It's great to see that this post has triggered so much discussion. Let me add that I'm not saying the status quo shouldn't be challenged, or that there aren't efficiencies to be had, only that if a business model looks too good to be true ("hey, I can rent a whole house for the cost of a hotel room and have 10 people stay for the price of 1!"), it probably is. Neighbors (who also qualify as consumers, I believe) are raising serious objections to AirBnb. At least one Bitcoin exchange has qualified itself as a bank---presumably raising its costs and requiring it to charge more fees than its competitors in return for the security it offers. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.