rentals
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Airbnb's next focus appears to be long-term rentals
Airbnb chief executive Brian Chesky told the Financial Times that the company is going "a little bit beyond its core business" starting next year.
Airbnb refocuses on cheap rooms as its rentals get pricier
Airbnb is refocusing on cheap listings with Airbnb rooms.
Uber drivers in Europe can soon rent Polestar and Tesla EVs
Uber is expanding its EV rentals to Europe, where drivers will get cars from Polestar and Tesla.
Airbnb's big redesign helps you split stays between homes
Airbnb has unveiled a redesigned experience, including a new feature that helps you split stays for longer trips.
You can now rent the kid-friendly Moxie robot for $149 a month
The child companion robot Moxie can now be rented for $149 a month.
Airbnb adds more flexible search options
Building on a feature the company started rolling out in February, the next time you look for a place to stay, you don't have to specify an exact set of dates.
PlayStation Store will stop selling movies and TV shows on August 31st
Sony will stop offering movie and TV show purchases and rentals through the PlayStation Store on August 31st as streaming services dominate.
Airbnb's flexible search focuses on where you're travelling, not when
Airbnb has introduced a flexible search that offers wiggle room on dates — a better fit for an era of remote work when you don't have to return to the office.
Revel will launch $99-per-month e-bike rentals in New York
Revel is expanding on its electric moped rentals by introducing monthly e-bike rentals in New York City for $99 per month.
'Wonder Woman 1984' rentals will start early in UK, where there's no HBO Max
'Wonder Woman 1984' will be available to rent on January 13th in the UK and Ireland, where HBO Max simply isn't an option.
Gamefly's rental business now belongs to a media wholesaler
Alliance Entertainment paid an undisclosed amount to buy GameFly's rental business.
Airbnb will lay off 25 percent of its workforce due to COVID-19
Airbnb is laying off 1,900 workers, or 25 percent of its workforce, as the COVID-19 pandemic puts the travel industry on hold.
Airbnb hosts can volunteer to house COVID-19 responders
Airbnb is dealing with COVID-19 cancellations by providing support to people on the front lines of the pandemic. It's launching a worldwide initiative that will let hosts opt in to offering free or subsidized housing to healthcare workers, first responders and other crucial staff who may need to live closer to where they're offering help. The company will partner with governments, businesses, nonprofit groups and emergency agencies to help them find hosts, while home owners who volunteer will have a cleanliness protocol to follow to minimize the chances of the coronavirus spreading.
Vudu now allows you to cancel rentals within 30 minutes of watching
Vudu's latest feature could help prevent feelings of regret after watching a movie you didn't quite enjoy. The Walmart-owned media company has launched "Rental Redo," which allows you to switch a movie you rented for another one, so long as you stop watching it within the first 30 minutes.
Lyft debuts car rentals in Los Angeles and the SF Bay Area
Lyft's car rental service now exists as more than just an experiment. Rentals are now available for "select users" in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, giving you an option when you'd rather drive yourself. As expected, the service relies on both tie-ins with Lyft's usual ridesharing and the elimination of a few typical rental headaches. To start, you'll get $20 in ride credit each way for the trips to and from your rentals. Lyft will also refuel your car for you (at a "local market price"), offers unlimted miles and promises cars with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and optional gear like car seats, ski racks and tire chains.
Redbox stops renting video games, and will stop selling them too
Redbox has been handy for renting video games to get through their stories without buying a copy outright, but that won't be possible from now on. The company has confirmed circulating reports that it's no longer renting games at its kiosks. Not only that, but it's bowing out of sales, too. While Redbox said on Twitter that it was ending sales "early next year," a spokesperson told The Verge that purchases would only be available "through the end of the year." Don't expect to buy a game to usher in 2020.
Redbox will stop selling Disney movie codes as part of settlement
Disney's lawsuit against Redbox is over, and it's not great news for Redbox. The two sides have agreed to a settlement that will have Redbox stop the sale of movie download codes from Disney disc packs. Attorneys for Disney had accused Redbox of violating copyright by offering the codes separately from the discs that went into rental kiosks. Redbox had accused Disney of anti-competitive behavior and succeeded in thwarting a preliminary injunction that would have blocked sales, but its defense fell apart after Disney reworked the disc packs' terms to make code access contingent on how you bought the movies rather than physical ownership.
Airbnb will verify every listing in the name of safety
Airbnb isn't done implementing safety features in the wake of the Halloween shooting in Orinda, California. The home rental service's Brian Chesky has revealed that the company will review every listed property to give people "peace of mind." This will include basics like address and photos as well as the authenticity of the hosts and a location's safety standards. The review should be complete by the end of 2020, Chesky said.
Airbnb bans 'party houses' following Halloween shooting
Airbnb is tightening its rental policies following a Halloween shooting that left five dead in Orinda, California. CEO Brian Chesky has announced that the service is banning rentals for "party houses" like the mansion at the heart of the shooting, where over 100 people had gathered before the shooting started that night. Chesky also promised "immediate action" against people found violating the policy, including removing them from the service.
Porsche's app-based car subscriptions come to four more cities
You no longer have to live in Atlanta to try Porsche's alternatives to car ownership. The automaker is expanding its app-based Passport subscriptions and Drive rentals to four more North American cities, including Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego and Toronto. The fundamentals for each remain the same. Passport lets you drive and swap cars as much as you like starting at $2,100 per month, with your only added cost being fuel. Drive, meanwhile, is closer to traditional rentals with options to drive a car for stints between four hours and a week. In both case, concierges both drop off and pick up your ride.
