Few people like having illegal Airbnb units in their neighbourhood.
They attract a lot of strangers who take up a lot of the parking and sometimes like to party it up with no consequences from the owner.
So when something bad happens to the owner of an illegal Airbnb, few people will have pity on them.
Like the one in Burnaby who had their house raided by armed tactical Burnaby police officers.
Burnaby resident Barry shared the story.
“I'm working in my basement yesterday, when the house shook to three loud bangs and the sound of vehicles and running feet,” he said. “I went upstairs to find an entire squad of tactical police officers with weapons drawn and someone face down on the street. This included a canine officer and another with a battering ram.
“To no one's shock, our neighbour has been running an AirBnB in his basement for some time. I see an endless stream of strange faces whenever I go to my car. Strange out-of-province, out-of-country plates. Well, it turns out they rented it out to someone on Airbnb who was wanted by the police. Two people were followed back to the unit, where they were loudly apprehended and the third holed up inside refused to cooperate. They eventually brought him out covered in a black hood. Drama I never want to see again on my street or anyone else's. Why and how did it get here?
Barry also makes some interesting points about how these short-term rentals are destroying the local stock of rental housing – all to make more money.
“An illegal AirBnB suite,” Barry said. “These people could have gotten a business licence and rented the 3-bedroom unit to a young family. Or any number of worthy tenants who fit into the neighborhood. Instead they went for the dollars. At $270 to $350 a night they only need to rent it for 10 days to make good money. But where's the vetting process? These people don't care who lives in their own house! Why do they care if those people are a threat to the rest of the street!”
If you're thinking of becoming an Airbnb host - maybe this is an extreme example but this could be your house. Imagine having the cops using a battering ram to bust down your door.
So perhaps you should think twice.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
