Cohousing-L Mailing List: AirBnB and B&Bs [was: guest room fees

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On Dec 19, 2014, at 10:19 AM, John Sechrest <sechrest [at] gmail.com> wrote:

> It has caused me to start wondering about the process and consequences of
> Cohousing-L communities offering units via airbnb.

At Takoma Village we have assumed that rentals were to be for an extended 
period of time if the owner was not in residence. Recently a new member wanted 
to advertise her unit for rent for a month or for 4 one week periods. It was 
the first time someone had done this though people have often had friends 
occupying their unit when they were gone or traded a month with the program in 
which people do that (forgot the name).

Short stays without the host in residence causes a problem because it makes 
work for the neighbors. A person is planted who knows nothing and is walking 
around in the CH and corridors. 

Even with the host in residence, it raises security issues and public image 
issues to have rooms advertised. A cohousing community is a community in which 
everyone knows each other and relates to each other. It has to be at least a 
semi-closed circle in order to develop and maintain intimacy. While some people 
thrive on new people around all the time, others do not and it dilutes the 
sense of community. A constant stream of unknown people changes the air.

The Twin Oaks community has apprenticeship programs and regular work 
residencies for non-residents to learn about the community. In their literature 
they have a sentence that says something like don't expect residents to speak 
to you. They need their own lives. Ask your guide if you need information.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org