Why not rent out your bedrooms?

• Author: Beard, Eileen
• Position: LETTERS - Letter to the editor

Blake Fleetwood's article about homeowners facing legal problems for renting out rooms in their own houses ("DIY B&B," July/August 2012) provides another example of established bullies trying to crush the little guy. Someone has finally figured out a way to help people with their underwater mortgages, joblessness, and general financial troubles. Is it really hurting the hotel industry or the tax base when neighbors and travelers are helping each other to afford trips that they otherwise wouldn't have made? I can't tell you how many guests we've had who have told us that our affordable rooms made it possible for them to travel. Their stays make it possible for us to pay our mortgage.

I would think that banks would be getting down on their knees and thanking Airbnb, the Internet booking company that helps connect potential renters to hosts, for preventing foreclosures. Cities should be thanking Airbnb for attracting so many new tourists, travelers, interns, etc., who are bolstering the local economy. In dire financial times, a little creativity is needed. Airbnb is doing its part to help correct some of the huge losses we've endured due to inept government regulators and greedy lenders who overlooked many laws and rules to get rich at our expense.

Eileen and...