German Airbnb owner rents out a student dorm room to a traveler under the guise of a real apartment, traveler reports him: ‘He openly bragged about running illegal Airbnbs as a side hustle’

A traveler in Germany books an Airbnb from a host, but ends up reporting him when they realize the room they rented was actually a German school's student housing.

Side-hustle culture means that many aspirational members of the working world are willing to do whatever it takes to get the bag. If you're not conning or harming anyone, what's the big deal? We all have to make it in this world one way or another, and if filling out surveys with pesky pop-up ads gets us an extra $100 a month, more power to us. These grocery bills won't pay themselves! Side-hustle culture has been gaining popularity in the last few years because of terms like "grindset" and that strange side of LinkedIn where everyone overshares.

What are the quirks and scenarios that nomadic travelers shouldn't expect when slumming it around Europe? Travel experts urge you to watch out for pickpockets, find a trusted RFID-blocking wallet, and think twice about which strangers you should and shouldn't trust. Some of these tips are classics, and others might make you Google what "RFID" is. Either way, you can be as careful and considerate as you possibly can, and you'll still be surprised by how intricate some scammers are with their cons. They don't discriminate; everyone is an equal target in this wild world. When seasoned travelers urge you to expect the unexpected and then some, you believe them. Even Airbnb hosts are out for the coin with little reluctance in who they knock down along the way.

You probably wouldn't expect an Airbnb host to rent out a room in a student housing building, because that would be preposterous! Who in their right mind would do that or have access to school housing? That seems far-fetched, and honestly, illegal. Right… it is illegal. That's what happens to the traveler in the story below, and the Airbnb owner gets even more snappy with them when they start to figure out the scheme. This Airbnb owner admits to, and even brags about, having multiple Airbnbs for passive income while he, a student, completes his studies. To the authorities, your name goes, German student-turned-Airbnb owner. Scroll below to get the full scoop on this housing scheme.