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No, consumer reviews are a replacement for safety inspections. The morbid side of me says "dead men post no reviews". But the real problem is how many people would need to be hurt (financially or physically) before enough reviews got out? If its one then a seller could be held hostage by a single bad review(legitimate or otherwise).

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This is where the abnb model seems to have an angle: if you are part-time subletting, the interest in the person living there full time is to keep a livable place. so if the FT lessor is paying 2K a month and lets his house 3 days a month, the 3 days are much more likely to be OK (~= to the other 27). The problem in one sense, is with "absentee" or professional landlords, who don't live there and have the "skin in the game". On that end of the spectrum, hotel licences seems to make a more compelling case (consumer might want an inspection if he cant trust the landlord would live in the place himeself).

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