Are AIR BNBs OK to use for short term rentals?

First, mea culpa...  AirBNB is how I made the transition from South Jersey to Manhattan while looking for work. 

It was a great experience, not without a few stories to tell. 

The catch is that many AirBNBs in NYC are illegal.  For one, home rentals of less than 30 days are not permissible unless the owner is present.   In addition, NYC is in the middle of a crackdown that AirBNB in its defense has described as draconian and the City argues is necessary. 

Until recently, there was a general "everyone does it", "no one cares" and "the chances of getting caught are very low" attitude.  On the other hand, it was still worth considering hat you may be renting from people who are running illegal businesses in flagrant violation of their own leases and to the annoyance of their own neighbors.  The problem is that many of the hosts don't even live in the apartments and are neighbors with in and out backpackers who are arbitrarily being provided with the  keys and codes to the building.   (We had a problem with a suspected neighbor hosting in and out tenants, and even had one of the person's drunken guests banging on our window during the wee hours of the morning.

The situation gets even worse in the case of illegal "dorm" conversions. I once stayed at a  place where my bedroom consisted of a bed surrounded by a curtain in a dimly lit living room, and there was even a guest crashed out on the sofa.  (Needless to say, the place smelled like weed.)   To make things wore, I had no way of knowing what I was getting into until after I arrived. 

Then there are the ones whose hosts live in the apartment and decide to take on tenants, but don't want the neighborhoods to know  These are the ones that make you realize you're getting into something by sending you detailed streams of texts on how to access the property when you arrive.  It is very clear that they are pleading with you not to be auspicious and they expect you to do your part by doing things, for example by not letting people see you enter the building with lots of luggage.

But to be clear, not all AirBNBs are illegal, and some can offer wonderful experiences. 

Consider some of the advantages...

• They offer hassle free booking
• Unlike "message board" listings, you don't have to worry about sending money to a total stranger
• You can put them on your credit card
• You can cancel (with a small penalty) once you find a better place to live
• They can be way cheaper than a hotel or signing an actually lease
• Customer service is pretty good 

Then again, there are some downsides too...

• They often look cheap when you see the daily rate, but then you find lot's of added on fees when you go to check out
• You sometimes have to navigate between different AirBNBs for longer stays and there's no guarantee that housing will be available at a similar rate if you suddenly need to extend your stay (especially if you landed a great deal)
• Screening an AIR BNB can be very difficult.   You communicate with the host online, and show up only to discover that the place consists of nothing more than a lock box and a bunch of security cameras

In the end, my advice is simple:   Weigh the options.  This includes asking licensed real estate agents such as myself what's on the market.  

• Anything short term?  
• Anything furnished?  
• Anything fit for your specific situation?  

How do the fees compare?

As you do this remember:   Never give information or wire money to a person that you have never meant before.   (Read more about Real Estate Wire Scams here.) 

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