As someone who loves travel and is a 21st Century kid, I need to keep up with the times! And that means jumping on the bandwagon when it comes to new and innovative ways of using technology and the internet to get the best rate flights, accommodation and tours. Lo and Behold, Airbnb was born!
I’m sure you all know what Airbnb is, its a website that allows people to rent out their full apartment or single rooms to visitors. It’s often a great way to not only find a bargain, but also find a unique place with a bit of character and in a location many tourists probably wouldn’t visit. I first started searching for places on Airbnb when I was trying to book up a place for me and two friends to stay in Berlin. None of the hostels were tickling our fancy, and 99% of the hotels didn’t offer a triple room so it was going to cost us a fortune paying for two separate room.I must have scoured every single listing on the site before I found the perfect one.
Finding the RightNeighbourhood
Berlin doesn’t have a central pointas such, so again a lot of my time was spent trying to find the most suitable neighborhood based on what we wanted to do and see. After a few recommendations from friends who had visited and lived in the city,Kreuzberg was our choice of location. Kreuzberg is artsy and indie, almost gentrified but without the snobbishness. The streets are lined with wine and co*cktail bars, local food cafes, parks, galleries and a lively nightlife. Kreuzberg is just south of the Spree river and was once boxed in on three sides by the Berlin wall. Once I had decided 100% on Kreuzberg, the Airbnb website and app has an option to view only listing in your specific neighbourhood, either in list or map view which is handy for a quick glance to see what is nearby.
The EntireProcess
We booked our apartment well in advance to avoid disappointment because those babies were filling up fast! The whole process was easy and straightforward, and our host Maria was quick to get in touch or answer any of our questions. The only drawback for me was having to use a credit card, I know it’s safer and more secure than debit card, but it’s a bit difficult when you don’t have one! Definitely something I need to look into getting since travelling is becoming a lot more personal with real people.
After texting Maria once we landed and were outside the apartment, we sat across the street in a cute little bakery/cafe having our first drink in Germany! Our host arrived promptly, answered all our questions and then took us up to the apartment for a quick tour and talk on the house rules. Maria even gave us recommendations and a map to get us started on our first day. Checking out was simple as well, we were simply asked to leave the keys on the dining table if we had no issues to take up with the host (which we didn’t!).
The Apartment
The apartment itself was outstanding, we couldn’t fault it. It was a top floor, open planned living area that slept six people. Four 4 beds were situated on amezzanine area with a further two in a small alcove in the living room. It had a TV, large Velux windows, comfortable sofas, books to read and most importantly when travelling hand luggage only…a hairdryer! The large windows flooded natural light into the entire apartment (it had black out blinds too), and the large bathroom would be sufficient for six girls to get ready!
The location of our aparatment was onDresdener Strasse, and as I said earlier, it had everything we needed for a day, afternoon and evening out, including a cute little cinema that showed everything from Hollywood blockbusters to native German indie films. I might even do a post later on what to do and see in the surrounding areas/Kreuzberg as a whole.
Overall I would book through Airbnb again, the process was quick and easy, and it allowed us to stay in a cute little local street away from tourists and in among the locals.
Have you ever used Airbnb?
What’s your favourite type of accommodation?
Related
FAQs
Germany: Berlin imposes strict rules on Airbnbs
Berlin previously introduced a ban on Airbnb. This has now been lifted but strict rules - enforced with hefty fines - remain. Airbnb hosts in the city are required to have a permit to rent out an entire property on a short-term basis.
Is it legal to have an Airbnb in Berlin? ›
According to the regulations, hosts are required to have a permit to rent out an entire residence on a short-term basis. Hosts can apply for a permit with their district office. As a Host you receive a registration number, which is attached to your permit.
What are the rules for Airbnb in Germany? ›
Germany has a national law that requires Hosts who provide short-term (3 months or less) accommodation to collect and retain information about any guest who stays with them. There are two ways to collect the data: Buy reporting certificates (available online) Create reporting certificates yourself.
Does Airbnb operate in Berlin? ›
Our holiday apartment is the entire ground floor of a modern fisherman's house in Berlin-Rahnsdorf. It is located on a large property on the banks of the Müggelspree. Our holiday apartment is an ideal place for natural relaxation and exciting experiences in the city of Berlin. It can accommodate up to 5 people.
Where to avoid staying in Berlin? ›
What are the areas to avoid in Berlin?
- Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Lichtenberg. In terms of crime rates, Marzahn-Hellersdorf and Lichtenberg are pretty safe to live in. ...
- Leopoldplatz in Wedding. ...
- Görlitzer Park. ...
- Touristic spots in Mitte. ...
- Kotbusser Tor in Kreuzberg.
9flats. 9flats is a German-based company with over 6 million listings. It's a European competitor to Airbnb, with rentals ranging from guest houses to villas. Travelers can even rent a private room to cut down on the cost of renting a whole apartment.
What is the average cost of Airbnb in Berlin? ›
The average price for an Airbnb accommodation in Berlin is 55 Euros per night (at the given minimum occupancy), which is significantly below the average price of around 80 Euros for a hotel room in Berlin.
What is the average occupancy rate for Airbnb in Berlin? ›
Apart from complete houses, Berlin's Airbnb offerings include 32% of private rooms and 17% of apartments(condos). Average Occupancy Rates in Berlin is 44% and average daily rate is €108.
Which countries don t allow Airbnb? ›
Stays and experiences are offered all around the world, though we're required to comply with international regulations that restrict the use of our site by residents of certain countries or regions. Because of this, our services are not available in some places, such as Crimea, Iran, Syria, and North Korea.
Who is not allowed to use Airbnb? ›
Examples of what we don't allow
Dangerous organization affiliation: Individuals affiliated with extremist groups, hate groups and organized crime groups are not allowed to have an account on Airbnb.
Still, Berlin remains Germany's Airbnb capital — more flats and rooms are offered here than in Hamburg, Munich and Frankfurt combined. There are more than 20,576 Berlin listings on Airbnb, and about half of those are entire homes, according to the data-scraping site Insideairbnb.com.
What is the tourist tax in Germany for Airbnb? ›
Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in Dortmund, Germany will pay the the Tourist Tax as part of their reservation. The tax is 7.5% of the listing price, excluding any cleaning fees for reservations in Dortmund, Germany.
Why are there so few Airbnbs in Berlin? ›
The city of Berlin has, due to lack of housing for its permanent residents and countles sapartments rented to tourists at inflated prices instead of providing them to their citizens, installed severe restrictions that ban Airbnb more or less completely.
Is Airbnb profitable in Berlin? ›
Berlin, Germany Airbnb Data
It is highly profitable because the monthly cash flow from short-term rental investment typically is double the amount of traditional rentals.
Is Berlin cheap or expensive? ›
Compared to other cities, Berlin is one of the cheaper options in Western Europe. The cost of living will vary depending on your job and the area to choose to live in Berlin, but you can certainly live quite affordably in Berlin. If you budgeted strictly, you could live in Berlin for €1,500 per month.
What is the rental issues in Berlin? ›
Housing cooperatives, which offer some of Berlin's most affordable apartments, scrapped two-thirds of their new building projects after the city's government announced a rent cap, saying it made them unviable. Introduced in February 2020, the cap was declared unconstitutional and scrapped 14 months later.
Where is Airbnb banned in Europe? ›
Apart from Florence, other prominent European cities including Lisbon, Paris, and Barcelona have also implemented restrictions on short-term rentals to prioritize housing for local residents in need of permanent accommodations.
Is it hard to find rent in Berlin? ›
Yes, it's really hard.
It's one of the hardest parts of moving to Berlin. You might need to live in temporary places until you find a home. If you are not in Berlin yet, it's almost impossible. Get short-term housing, move to Berlin, then look for a better place.
Why are cities banning Airbnb? ›
Some localities have outlawed or put restrictions on Airbnb hosting for several reasons. One is that it takes away tax revenues (although now Airbnb works with cities to collect such taxes), or siphons business from traditional hotels that do pay taxes.
