My Experience as a Black Airbnb Host
Living Room Photo Used on Airbnb Profile to Attract Potential Guests, Jersey City, NJ.
Overall, I’ve had memorable experiences as an Airbnb host, luckily more good than bad. The most positive experiences were from befriending guests and providing recommendations for places to visit since their local knowledge of the region was limited. One of the biggest fear for me, as a host, was the fear of a potential legal battle with my landlord. Another was the constant fear of my guests completely trashing the apartment.
Why I decided to become an Airbnb Host
There will be times in our lives where we may fall into difficult circumstances, such as financial trouble. Luckily, advances in technology and a strong economy has fed the growth of a new “shared gig economy”, in which large companies’ flexible schedules allow contractual jobs with sole proprietors. For the contractor, more flexibility provides an opportunity for more income, and in my case, an advantage to relieve a financial burden.
Airbnb, Uber, and Lyft are just a few of these companies that comprise of the shared gig economy.
To help reduce some of your fears, towards the end of this post, I’ve created a strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat analysis (SWOT) for you to evaluate the advantages vs. disadvantages of “bread and breakfasts” and determine if hosting is for you.
“I lived in Jersey City for 3 years. My neighborhood of Bergen Hill-Lafayette was on the brink of gentrification.”
Back in 2015, I thought my life was finally coming together. I settled in my one bedroom jersey city apartment and just when I thought everything was perfect, finally a salary job after graduate school, my own car and my own 1-bedroom apartment, something turned for the worst.
Five years ago, I was in a car accident with my 2010 Chevy Malibu I’ve nicknamed “Sade”. To make matters worse, the insurance company deemed my car “total loss”, and since I did not have ‘Guaranteed Asset Protection’ insurance, (widely known as “GAP” insurance), I was required to pay the remaining balance of my car note which was considered irredeemable: $3,000.
So, to quickly pay off a worthless expense, I resorted to AirBnb, although there are now other “bread and breakfast” companies such as Noirbnb geared towards black people and Misterbnb for the LGBTQ community.
Neighborhood
I lived in Jersey City for 3 years. My Bergen Hill-Lafayette neighborhood was on the brink of gentrification. One of my favorite local bar/restaurant was Carvao Barbeque, located a few blocks away from my home. My job’s office was a 15-minute walk from my apartment. The apartment building was located on the end of the block bordering the neighborhood’s beautiful redbrick row-houses, and tree lined streets, (as shown below), similar to the pictures you see of Bed-Stuy, or Brooklyn Heights where the Cosby’s resided.
The further end of the block was a strong contrast, with predominately vinyl building facades, a busy commercial strip and lots of idling individuals. There was no doubt that all the negative neighborhood reviews were based on that end of my block. I would always remember embarrassingly telling my guests to avoid that route when heading to the closest PATH station.
My Experience as a Black Airbnb Host
As a Black host, I was in a constant state of worry. There was a fear that my guests would not be fond of me, my place, or my neighborhood. In one situation, one of my guests, a middle-aged woman from San-Francisco accompanied by her husband, wanted to cancel upon arrival to the apartment. After speaking with her for one hour, it was apparent that she was more than unimpressed with the neighborhood. In fact, she was concerned about the dilapidated look of the houses I’ve mentioned ‘up the block’.
I told her that I was more than willing to process her refund, but luckily I was able to persuade her walk around the corner to view some of the neighborhood’s historic brownstones. I also told her to check out what the neighborhood and its vicinity have to offer. Despite her safety fears, she decided to stay, and even provided a good review, after she left, (below).
Strengths
Extra income - Airbnb or other hospitality related services are an easy way to increase your revenue stream. My rate were fairly inexpensive to tourists, averaging $65 per night, but adequate for me accomplish my goal to pay off my car note.
Gifts - A young woman from Switzerland left me Swiss-made chocolate, and it sure was delightful.
Weakness
Uneasiness - You may feel some sort of uneasiness or discomfort with a stranger sleeping in your home, or even your bed. Depending on your living situation, that uneasiness can range from mild to paranoia. For me, I stayed with my parents in Queens while I had guest stay in my one-bedroom apartment.
The paranoia was with concerns about prospective unmet emergencies, unkept guests, or guests trashing or stealing items from the apartment. However, guests are able to review comments of their prospective host by previous guests. And hosts are able to review comments left by previous hosts of potential guests before agreeing to their stay.
Opportunities
Networking - As a host, you will meet a variety of different people from around the world. Some folks will invite you to their hometown and offer to show you around based on the friendships you’ve established. For someone who likes to travel, that’s a good way to save money on a future tour guide.
Threats
Local Ordinances and Land Use Regulations - It is imperative that you know and understand your local/municipal laws and regulations regarding short-term rental.
Some communities are welcoming to the shared gig economy, while others have increased regulation to protect the interests of homeowners and renters in the community who prefer a less transient neighborhood. If you’re a homeowner, you don’t want to end up with a fine. And if you’re a renter, your landlord may have ground to evict you. But it all depends on what the law says.
Ratings
