AirBNB is the world's largest home sharing platform, transforming the accommodation experience in cities around the world. I've been a host for two years, with over 100 people passing through my front door. Here's a few things I've learned, and why I think it's incredible.
People Are Fascinating
I host because people are endlessly fascinating. Through our doors we've had young couples, old solo adventurers, doctors, lawyers, artists, technologists, actors, photographers, and parents-to-be; from every corner of the world.
Germans book way in advance, fitting their classic cultural stereotype. But interestingly, so do Americans... who would have thought. Singaporean and Chinese guests are unfailingly quiet and polite, but damn do they use a lot of toilet paper. Brits are reliably jovial (the ones that travel anyway... I guess they didn't vote for Brexit) and Canadians are just like us.
Cliches aside, it's the individuals who stick. We had an amazing guest, Sylvia, a 65 year old Italian history Professor. Each evening we would drink Chardonnay and she'd talk a mile a minute in her incredible accent about Communism, radical politics, and big ideas. Then, all of a sudden, she'd stop and lean in - "Darling, I'm boring you. I go for a cigarette now". She certainly wasn't boring, but her passion (conversation) and her vice were so intertwined, she just had to. So she'd stand outside looking at the sky, puffing away, like the best mad aunt you've never had.
Getting paid to host is nice, and the money earned covers my insurance, rates and upkeep every year. But I don't host mainly for that reason. In fact, people are so much the reason I host that we've actually put our room price down. With SuperHost status and more than 50 5-star reviews, we could charge way more more than we do. But we tried that, and found that younger travellers, solo travellers and a whole lot of interesting world adventurers weren't booking us anymore. So we put it back down. Hei tangata, Hei tangata, Hei tangata...
Sharing is Efficient Use of Resources
The second reason I host. I have a spare room that I like to keep as a spare, so friends and family can come to stay. But having a sweet room in an inner city house empty 90% of the time is like buying a boat and never sailing it - wasteful. And yet thousands upon thousands of people have rooms that fit this bill in Auckland. We're only just going through the transition to a medium density city, and while we do, baby boomers and X-ers alike live in giant family homes with empty rooms everywhere. Many, many, many articles have been written about the economic impacts of the sharing economy. Regardless of your politics, I think we can all agree that using something that sits empty most days, to assist the enjoyment and life plans of another human... well, that's a pretty darn cool thing.
You Learn Funny Things From Your Guests
One guest from Hong Kong left my shower door open just a crack every day. I wondered why she was doing it... until noticing that the shower dried out in no time flat, keeping it cleaner for longer. Laugh if you will, but I'd never known! Then there are the recipes left, the advice about travelling to their home countries, the interesting perspectives on life... so much to learn.
Seeing NZ From A Guests Perspective is Awesome
Guests make me love my country (and city) all over again. I love Auckland anyway, but it's something extra special map out an evening for someone with just one night... knowing they'll be seeing it all with fresh eyes. Sharing the magic places of this city (and country) makes me appreciate our incredible luck, all over again.
You Should Try It
If you like people, and you have a spare room in the city, give AirBNB hosting a go. To make things easy first up, start with a few guests who're culturally similar, and who have three or more AirBNB reviews. They'll know the score, and help you out! You can broaden your range from there.
Hosting doesn't have to be a big commitment. I'm always surprised by how much guests respect your space if you say you're just having a quiet night and retreat. In fact, they'll often make an effort to go out. But it does still take some work. A warm greeting at the start goes a long way, so store up a little energy for that. And if you're sharing a bathroom... then stash a spare toothbrush somewhere so you don't get stuck before work!
FINALLY
AirBNB has changed a bit in the few years I've been hosting. It's now a bit more mainstream, and that means a broader range of people from more and different places. But it remains the place where interesting, individual people choose to find their place to stay... and I love to share Auckland with them.