Airbnb is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year - and can boast impressive figures: according to its own figures, the website currently has almost five million listings in 191 countries. Airbnb is a kind of online marketplace for booking and renting accommodation from private and commercial providers. Airbnb acts as an intermediary, but does not assume any legal obligations.

More comfort with Airbnb

If you are not looking for a bargain, but want to spend your vacation in comfortable and well-equipped accommodation, you will be delighted with the new "Airbnb Plus" offer. This is a selection of accommodations worldwide that have been checked for over 100 quality criteria - from facilities and cleanliness to special design. Only places whose hosts are rated with an average of at least 4.8 stars out of a possible five are included in the category.

Find with the search filter

Of course, you can enter the name of the desired destination on the Airbnb homepage and view all available accommodations there. Further down the page, however, you can also display accommodation specifically for families or business travelers.

Inspiration for new destinations and accommodation

The "Unique accommodation for your trip" section is perfect for dreaming away. Here, for example, you can currently find more than 9,000 boats and almost 2,000 tree houses worldwide where you can spend your vacation. And if you want to camp in complete comfort, you can even find almost 2,000 luxury yurts here.

Payment security

The guest pays the amount for the accommodation to Airbnb. The host is only paid 24 hours after arrival to ensure that the guest finds the accommodation as it was offered. The guest and host each have to present themselves with a profile page. Critics complain that guests have to provide much more information about themselves than hosts.

Renting out yourself?

If you want to become a host on Airbnb, you should find out about the rules in your city in advance. In some cases, for example, official permission from the landlord is required or there are time restrictions.

Criticism of tourist rentals

In more and more cities, apartments are to be rented out exclusively to tourists - landlords would generate higher income than if they were to rent to locals on a regular basis. As a result, locals would find it almost impossible to find affordable apartments themselves and would be forced out of their own cities. In Berlin, for example, private individuals are allowed to continue renting out their main residence without any time restrictions as long as its character as a main residence is not affected. This means that the ban on misappropriation, which was introduced on May 1, 2014, has been relaxed again. The law was introduced to put a stop to commercial letting and curb housing speculation.

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