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Comment by rdouble | Hacker News Reader

I actually know the difference between City of London and London because I watched that one clever Youtube video explaining it. However, I don't really have the details internalized as I've not been to London.

To explain what I meant, I was thinking of this article that I read about One Hyde Park: http://www.vanityfair.com/society/2013/04/mysterious-residen...

I had merged this info in my head with another link that someone else had already posted, about empty buildings in London owned by offshore corporations.

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I wonder if there is a need here for a Luxury AirBnB so that folks who aren't millionaires could spend time in these places that are otherwise going empty. Seems like space could be offered for less than normal rent since anything above $0 would be a gain as long as there was a decent screening process.

The problem from an urban community building perspective is that the owners of the properties are so rich they don't care if the property is used.

It's actually illegal to rent out a pied a terre in Paris.

There is!

http://www.onefinestay.com

A friend of mine used it for some visiting extended family, that he wanted to keep at a slightly extended distance. Spoke highly of it.

However, I'm not sure I've got 3 friends or couples who would be willing to split a house and still pay £150 per person a night.

Their Sherlock entry system looks neat. And a better bet than a curated airbnb clone.

You're ignoring the physiological 'cost' of knowing some filthy stranger will be poking around your nice house. Also renting out a place means you cannot store anything of value in the place. For many people who can afford top end apartments in central London, those two 'costs' will be much higher than any income they might get from renting.

Also the value of having a flat like this is knowing that when business requires you to fly to London on 90 minutes notice, at least you'll have somewhere nice and familiar to crash. That is completely lost if there is a chance the someone else might be staying in your apartment when you arrive

If a few people are staying in your six-bedroom apartment when you touch down, surely you can either tolerate their presence for a day, or pay them to go away. You're right to bring up psychology, but it's more abstract: one might trust strangers not to make a mess, or the maids to clean it up, but having one's apartment listed for short-term rental is unthinkable.

Which clever video was this? Link please?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrObZ_HZZUc

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