Airbnb hosts are moaning about coronavirus costing them money but no one is sympathetic

Now is not a good time to be an Airbnb host.

Thanks to widespread lockdowns, flights are grounded and travel plans are out the window.

Airbnb is also (thankfully) offering guests full refunds for bookings they’ve been forced to cancel because of the pandemic.

But some Airbnb hosts are angry because they say the company aren’t covering their costs… like mortgage payments.

Sigh.

People are sharing stories and posts online from purported Airbnb hosts who say that coronavirus has tanked their property “portfolio”.

Some reportedly have ‘10+’ mortgages.

Which has led some to question the business acumen – and ethics – of buying properties people can’t afford and relying on others to pay the bills.

There’s also cases of Airbnb "hosts" who have rented multiple properties as tenants, then illegally ‘sub-rented’ them out to guests on the app.

Now, with no bookings, they can’t pay their rent.

They’re getting very little sympathy.

Apparently, banking your income on hoarding property for the purpose of short-term rentals when there’s a housing crisis does not do you any favours.

Meanwhile, the eagle-eyed have noticed that in cities across the world, dozens of new – and affordable – properties have suddenly become available for long-term rent.

It’s happened in Dublin (where the housing crisis is at a peak)...

… in tourism-heavy cities across America…

...in Scotland (where the Airbnb market has completely “collapsed”, reports The Times).

… and in London.

All this seems to suggest that, despite denials from Airbnb itself and "hosts", the system has been severely impacting the availability of affordable housing in big cities across the world.

Naturally, this has led to calls for stricter regulation.

And there’s warnings that the potential collapse of the Airbnb market might have serious knock on effects.

Scientist Shane Morris explained on Twitter how Airbnb "hosts" – who are essentially landlords playing at the hotel business – have been encouraged to buy up many properties in a volatile market, without any strict regulations… or protections.

On the plus side, it’s now very hard for authorities to deny the impact Airbnb has on rental markets.

So: watch this space, because absolutely everything is up in the air. Great.