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?
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.
