It's the magic sauce called naive 20 somethings, who are yet to personally experience a major accident / fraud / loss.
issue is not only the guests, but also the hosts and service. Rented twice a higher end accommodation for a trip with kids through Airbnb and ended up from slightlhy to very disappointed. It came out with slightly more space than a 5 star hotel but extra issues i'd gladly have have done without, and obviously to large public space one finds in hotels. I 've had also mixed results renting short term apartments from private persons or small agencies before the avent of Airbnb, whereas in serviced residence chains the service and organisation is much smoother for roughly the same price (in Asia and Australia at least, I found serviced apartments less attractive in Europe)
I agree with this. I think it can work when you have regular trips, and form a relationship with a host. But if you're choosing random hosts it's a mixed outcome. The quality varies dramatically. Amature hour, with your 20 yo inn keeper / toilet scrubber.
I've had best results when the property is a guest cottage and the host a semi-professional. I don't like staying in the host's primary residence -- too much in their personal space.