I've had no issues with AIRBNB either as a traveler or a host. The problems have been with the actual hosts of properties I've booked. They have been the misrepresentative ones and I now carefully read all reviews and identification process on the people I will be interacting with.

As a host, I screen the requests the same way. Read the reviews and decline ANYTHING fishy. People will try to go around the system to get to your home.

AIRBNB is a tool and with skill of your own it can work well for your purposes.