this post was submitted on 13 Apr 2025

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Something's up with all those airbnb locks | Purplepingers (youtube.com)

submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[+] [email protected] 10 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

[deleted]

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Everyone uses them because usability is dramatically more important than security.

The key is only in the box for a few hours between guests, and during that time the cleaner will be there.

Even if someone picked the lock or cloned a key... all they can steal is some shitty ikea furniture and maybe make an instant coffee.

[+] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

[deleted]

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

I suspect people mainly use the lockboxes only because other people do

I suspect it's a cheap and easy hack, I don't work with locks but I assume they don't need to 𝙿̝̃𝙰̤͙̑̇𝚈̲̠̤̪͒̉͐͑ ̲͇̳̺͈̽͌̇̓̄ ̟̝̹̞̩͔̼̀͂̓͑͒ͦ̓𝙼̞̹̩͎̣̥͇̟̒̊͂̽̇͗̓͌͊ͅ𝙾͚̲͎̰͔̖̼̐͑͒̀́ͩ̚𝙽͇͍̖̖̙ͮ̓̎ͤ̿𝙴̪̺̜̱̅̋̆̊𝚈̯̘̇̚ to install a whole new locking system on the door itself, just change the lock cylinder and put the new key in a cheap box.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

We have an apartment in a holiday village. We couldn't rent to long term tenants if we wanted to.

We have a fancy electronic lock. The codes update automatically to the last 4 digits of a guest's phone number.

It was expensive. $1,200 or something.

You need to change the batteries. Not every week, but maybe once every few months.

Guest's struggle with it. We literally send a diagram with step by step instructions for how to operate it but guests still struggle.

Occasionally guests call us because they can't find the key-safe. "I'm looking at a key safe but I think it's for the neighbours apartment and it doesn't look like your diagram and my code doesn't work".

We had another version of the same thing previously which was terrible. The number pad kept dropping the connection to the lock and it was just a shit show.

On balance, I do like this fandangle new lock and I do like that we don't have to change the codes and that guests only have access for the duration of their stay. There is definitely a reduction in usability, although we've been able to mitigate that. I don't regret getting it but there's definitely something to be said for these cheap usable boxes.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Even if someone picked the lock or cloned a key… all they can steal is some shitty ikea furniture and maybe make an instant coffee.

Well, they could also sabotage the AirBnB if they wanted to devalue the property, or they could steal from a tenant who isn't home.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

If a tenant isn't home they will have the key with them, it won't be in the box.

Sabotage would be covered by insurance. It wouldn't de-value the property. Who would actually do that? Huge personal risk for a vague improbable social benefit.

If you wanted to sabotage surely a molotov through the window would be more effective.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

If a tenant isn’t home they will have the key with them, it won’t be in the box.

I was thinking about if a key was taken when it was there, then the attacker leaves to have a duplicate key cut, returns it (to prevent suspicion and the lock being replaced) and infiltrates with it whenever they want.

insurance

I don't know how that kind of property insurance works, but surely there are limits to what is covered? Plus, as another motive, it might just be out of spite, rather than to devalue property.

If you wanted to sabotage surely a molotov through the window would be more effective.

Yes, but there's surely a larger chance of needlessly getting on the federal shitlist for firebombing.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

If these things ever happened no one would use those boxes.

Stealing from guests would still be high risk / low yield. I doubt people are leaving cash and jewellery in their apartment when they go out for lunch. If you want to engage in a life of petty crime I'm sure there are more rewarding ways.

There isn't really a limit to what's covered by insurance. That's kind of the idea of having insurance. Low-cost damage isn't covered, but if you started a campaign of petty vandalism the owner would address the security deficiency.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

You can just cut them off (or knock them off the wall), and open them at your leisure.

When it comes down to it, there's usually a brute-force way through most standard locks, say, bolt cutters, pin raking (or bumping), unscrewing the door hinges if they're on the wrong side. But in populated areas, a loud break-in isn't ideal, especially for squatters who plan on sleeping overnight. So for all intents and purposes, I'd assume the point of the lock is just to make it not worth a basic squatter or thief's time and tempt them to search elsewhere for an easy win.

Everyone hides the keys instead now.

I'm curious - if you went to a new construction site, do you reckon you could find their key/s within an hour or two without already knowing where they were?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

Ha. Loved the sneaky plug for his Senate campaign in the background of the video.

A stack of rubber-banded political pamphlets reading "Victorian Socialists Jordan van den Lamb for Senate"

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I've been outbid for a few apartments in St Kilda. I just want a shitty studio to call my own AND live in, I'm not reaching for the moon here. But the return for airBnB is better than renting them so investors have more money to outbid me. Now the bottom price for the area is beyond my means. Maybe I should just start squatting in AirBNBs until they send the jacks round to boot me out.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

In Western Australia you need council approval now or airbnb won't list you.

Councils can manage approvals to mitigate this type of problem.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Its great in theory only while councils have money to do enforcement and surveillance.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Nah so you need council approval. When you get approved you get a code number. You give the code number to AirBnB who looks it up to confirm it hasn't been cancelled by the council. If you don't have a code you don't get listed.

The council doesn't have to do surveillance and enforcement because owners need to apply.

The requirements are fairly strict. For example, a single apartment in a block of apartments can't get approved. The entire block of apartments needs to be approved as holiday accommodation, and they're not going to do that for a block of apartments where locals are living. In my city it's only places that have been constructed with the intention of being holiday resorts.

Standalone houses are a different story. You do need to notify neighbours and give them an opportunity to object. There needs to be adequate parking et cetera. You need a formal management plan to mitigate anti-social behavior and what have you.

Suffice to say it's heavily regulated and local residents have a mechanism by which to manage problematic listings.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I've family in Amsterdam, they're only allowed to Airbnb places for a maximum of 45 days per year.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Presumably that would depend on the type of property. Like hotels list their rooms on AirBnB, and it wouldn't make any sense to limit those. If you're listing your own apartment or home then a days-per-year limit makes more sense.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

It's easy to pick those locks too ...

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Man that is some bad subtitling. TL;DW? Is it just a worse version of lock picking lawyer? I guess it isn’t a great idea to secure your property with a $40 Bunnings lock if so. Still surprising that one of those common locks can be defeated by a metal shim. I lost the key to a small lockbox I bought from Bunnings and “picked” the lock with the thin end of a zip tie. Criminals must love Bunnings based security.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

Purplepingers is an anti-landlord activist currently running for the Australian Senate with the Victorian Socialists party: https://pingers4parliament.com/

He's previously done a lot of 'naming and shaming' of landlords (https://www.shitrentals.org/) and compiled lists of unused properties that people could squat in.

Reading between the lines, this video is encouraging people to fuck with properties rented out through Airbnb, or at least trying to mess with the heads of the 'hosts'.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Reading between the lines, this video is encouraging people to fuck with properties rented out through Airbnb, or at least trying to mess with the heads of the ‘hosts’.

I liked the comment under the video ~~suggesting~~ warning against the much easier method of sticking a bit of super glue in the mechanism.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Nice, I’ll have to check out that site. As much as I wouldn’t want people fucking with airbnbs. Especially not in way the videos comments mention, no sir.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Shitrentals breaks on mobile typed out a whole reply and it fuckin doesn’t let you scroll to post it

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

Def consider telling them somehow, might be happening to other people too.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

0/10, didn't recommend an equally-weak lock at the end and call it "unbreakable, apparently, from what I've heard"

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 week ago

The secure solution is electronic access control on the door. A key box is very hard to secure