Airbnb Case Study

On the 1st of May 2016, German city of Berlin has started to enforce a new law ---Zweckentfremdungsverbot. This law prohibits improper use of private property on short term renting platform for example Airbnb. According to Ken Tong, 48, a host on Airbnb, this law “ only ban the host from renting a whole unit instead of rooms.” because people of Berlin are suffering from limited supply of rental property. Even though Airbnb have users from more than 34,000 cities and 190 countries, many cities for example Barcelona, London, San Francisco or the New York City has similar regulations and restrictions.

Airbnb is a fairly new concept and it’s still not as popular in Malaysia yet compare to it’s popularity overseas. Calvin Tan, 28, staff of
There aren’t as many Airbnb hosts in Malaysia yet. Therefore, Tong says he do not think the law that Berlin and some other cities had enforced should be imposed in Malaysia, because “unlike Berlin,we (Malaysia) have sufficient place for our citizens and hosting is not as common in Malaysia yet. ”

Compare hotels with Airbnb, the latter are often cheaper than hotels therefore this is a very ideal alternative especially for backpackers or budget-minded tourists. Airbnb is also very user-friendly. Moreover, the experience of staying in an Airbnb is different compare to what a hotel can provide, tourists get an opportunity to live in a neighbourhood like a local and are able to make friends with the neighbours and also the host who lives together.

Also, hosts are mostly locals, which is why they can offer useful suggestions. Choong Zi Cheng, 29, a frequent Airbnb user shares, “All my stay in Airbnb are quite pleasant to be honest. Those hosts are really kind and friendly. They are also very helpful. Because I travel on my own, the hosts will help me with transportation and give me suggestions on where I can
Tong says he manages to earn “About RM 590-650 per week, in Petaling Jaya area.” Other than making money, hosts are able to meet people from around the world via this platform.

Tong shares his experiences, “I was quite afraid when I first started doing it but now, I get excited and look forward to my guest.” He adds, “At first it was quite awkward to live with strangers under the same roof but things got better and I’m used to having people living with me now. Living with different people makes me feel like I’m travelling myself. Airbnb brings the world closer to me. Meeting people I would probably never met otherwise.” Inevitably, there are quite a handful of shortcomings too. There is actually no real supervision on Airbnb, more and more offerings from commercial hostels are also listing on Airbnb. Sometimes if you visit these hostel’s official website it’s cheaper than the listing on Airbnb as no booking charges are