By Wayne Sinclair
I am 67, retired and can say I am so delighted that AirBnB has taken my life from existence to being somewhat comfortable financially.
I started with the organization three years ago and not only has it helped me better afford to put food on my table, but it has also opened my eyes to the common humanity from guests I receive from every corner of the globe.
Airbnb is by far not the best way to make a buck; it’s hard work for those of us who welcome visitors from far and wide into our homes. Airbnb holds us to a very high standard of quality accommodations for our guests, and that means the big spring cleaning job almost daily. Our homes must be near spotless and in as close to immaculate order as possible and that is no small task.
I get asked all the time, “is all this work worth it,” my reply, of course, is yes, but not for the money, although that is great, but for the experience. Hosting a AirBnB is like no other vocation, you are foremost an ambassador, a spokesperson, a representative for Muskoka, the town, the businesses, the tourist attractions, the history. The AirBnB host is a special breed of individuals who can tolerate strangers living with them, under their roof and in my case sitting them down at their table for breakfast daily. Very few people would even considerate it even they could ‘get rich’ doing it. You have to love people, be extremely tolerant, adore housework, be able to take criticism, and be available 24 hours a day for your guests. Not so simple is it?
It is imperative that AirBnB hosts not be vilified as interrupters of the peace; bad guys who are in it for the buck, sucking up every available rental space they can get their hands on. These accusations are on the whole not true and damaging to those of us who provide a very personal, unique overnight experience for tourists. We are promoters of Muskoka in the hope that they will come back again one day to support not just me but all the businesses and tourist attractions I recommended by word of mouth or in the pamphlets I pass out to them. No hotel, motel or resort can give the level of personal attention that we give our guests.
We are not just proud of what we are doing; we are proud of Muskoka and all it offers. We are proud of the fact that guest come from China to see our colours in the fall and proud that the Swedes and Germans come to explore the forest of Algonquin Park and very proud to hear them say that this is a great place and a great Country.
Maybe it is time to not hate on AirBnB hosts but time to thank them for what they do for the economic health of Muskoka. Thank them for the great ambassadors they are and how hard they work to welcome strangers into their homes to represent how great the people of Muskoka are. When they go home to Toronto or Hong Kong, they are going to reflect on how their host treated them, how happy they were to make them comfortable in a strange place and tell them about all the great things they saw and did. Our position in the community is an important one, and we take it seriously.
When it comes to the rotten eggs, there is no one who wants them dealt with more than hosts. The tiny percentage of hosts who are in it for nothing more than financial gain at any cost, need to be dealt with as they are at the root of all the issues.
Does the industry need to be regulated, yes? I believe it does, and the public needs to be protected. How can we regulate is a very complicated question and requires input from all concerned but especially from Airbnb and their counterparts.
I hope at the end of the day, I will be able to do what I do; make my guests happy and promote Muskoka in my peaceful unobtrusive way.
The Town of Huntsville is looking for feedback regarding proposed legislation for private, short-term vacation rentals in Huntsville. Learn how you can be involved by clicking here.
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Thankyou for the article articulating the background and situation many of us find ourselves in in retirement and the reasons why hosting guests in our home on a short term basis is such a worthwhile thing to do, at little risk , to the rest of the community. We rent out our entire home during the summer when we are away at our cabin. We are not on site, but not too far away should something happen. But in 2 years, and approx 40 visits, we have never had one incident that would cause a complaint. Our home has been left in immaculate condition by every set of guests.. yes, every single one. We generally have 2 couples, never more than 4 or 5 people, quite often an extended family. Perhaps the size of the rental has an influence on the potential for noise and other problems that we hear about ? I too would like to know how many complaints there have been, and about how many units , and the size of these units ? It’s unfair to judge all Short Term Rentals because of a few that have had problems.
I would like to thank everyone who is supporting the continuation of Airbnb rentals. The bylaw states ” to maintain Huntsvilles long term rental stock people will not be allowed to rent out a secondary unit in their home”. However, people who can afford to buy a cottage and rent that out on air bnb to pay their mortgage will still be allowed to do that just by paying a fee to the town. I have a secondary unit in my home on the main floor that I rent out on Airbnb in the good weather months. It is not set up for a full time rental i.e. no stove or full kitchen. I need access through the unit to enter my laundry room when guests are not there and also to use the main floor door in the winter as the stairs from my upstairs suite can be treacherous when snow covered. Again, I cannot rent out full time. Why am I being penalized while trying to earn extra money to help maintain my home and as a full time resident of Huntsville? There are many people in my same situation. I hope the bylaw will be changed to allow secondary unit rentals. If not, a lot of people will be hurting financially and the wealthy who can afford a Muskoka cottage will still be allowed the extra income from their Airbnb rental.
As a retired person I have used Airbnb extensively for my travels for the past 7 years and have met wonderful hosts in many countries. As I look for a room in a family home I am meeting hosts like Mr Sinclair and I applaud the service they provide. I could not afford hotels for a trip of several months and I appreciate the personal touch of being in a home. I have just posted a link to this article on my Facebook page.
As a fellow Airbnb host I would like to thank Mr Sinclair for his well written article.
We too are in favour of regulation; however, I would also like to point out that there is a huge difference between a ‘room sharing’ scenario and a true short term rental. In a room sharing situation the home owner is almost always present when the guests stay, thereby minimizing the potential for damage and / or abuse of any kind.
In a typical short term rental arrangement the host is seldom on site. The insurance industry certainly recognizes the difference when assessing rates for liability coverage. I hope that the town will also recognize this difference.
Room sharing is often done by the elderly and most vulnerable in our community and allows them to better cope with the ever increasing cost of living. It’s not easy work and requires a special person to be successful. It is seldom done for the purpose of generating a profit.
I too am an airbnb host, 70 years of age, and have been enjoying doing this for 4 years. I agree 100% with Wayne’s article. Money wise, for our efforts, we probably make about $10. an hour, but as Wayne said, the experiences are priceless. I am curious just how many complaints are actually documented annually compared to the number of bnb stays. Is this just a case of the squeaky wheel getting the grease or is there an actual problem? These listings that are causing problems will probably be phased out by airbnb themselves. These listings will just move to another site to rent their summer properties and leave Airbnb with a bad name. I would like to continue to do this but if the new rules are to hard financially we will bow out.
Thank you Mr. Sinclair, a very good and informative letter on Airbnb. There are always a few bad apples who spoil things, but I think on the whole it is good for the community. Some people prefer staying in a home as opposed to a hotel. It is well regulated by Airbnb, and it is a good way to meet people, but also hard work for the host. These guests use the restaurants and shop in the stores so they do help the community. So there are two sides to every story.
Thank you, Mr. Sinclair, for your personal insight on a highly vilified industry at this time. Even if you were not involved with Airb’n’b, not one scintilla of rental accommodation would be made available. I imagine that is usually the situation: The lack of affordable rental housing should probably be more fairly laid at the feet of the developers, who are asking for near-city rents in a small town. It is, perhaps, a Toronto problem, which has found its way into central Ontario without any study or justification.