Self-regulation can address issues that arise in the digital economy, says Airbnb

AirBNB is _NOT_ a new market

Sorry, that is a market which has been around for 30000 years ever since some Neanderthals rented out a spare tunnel in their cave to a passing Cro-magnon family by advertising the empty cave via the shaman on the local market.

It is regulated for bloody good reasons (unfortunately in the UK it is not regulated enough):

1. So that the punters are not fleeced and wake up alive the next day. I love the smell of malfunctioning boiler early in the morning. Or maybe not (if I am dead).

2. So that the person renting it does not come to find the property demolished by a 1000+ drunken and stoned illegal New Year rave and has some legal recourse and insurance if this happens.

So I am totally behind AirBNB on this one. All the way. With a 9 inch blade. Which they deserve.

A new generation of robber barons

> "The existing 'rent-a-room relief' is already available to people who share spare rooms in their primary home. Extending this relief to the sharing of an entire home (i.e. a main residential property) would simplify the tax affairs of many thousands of hosts."

Tax relief for landlords? That'll help sort out the problems in the UK property market.

So they don't want any new legislation but they'd very much like to have existing legislation tweeked for their benefit?

AirBnB and trust?

"trust is the essential currency of the collaborative economy"

Certainly true, but hearing this from an outfit like AirBnB whose customer service is non-existent and who is not able or willing to clear up its own listings (I know, I've tried more than once but have now completely given up on the company and its offerings) is particularly irritating.

whiny hipsters plead for special treatment

strange how their desire to 'share', doesn't involve sharing the legitimate regulation, oversight and taxation of the old-fashioned businesses they compete with

whilst they're not perfect, i've never experienced surprise bum-rape or imprisonment by the people of slh, hilton, ihg, marriott, sheraton etc., not sure the same can be said of some airbnb customers

Yeah, right...

Self regulation can be a "more effective way" of addressing issues that arise in online markets than passing new legislation, Airbnb has said.

In other news: Hen-house security outsourced to foxes, farmer "surprised" at sight of blood and feathers.

This is bound to work. After all, letting the Banks self-regulate didn't do any harm did it.........

Self-regulation translated from BS to plain English

is "we're making tons of money don't bother us right now, we'll get back to you when we'll need you".

Who is the dumb head

who thinks Airbnb has something to do with digital economy ? According to this criteria even my plain old utility provider is in the digital economy because it allows me to deal with them via the Internet.

Let's not be silly, shall we ?

If your "self regulation" is effective, then you have nothing to fear from the "do something brigade".

Self regulation: dumping a ton of candy in front of a three year old kid and telling them to make it last until they are twenty.

There seems to be one area where self regulation actually works

...and that's ransom ware. They do have very good customer service so you do get your data back when you pay.

Whether or not we actually want to have that particular business model is a different question. Unfortunately we do have to little regulation in that regard, that's why, for example, companies making DRM are still legal.

Sharing economy?

If I do a house swap with you and we organise it ourselves, that's the sharing economy. If I lend you my drill and in return you lend me your lawnmower, that's the sharing economy. AirBnB is, you know, a business and if left to it's own devices it will end up like Ebay and you WILL be screwed sooner or later.