I'm paying them, no wonder they're friendly. Normal wear and tear should be factored into their prices, same as if I was renting a hotel room or apartment or car.

When an AirBNB listing looks like they expect me to put myself at extra inconvenience, I don't bother with it. Especially with how many of them are basically full-time landlords of their rented spaces these days.

I think there's room in between. If the owner expects you to treat the property well, they can do things to enhance your experience that a hotel can't. But treating things well is a minor burden, so sometimes you just want to get a hotel and not worry about it.

More than a few of my AirBnB hosts didn't really seem like they needed the money, but they really enjoyed meeting new people and being in the company of their guests.

renting != borrowing

Now I understand AirBNB et al would love for folks to get suckered into the idea they need to pay cash and get the friend-loaned-you-something treatment, but that's silly.

No, renting != borrowing, but with Airbnb you often meet the owners, may even have breakfast with them in their home, etc.

Yes, money changes hands - you pay for use and cleaning of the place - but my Airbnb rentals have been significantly more intimate than any commercial hotel I've stayed in (even small hotels or regular commercial BnBs).

That's odd. Every AirBnB I've stayed at has been as impersonal as the most generic cheap hotel chain but with far more hassle and inconvenience.

The notion that you'd experience any kind of "community" or "sharing" with AirBnB has always seemed like pure marketing BS. It's cool that you've actually experienced it. Maybe it does happen sometimes.

My wife and I did a trip through Western Europe a few years ago - meeting and visiting with our "hosts", talking about what they liked about living there, etc., was a fun enhancement to the trip. The couple of hotel stays were much less welcoming and more generic.

My wife made the Airbnb reservations, and she really likes meeting local people, so she may have selected for that experience.

It worked out really well for us.