Sometimes we need to travel for business or pleasure, and we need to do it in a way that isn’t going to cost us a small fortune. Many people love spending their hard-earned money to stay in luxury resorts, but for some of us, we’d be much happier if we had more affordable options.

That’s where Airbnb comes into the picture. This wonderful company was originally founded in 2008, in which they created a rock-solid global travel community helping people find the perfect places to stay outside of expensive luxury hotels.

The cool thing about the service is it’s beneficial to people looking for travel accommodations, and it’s also perfect for those looking to rent out their home, a room in their home, or sublet their apartment for an extended period of time. As long as you’re willing to rent space to fellow travelers, you’re more than welcome to post your lodging opportunity on the Airbnb website, which is pretty amazing because it was difficult to rent rooms to wayward travelers in the past, but the Internet and the latest technology makes it easier than ever.

What’s so Special about Airbnb?

Besides all of the great things we’ve already mentioned, many people like renting rooms and houses from people on this website for a wide variety of reasons. Some people prefer to stay in a home while traveling, and that’s exactly what they get to do when renting from someone offering their space on the site.

But it goes much deeper than that. You can find all sorts of interesting things on this site like renting castles, villas, apartments, houses, condos, and so much more. And since this website reaches 191 countries, you can pretty much find a place to rest your head at night in just about anywhere in the entire world.

The other unique thing about the Airbnb experience is you’ll get the opportunity to immerse yourself in different cultures. You’ll be able to experience how it is to live in certain countries by being immersed in the heart of the local community. Many locals will run interesting handcrafted activities and create other unique experiences for all those who visit their community because they want you to come back for more.

Not only can you find a place to lay your head at night onAirbnb, you’ll also get connected with Resy, which will help you find some of the best local restaurants in many countries throughout the globe. So if you want to have the best eating experience possible, you’ll also find that and so much more on this site. And since the website is so easy to use, you can use it on your desktop computer or as an app on your phone or tablet, and you’ll have no trouble understanding it simple yet beautiful design.

When Is the Best Time to Consider Using Airbnb?

Some of you might not know exactly when it’s best to start usingAirbnb. You may not realize the best situations to make the most of the rooms to lease or rent on this site. As you can probably imagine, some situations are going to be much better than others. To help you make the most of this excellent service, we feel the following situations are best to get the most out ofAirbnb. They include:

  • When you’re trying to accommodate a large group – if you have a large group and you all want to stay in the same location, it might be best to choose from houses all located in the same vicinity. Or you can work directly with rental companies that offer their rooms and apartments through this service. By approaching accommodating a large group this way, you’ll have a much better chance at getting a good deal and finding enough space to fully accommodate your large party. This is definitely an excellent option to have if you’re trying to find places to stay for 8, 10, 12, or more people for the same event.
  • When you’re going to a city with a popular event or festival taking place – believe it or not, when a popular event or festival is taking place, like the gay pride parade in San Francisco, the St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City, or any other local celebration, it’s often difficult to get a hotel room in the community you plan to stay in. This makes it nearly impossible to visit your destination of choice because not only are the hotels going to be incredibly expensive while the festivities are going on, they are also going to be booked solid in most cases and you’ll find it nearly impossible to get a room at the last minute. In situations like this, it’s definitely good to utilizeAirbnb and all it has to offer since this is another avenue to find an inexpensive place to stay while you enjoy the festivities of your upcoming event. Not only will you potentially pay lesser rates, you’ll also discover that it’s easier to find a place to stay while the celebrations are going on.
  • When you need to stay in a specific neighborhood – some people really appreciate experiencing local customs and the local atmosphere. In cases like this, you’ll want to stay directly in a room located in your favorite neighborhood of choice. By staying directly in the neighborhood that you enjoy, you’ll be able to see all the sites, experience the great restaurants and cafés, and really get to know the local community. When you stay in a hotel, as an example, you only get to experience the resort life taking place in that area. It’s not the same as living in the local community for an extended period of time. You’re only going to get that by renting a room or an apartment through Airbnb. So if you really want to experience a local community in all of its glory, we highly recommend getting a room or an apartment or a house this way.

Is It Safe to Rent or Lease through Airbnb?

Some of you may be considering Airbnb, but fear that it might not be the best option because you aren’t sure if it’s going to be safe. You wonder if you’re going to end up renting space from some type of crazy person who might want to hack you to little pieces while you sleep! Obviously, the company goes to great lengths in order to keep their customers safe, sound, and secure whenever they rent from one of the travel accommodation providers posting listings on their site.

To help put your mind at ease, here are a few things to learn about theAirbnb verification process from both sides of equation – meaning the hosts and guests.

The levels of security you get to experience from the Airbnb website include the following:

  • All hosts are required to provideAirbnb personal identification in the form of a scanned picture ID. They are not allowed to offer travel accommodations on this site until their identity has been verified.
  • All hosts are also required to provide phone verification as well.Airbnb will verify their phone number to ensure they are a legit travel accommodations provider, so you will not have to worry about getting scammed by some unscrupulous online con artist.
  • All guests are also required to provide personal identification in the form of a picture ID that gets scanned and sent digitally to Airbnb. By providing picture ID, the company is able to verify that the person renting the room or apartment is exactly who they say they are, and they’ll have all of their personal information on file in the event that something negative were ever to happen.
  • All guests also have to provide phone verification to qualify to rent travel accommodations on this website. The phone verification is an added measure that provides hosts the ability to contact their guests in case they need them for any reason.
  • Guests are allowed to contact the customer service staff atAirbnb 24/7. So if you ever have any question or concern about this service, you can immediately contact customer service and either chat online, get your questions answered via email, or talk to somebody on the phone. It’s up to you how you decide to contact customer service to have your questions and concerns answered to the best of their ability.
  • Hosts do not have to worry about their guests trashing their residence and getting away with it. While it’s certainly in your best interest to try and sue someone if they ruin your place, you are also backed by $1 million worth of damages that’s covered by Airbnb.
  • Airbnb handles all of the payments. So you never have to worry about getting stiffed by a guest or a host. If something goes wrong during the transaction process, you’ll immediately get a refund from Airbnb.

Conclusion

As you can see, it’s definitely worth it to consider renting a room or apartment throughAirbnb in many circumstances. It’s cheaper than your average hotel accommodation, it’s easier to rent a room when festivities are happening, and it’s a great way to spend time in a local community. We highly recommend it.

About 

Tim Schmidt is an Entrepreneur who helps companies grow their online business. A firm believer in creating great content, he founded AllWorld.com to empower world travelers. You can also find his work published at the Huffington Post, Social Media Today, and many other online journals. His latest claim to fame is having his footage of feeding giant crocodiles in Costa Rica featured on Animal Planet. Visit his official site to learn more about him.