Secondly, Airbnb does have plenty of shared places in Queens and Brooklyn that go for less than seventy bucks a day, and studios that would be closer to 2k.
There are many places on AirBnB that have simply pumped up the prices to make a living and since there is not negative feedback mechanism everyone just charges more and more.
Craigslist yeah i tried that, i enden up with mostly scams and bait and switch guys.
As you yourself proved, if people will pay it, that's what the market rate is. Think it's extortionate? Don't pay it and make other arrangements.
This is not a guy who buy high and sell low. This is a guy who have a room in his own apartment where he cramped a kitchenette in and call it a studio (not mentioning that)
Since I couldn't go and see it before where does that leave me?
You are assuming that I had sufficient information before I moved in. I didn't.
This is just not fair pricing and is taking advantage of the situation that once you are there it's too late.
That has nothing to do with capitalism or retailing.
You are trying to separate two things as if that's possible. It's not. In language yes but in reality no.
I was not given all the information.
With AirBnB i pay 500USD in deposit, pay on arrival, it gets cleaned when I move out. Everything else is on me.
And I can compare it because I stay there longer than just a few days also AirBnB now have a sublet section. Again go compare those prices with for instance the prices on streeteasy.
There IS a negative feedback mechanism. Occupancy rates. Once people stop paying the asking rates for listings the prices will fall. It is called "what the market will bear".