Latest Business News
Airbnb took over the world
Rowan Hughes stayed in Airbnb
accommodation on holidays for several years before she decided to make
some extra cash from her own home in south-east London. When
refurbishing the property, she created a room with an en-suite bathroom
and its own front door, listing it on the accommodation sharing platform
at the start of this year.
Hughes, 37, considered getting a lodger, but using Airbnb offered the
flexibility to reclaim the room when her own friends and family came to
stay. So far, she has mainly attracted business travellers, who prefer
her homely atmosphere and £50-a-night charge to nearby chain hotels
where soulless rooms cost significantly more.
“I make it clear on the listing that it’s a family home, so guests know
what to expect,” she said. “It’s still early days but it has been great.
It brings in some extra cash for holidays or things for the children,
and it’s a competitive price for my visitors. It works for everyone, and
I don’t want to be greedy.”
Whatever the authorities try to do to regulate the market, as long as
demand and profits remain this high, it doesn’t look as though the game
of cat and mouse between them and Airbnb is about to end.
