Member-only story

The 5 Biggest Issues With Airbnb After Over 8 Years and 40 Stays Worldwide

I love Airbnb—really!—but there’s room for improvement.

Anthony J. Yeung
6 min readMay 19, 2022
Photo by alex avendano on Unsplash

First and foremost, I'll start by saying I really enjoy Airbnb.

I’ve found so many wonderful stays and made friendships with many incredible hosts—and I’ll always savor those memories.

To me, that’s what Airbnb is all about.

But as with all things, it's not without its faults and drawbacks.

So my goal with this article isn't just to rant: It's to share my honest thoughts and feedback on how to make it a better place for both the host and the guests so we can have more great experiences—and fewer bad ones.

(So don’t ban me, please.)

The Rating System Is Inflated

The rating system on Airbnb makes 1920s hyperinflation in Germany look like nothing.

The absolute lowest—lowest!—rating you'll see in any Airbnb in any city is usually a 4.6 (out of 5.0). But how is that possible?

Even the Ritz Carlton doesn't always get a 4.6 rating on Google reviews.

Yet this sort of hyperinflation makes it hard as a guest to accurately sort through Airbnbs.

--

--

Anthony J. Yeung
Anthony J. Yeung

Written by Anthony J. Yeung

Seen in Esquire, GQ, & Men's Health. Founder. Full-time traveler (4.5 years & counting). Upgrade your life w/ my 5 life hacks→ https://bit.ly/2IDx15y

Responses (6)