A fake profile with 208 flats: the business behind being 'authentic' in Amsterdam (NRC, 9 Nov 2018)
A fake profile with 208 apartments: the business behind being 'authentic'
Original headline in Dutch: Nepprofiel met 208 appartementen: de business achter de 'authentieke'
Published in NRC on 9 November 2018
Summary:
NRC estimated that around 20% of Amsterdam rentals listed on Airbnb were managed by intermediary companies.
These use fake Airbnb user profiles to list hundreds of tourist rentals as if they were 'authentic' local travel experiences in line with Airbnb's original narrative.
Under one of such fake profiles (fake picture, fake bio, the person doesn't exist), these companies may advertise as many as 208 different apartments.
Some of these fake profiles give positive reviews to each other, which helps their listing appear earlier in searches.
Using fake profiles goes against the terms of use of Airbnb, and it contradicts Airbnb's stated philosophy.
Keywords: Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Airbnb, fake users 60Days, Bnbmanager, AwayKey, IamB&B, L'Easeaway
This story is also useful because it illustrates very well the effects of the platform economy brought about by Airbnb: "When Van der Putt [co-owner of Bnbmanager] is asked to what extent the fake profiles are in line with Airbnb's philosophy, he says: “Airbnb is a multinational. Do you believe all the stories that multinationals send out to the world? Airbnb offers companies space to do business on the platform.” [Translated from Dutch into English with Google Translate]
It summarises Amsterdam municipality's efforts to regulate short-term rental platforms: "From 2015, the city council introduced rules. Individuals may rent out their home for a maximum of 60 nights a year, to no more than four people at a time. Since last year there is also a reporting obligation. Enforcement has become more professional and stricter, with fines of more than 20,000 euros for those who break the law. Next year [2019] the rules of the municipality will become even stricter : in that case a house can only be rented out for 30 days a year." [Translated from Dutch into English with Google Translate]
It mentions strategies by intermediary companies to evade such regulations: "For example, by offering properties as 'bed and breakfast', which may be rented throughout the year. And by offering the same apartment through multiple, just as different advertisements - and thus bypassing the 60-day limit." [Translated from Dutch into English with Google Translate]
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