There are three things I hate: rude people, pie that’s cold on the inside, and finding an apartment. Apartment hunting kills me the most.

I recently moved to San Francisco to work for Airbnb’s Department of Happiness (customer service). I chose to use Airbnb for temporary housing as a show of faith in the company.

The first place I selected was James’ “Queen bed in private room” in Berkeley, which featured only one hand-drawn image of the his apartment’s facade and a minimalist charcoal sketch of himself. Sketchy, right?

Once I stepped into James’ place, I was blown away by the homemade art on the walls – everything from self-portraits of my hosts to a globe made out of Play-Doh and toothpicks. It was awesome.

Both James and his wife work in the service industry, but only to support their real passion: writing music together in their band The Manna Tease. They guided me to the local open mic spot at the Starry Plough, delicious soul food at Louis the Pie Queen, and the weekly fair at the Ashby BART station.

Since my first experience went so swimmingly, I went hunting for places in nearby Oakland – known for rabid sports fans (have you met Oakland Raider fans?), political upheaval, and high crime rates.

This reputation made the insanely sweet messages my Oakland hostess Vicki Dello sent me all the more unexpected. I had her entire basement to myself – complete with a tea set and human alarm clock.

Vicki is a published author and spiritual leader, which is why I had the joy of waking up at precisely 9am to a circle of qi gong practitioners humming “om” in the living room above. There’s no better way to emerge into consciousness.

Vicki told me about her life in theater and her path to spirituality, her favorite local cultural spots, and, of course, the areas I shouldn’t walk through at night (like any good mom/host). When I did return home, I found copies of her book The Way of Joy on my bedside. I felt equal parts her student and her guest.

My experiences on Airbnb showed me that we’re more than just spaces for rent: we’re about people. When you go back home, what makes it special? Mama’s cooking? Dad’s cigar collection? The local brewpub?

When you click the little “Book It’ button, you’re getting a space and a host – and all the experiences only a host can offer.

Oh, and did I mention the last place I stayed in was a trailer that got featured in Newsweek? If you use Airbnb, maybe you can be famous too.

This post was written by Airbnb Customer Service team member Étan Berkowitz, who recently moved to San Francisco from New York.

One of our most valued hosts, Roberto, told us his story of why he listed his property on Airbnb. We thought it was so moving that we had to share.

We hope you love it too.

First of all, visiting new places is something I really love…I have been travelling so much both for pleasure and professional reasons.

Starting from my experience while travelling, I got to know how small things can be really important.

I want my guests to get to know Rome from a different perspective and feel like locals.

It does not matter what the reason for their stay is, either for business, vacation or simply to visit the family, I’ll do my best to make them feel like at home with all the comforts they can have.

That’s why I want to be sure that the accommodation that I offer is clean,  comfortable, equipped with the facilities they need, like: Internet wi-fi, air-conditioning, fresh towels, kitchen needs etc.

Nowadays, the concept of tourism is changing and Airbnb is embracing this new way of travelling, creating a community that loves to share its experience [and] to make new friends.

We all want to feel safe, to feel comfortable and to really enjoy the place we visit. This is what I care about the most and this is how my guests should feel after staying at my place. I can only feel satisfied when my guests going back home, after a wonderful vacation in Rome, will recommend my place to friends and family.

Thanks, Roberto. It’s hosts like you that make the world better for everyone.