Airbnb evolution and 2020 trends

Writer: Stuart Cohen CabinCare Property Management & Project Specialists

Many homeowners who rent out their properties are unaware of how this concept of ‘home-sharing’ came about, and the impact it has had on the entire tourism and accommodation industry. In the early years, home-sharing did not enjoy a good reputation as it was a very hit-and-miss operation where the properties left a lot to be desired, yet were usually cheap and convenient.

In the mid-2000s, when the first company (HomeAway) went online with its rental business, homeowners could advertise their properties through classified ads. While this was the first ‘marketplace’ for rental properties, it also came with several problems. Guests had to make bookings directly with hosts and when multiple platforms were used, calendars weren’t up-to-date and hosts often didn’t respond to requests.

In 2008, when Booking.com became the first online travel agency to integrate vacation rentals, properties often only contained the bare necessities with no kitchenware or other amenities. Some processes were still manual and a lack of end-to-end automation made the entire process complex and open to all kinds of misrepresentation.

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