Airbnb homes trading on their celebrity connections as TripAdvisor moves into home rental market
WANT to doss down where Denzel Washington, Jimi Hendrix or other big-name stars slept? An increasing number of Airbnb homes are trading on their celebrity connections.
NOT too many celebrities have a need to earn extra cash from listing properties on Airbnb but some places are marketed on the basis “a famous person once lived here”.
A three bedroom home in Malibu with 180 degree ocean views may have the best celebrity pedigree, having housed Denzel Washington, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and actor Jan Michael Vincent.
Currently listed for $682 a night, the property sleeps up to eight adults and is shamelessly marketed as a “celebrity house”.
In Accord to the north of New York City, is the Rubber House that Oscar winning actor Julie Andrews once called home.
Renting for $696 a night, the eye-catching building features a dance studio, two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
Bargain hunters may prefer the former home of Hollywood starlet Ava Gardner, which rents for just $118 a night in Burbank, Los Angeles.
Mickey Rooney’s former house in Malibu is also reasonably priced at $306 a night — for two bedrooms and curiously, four dining rooms.\
An “adorable garden gingerbread house” in Makawao, Hawaii, claims to have housed Jimi Hendrix during the 1970s while he filmed Rainbow Bridge. It now rents on Airbnb for $230 a night.
In London, the former apartment of legendary English author Charles Dickens may appeal at $368 a night. Described as “light and lofty” the one bedroom apartment can accommodate four people and had rave reviews from guests.
Closer to home, Milton Surf and Stables on the New South Wales South Coast, is a guesthouse designed by acclaimed fashion designer Collette Dinnigan.
Renting for $520 a night on Airbnb, the former horse stables has four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a pizza oven.
US visitors can live like Bing Crosby at the crooner’s former hacienda in Palm Springs.
The four bedroom, four bathroom home rents for $940 a night, and features seating for 30 around the sparkling pool.
Perhaps the most dubious “claim to fame” is a two-bedroom apartment on New York City’s Upper East Side, that was “thought to have once been the home of US President Barack Obama”.
After briefly advertising on Airbnb for $350 a night, the listing has now been removed.
TripAdvisor set to challenge Airbnb
Airbnb’s reign as the biggest source of short term property rentals in the world is being threatened by another internet giant — TripAdvisor.
The travel review website has made a strategic move into Airbnb’s space by inviting users to list their spare rooms, and “help enhance travellers’ holiday experience”.
Called TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals, the site is designed to expand holiday rental options, in an almost identical fashion to Airbnb.
“TripAdvisor helps travellers book and take the perfect trip,” said a spokesman.
“For a growing number this means the opportunity to live like a local in their destination and stay in non-traditional, more affordable accommodation, which is why we’re now offering spare rooms.”
The move by TripAdvisor is likely to inspire even more people to rent out spare rooms or investment properties “Airbnb-style” to make some extra money.
In the last year the number of Airbnb listings in Australia doubled to over 40,000 with operators raking in an estimated $280 million.
The growth has sparked demands from Tourism Accommodation Australia for governments to legislate to ensure high safety standards in the hospitality industry are not compromised.
Even Airbnb operators want laws simplified so they know where they legally stand.
Ian Haines rents out the third floor of his three-storey home in Albany, WA, and was surprised to learn he could cook breakfast for his guests but not dinner.
“No one could explain why you need a commercial kitchen to cook dinner for guests, but you don’t to cook them breakfast,” said Mr Haines.
In Sydney’s inner west, homeowner Wally Salinger has been threatened with fines in excess of $1 million by Leichhardt Council after a complaint from neighbours.
“We’re dealing with a mishmash of legislation, half of which doesn’t make sense,” said Mr Salinger.
“We went to the council and asked “is Airbnb legal in Leichhardt?”, and we were told yeah, yeah.
“Then a neighbour complained and suddenly it’s illegal.”
In Melbourne, Paul Salter successfully argued in favour of being able to let out apartments on Airbnb, despite the objections of the Watergate Complex body corporate.
The Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal found body corporates had no authority to stop the legal use of an owner’s property.
Mr Salter said the claim short term guests behaved differently to long term renters was “utterly ridiculous”.
“Behaviour is not based on how long someone resides in a property; it is more to do with the individual’s ethics, morals and values,” he said.
Airbnb Australia General Manager Sam McDonagh declined to comment on TripAdvisor’s foray into short term rentals but he said he was excited about growth in the “sharing economy”.
“Australia is one of our most exciting markets and an increasing number of Aussies now discover, book and list accommodation with Airbnb,” said Mr McDonagh.
“In fact, next week alone, more than 25,000 Australians will use Airbnb somewhere in the world.”
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