Life in an Airbnb
Pros and cons... and why we like this
We’ve been living in Airbnbs for months, by choice. So, since a few friends have expressed concern, here are the pros & cons of our current lifestyle:
We’ve learned to select Airbnbs that we’ll probably like. (Our standard: At least 50, and preferably 100+ reviews that are 4.5 or 5 stars, and no genuinely bad reviews. ← Note: People who break the Airbnb’s house rules often leave bad reviews, but they’re easy to spot.)
We favor Airbnbs over alternatives for two reasons:
No long-term commitment. The shortest lease in Orlando is usually nine months; we’d like to move abroad sooner than that.
It’s less expensive than a hotel (by a LOT) and about 2/3 (or less) of what rent would be in a budget-priced one-bedroom apartment. And, oh yes, we have NO utility bills.
The negatives:
Sometimes guests in nearby rooms are annoying. The good news is, most of them stay a week or less. And, if they break actual “house rules,” you can ask your host to intervene. (We choose Airbnb homes with four or fewer bedrooms.)
Shared bathrooms can be stressful if you need to go in a hurry and someone is in the shower. (That’s rare, from our experience, as most Orlando guests are out of the house from early morning until late at night.) Small kitchens can be challenging, too, if - like us - you prefer home cooking to eating in restaurants.
Parking can be awkward if all guests are sharing one driveway. We’ve only had to ask a fellow guest to move their car once or twice, but we prefer Airbnbs in neighborhoods with on-street parking.
Here’s a photo from the house where we stayed during October. It’s about 10 minutes from Disney World.
The bedroom is huge, and the bed is huge, too. In this suite, there’s a full-sized desk (and comfy desk chair), a very large TV, and a walk-in closet. The private bathroom has a deep, stylish tub, a separate shower, and twin sinks. That house also has a very nice, fully equipped kitchen with separate food storage areas for each guest and a massive refrigerator.
Next, here’s a photo showing one of two dining tables at that house. (The other dining table seats 6, and it’s on the other side of an open plan kitchen.)
This month (November), we’re in another house in that same quiet neighborhood, also about six miles from the WDW property. (From the number of cars in many driveways, it appears that many of these houses are set up as Airbnbs.)
Here, our room is smaller, but we have a lanai with a lovely view and a nice swimming pool. Also, this home’s kitchen is enormous, and the living room sofa is comfy for curling up with a book, or sitting and sketching.
So, if you’ve imagined that Airbnb living can be austere… Well, we stayed in a few “meh” homes as we learned the ins and outs of selecting Airbnbs. (We also learned to pay with a credit card; if the house turns out to be different from how it was described, that’s the fastest way to get a full refund.)
Once you learn what to look for, Airbnbs can be a far better choice than a hotel.
We’d like to move before the end of 2025, but this lifestyle suits us very well in the meantime.
For privacy, I’m not comfortable sharing exactly what address we’re at, but if you have any other questions about Airbnbs (especially in Orlando), it’s okay to ask.