How was this all done before AirBnB?  I remember my father got us a beach cottage a few times for summer vacation back in the 70’s.  Did this really need a tech solution?

Mike

I don’t use Airbnb because my wife and I prefer to stay at a proper B&B or hotel. I have mostly used Booking.com and have noticed that there are an increasing number of Airbnb type lets being offered on that site which is very easy to use with a range of room and payment options always displayed. The accommodation prices are often lower than calling the property and booking direct.

BTW, I have encountered other sites that don’t let you enter your DOB directly making you click back many times. Is there a way round this inconvenience or is it done to keep the bots at bay?

The point you make early on, about not being told at the start what documents you will need find if not forward, is not confined to AirBnB.

A lot of commercial web-sites do that, leading through the twaddle and rigmarole then sending you off round the house to find documents you would not expect to need cite. It’s common in a lot of company telephone transactions too.

Duncan –

The real residents would probably welcome your suggestion of local homes that must not be used as holiday lets or sold on as second-homes. The NIMBY’s are most likely the second-home shower with their own “County” magazine ideas of what a rural or seaside village should be. However, you can build all you like but local young people will still move away if there there is no work available in their home area – and by work I mean worthwhile employment that gives them a chance of saving towards a home, not serving in twee-ified gastro-pubs, cleaning camp-site khazis or stewarding pedalo-hire for 12/6 an hour in the Summer.

Best stop there lest I awake the “P-word” dragons….