Bay Area co-living startup HubHaus implodes, stranding renters and homeowners
sfchronicle.com
sfchronicle.com
Not to mention this is a deja vu of the other identical startup/scam (potato/potahto) called HomeShare.
PR Intern: But we already used that angle
Manager: Her LinkedIn network doesn't know and it still work! Free advertising when the inspired people argue with the “why does it matter” males! Engagement to the moon!
I guess the presumption is there needs to be enough clickbait via outrage/victimhood to portray the startup as an evildoer by presenting that average people are so completely helpless and inconvenienced by this since they can't even tell which door leads outside. Are thinking, Gargling/DackDackGoething, and/or calling a friend to crash on a couch really so difficult?
Perhaps OTOH and in reality though, it was marketed to SV carpet-bagging gold rush-types who have little in the way of business acumen, domain skills, and/or inherent relentless resourcefulness as some sort of "quick fix shortcut" housing-meets-social intros to the right crowds? With the exception of badass folks from completely different countries, RR folks would never need such a service because they already know people. It seems like more of a magical service trying to allow people to "buy-in" to the illusion of a social standing rather than earning/demonstrating their way in; this is the same as a lot of golf clubs, which doesn't confer a sense of community, but who really wants the bar to be so low that anyone is allowed in just because they have money?
I'm conflicted on it at as service, but if it makes some people happy even though they're actual stuck at the ITT Technical Institute-Junior Varsity league, whatevs. The story title was a bit clickbait-ish.
The primary issue is that landlords and tenants are owed significant amounts of money by HubHaus and they don't know how to collect it because the company has apparently declared bankruptcy without bothering to inform affected parties (i.e., in violation of bankruptcy law).
HubHaus transferred its subleases to the landlords, and (new) property managers have already taken over managing the properties and fixing up HubHaus' mess.
Not only does it sound like a superfluous business, how is this supposed to generate startup returns?
https://web.archive.org/web/20201005040542/http://webcache.g...
"Yeah!"
"Do we need to know how to run a business?"
"Nawh, we'll fake it."
"Okay, cool! Let's find some renters and rent out this house that's already occupied."
"Awe$ome! $-)"
"After months of investigations, the San Francisco Planning Department said the house was an unauthorized group house, subject to a $250-a-day penalty."