unfortunately there is some cultural
baggage around this, but it is no fault of Airbnb. I reserve the right to
discriminate who can stay at my house. Similarly, when I am traveling as a
solo (white) dude, I expect that it is tough to find a place to stay on
Airbnb.

If someone rejects me, no big deal. Sexist? Probably but I understand.

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fiatmoney
Why should anyone care who a third party rents his vacation cabin to?

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googletazer
As long as resource scarcity exists racism/*-isms are inevitable. Its the
simplest strategy human mind can conjure - divide and conquer, divide up some
resources with members of my group, and use them.

Extremely cheap energy (fusion power maybe?) might solve it for good by
alleviating survival worries in the human psyche, no amount of regulation or
rules can.

Edit: resource scarcity from the perspective of the human psyche, which
affects worries about survival. The unconscious worries about there not being
enough stuff, so that you might as well divide it up with your group.

~~~
monochromatic
What? Resource scarcity should _discourage_ things like this by encouraging
people to maximize profits. If I only rent my house to whites, it limits my
market. My neighbor who's willing to rent to anybody is more likely to be able
to get bookings and more likely to get more money.

~~~
api
That would be a rational response. The psychology here is not rational and is
based on evolution under conditions where small tribes competed for scarce
resources over a wide area.

Scarcity -> Identify a vulnerable out group -> Attack out group and steal
their hunting grounds

Our brain stems don't know what millennium they are in.

