It may depend on the area.

For example, I wanted to find a place to stay for the long weekend this weekend. So I looked at my usual sites, but then decided to have a look at airbnb to see what it had to offer. After all, we've tried out a couple different/unusual places lately, and I thought perhaps airbnb would present some interesting options ... but there was nothing suitable in my price range. It was all too expensive.

So then I wanted to find a place to stay for the long weekend next weekend, and again I checked my usual sites plus airbnb ... and airbnb had absolutely nothing to offer in the area we're going that weekend.

There are other towns I'd like to visit again, but unfortunately airbnb has nothing to offer for those areas either.

I'll keep checking it because some of the places on offer do look interesting ... studio apartments, historic cottages, etc. ... so it's worth a look. But I've yet to see anything particularly inexpensive.