AirBnb

I really think it's fear of the new. Just like anything else, I'm sure it has some lying hucksters lurking about, but since this is such a new service, people are more wary than if it were more established.
I've personally used AirBnb 6 times, and I'm 6-for-6. There might be a bad experience in my future, there might not. To me, it's worth it to keep using it to find a place with a washer that will save me money.

I've used airbnb all over the world as have several relatives and friends, even more extensively than me. I've always had great experiences and don't know anyone personally who has had a bad experience. There are those who have had bad experiences though since these listings are all owned by private individuals who are listing space in their personal properties. You can minimize the risk quite a bit though if you follow a few rules....
My advice would be to only use places with plenty of reviews. Once you choose a place make sure to communicate thoroughly with the owner. If they aren't communicative consider cancelling the reservation. Make sure that all of the pictures have the airbnb verified symbol which means that someone from airbnb actually went to the apartment to view it. If you have specific expectations (aircon, elevator, certain number of beds, etc.) make sure to read the listing very carefully.
There are several kinds of listings...the entire place or rooms in someones home. I've rented both and had great experiences even with just renting a room in someone's home.
There are rentals that are only rented to travelers and there are rentals that are the owner's primary residence and they vacate the property to make money when someone stays there. I have stayed in both of these kinds as well...there is a difference. If you are staying in someone's primary residence expect their shampoo to be in the shower and their clothes in the closet! If it's a dedicated rental it'll be like any other hotel or vacation rental that is stocked with what a traveler needs but nothing else. This is important to some people so make sure you know which kind you're getting before you reserve!

I've had nothing but great experience with Air BnB. They're going to be a future force to be reckoned with in the hospitality industry. They're already making big waves worldwide. Thousands and thousands of properties are listed, too.
Our last property visited was a fabulous condo in Halifax that'd previously been a church--with a huge stained glass window.
As soon as we left the property, Air BnB was e-mailing us asking about our opinion on the property.
I also realized they were also obtaining our hosts opinions on us as temporary tenants--and we're being rated.

If you're going to Rome, the best source about travel information is RonInRome.com. He discusses every detail of visiting there.

I myself have never used AirBnb, but have heard many great comments from people on this forum and elsewhere. I think of AirBnb as handling mostly apartments and rooms in private homes. I have used booking.com for hotels and B & Bs, with consistently excellent results, including when I have rarely canceled or shortened a reservation. I happened to see an interview this week with the founder/CEO of AirBnb, on the CNBC financial channel, a very sharp guy. The company is considered one of real emerging companies. They are growing quickly, and give various types of security top priority. I believe he said they had listings in 180 countries already. They just started in Cuba a month ago, he said they started with 1,000 listings there, and then added another 1,000 in the first month.

Once again the people on this site have come through and helped me!! Thank you for the responses! I feel so much better now! I just have one more question... How many reviews is considered "a lot?" The two or three that I've looked at so far have about 50-60 reviews. Is that not a lot? They were all positive (at least those I could read in English) and discussed all aspects of the place, but again- just want to make the right choice!

Thanks again!!!

I've used airbnb a dozen times over the last few years thru Europe and the US...it's pretty much my go-to now for accoms. For me, I think anything over about 20-25 reviews is good. It gives a good overview...but if they only have 10 or 15 reviews but all are positive, then I'll go for it.

We used it in Italy last year and found an amazing apartment in Rome just steps from the Colosseum for a great price. Also used it for apts on the Amalfi Coast and in Venice. Just booked up a place for our NYC trip in July, and yesterday booked a great looking place in Paris for this Sept. We've done both private rooms and whole apts. When having private rooms, we've had ones who will say...here's your room...enjoy...and leave you to yourself. We also had one who picked us up at the train station in Bath, one who took us up to Eze for a drive when we stayed in Villefranche, one we chatted with for a few hours about anything and everything when we stayed near Yosemite.

I know places (especially the good ones) can get booked up fast even months ahead. Last year I was booking in May for our early Sept trip. I had a top 5 for our Paris trip at the end of Sept this year...and last week one of them got booked for my dates! You don't want to wait too long if you find one you really like...just check their cancellation policy - some are fairly lenient, and some are quite strict (as in - once you book, if you cancel you get no refund). And be aware that you do pay airbnb up front...they don't put it off until your trip. (Which is nice because you can get things paid off ahead). What airbnb does do is hold the payment from the renter until a few days after your stay, so if there are any disputes, they withhold the money from the renter until things are resolved...

Don't immediately write-off places with the small number of reviews, though, especially if they're newly listed. Twice I booked a place because the price, location and most everything about them fit, despite the no reviews, especially if it's moderate to flexible cancelation. The prices of those two places went up significantly once the positive reviews came in, and I was glad I'd taken a chance.

I'm obsessed with AirBnB, and I found out about it on this site years ago so it's actually a well-known and well-used site. I love the prices, but even more I really like the protective policies they have put in place for the renter and owner. They have really revamped things especially over the past few years, and things are quite clear with regard to what these policies are. I have rented places in multiple countries, some for stays of over a month. I have reservations for Rome, Paris and Berlin already lined up for this summer. I only once had an issue - a new owner had underestimated the cost of her flat. I booked at the lower rate, so she tried to get me (and others) to cancel saying she was going to be in the hospital that week (it was 5 months in advance). It was quite shady. Anyway, I contacted AirBnB, I got a resolution in less than 24 hours, I received all my money back, plus extra, and was able to reserve a bigger and better flat for the same price. The property and owner were removed from the site. Anyway, my point is on any site you may have some owners who are shady and bend the truth, but my estimation of the company is based on what the company does if things like this happen. AirBnB is truly on top of things like that, in my opinion.

Thank you all so much! What detailed and wonderfully helpful responses. I have been doing research all day and feel so much better knowing that I can trust the site and now have a much better idea what to look for in a listing.

Thanks again!!