Hello christopher!:
1) Indeed i agree, i myself am a host in Mexico ( in Merida city to be exact), and i agree with this point, it seems excesive to me when i travel around and see like a great spot with a great price, but then when i keep looking for fees, the price goes up to the moon, being sometimes the same as a cheap good 2 stars hotel.
Why?, there are some "Airbnb masters", or people who are in the bussines serious of short term rental( and i believe i'm too) saying, that it's better to have low prices for the room, but then charge a little extra more for fee like cleaning.. because at the end people like to pay them because makes them feel like it's actually going to be clean. But honestly it depends on your property, and i definitely feel there are some people charging excesive amounts of money for this fee equivalent to the nightly price, which its insane. and when some of them ( MOST) clean the space themselves, so its another fee they earn, and not they actually pay to someone.
2): I also agree in this one, i've used Airbnb in so many countries, and i must say US, it's the most expensive one, why?, because i do believe TONS of people are trying to use their extra space to rent it on Airbnb so they can cover apartment rent for themselves, which it's okay, it's a way of paying your own bills, when it becomes kinda wrong, is when you try to rip off everything to pay those expenses, and that your space doesn't actually deserve the amount of money you are charging.. but at the end is no one faults, because even tho they are charging excesive and dumb amounts of money.. (i've seen $100 for a night and small room), people are still paying it.. if people did not pay it, they would have to lower their price.. so, it's both sides story..
The thing, is Airbnb even tho it started as a way of have an income, or make new friends,, now it's a short term rental bussines, so owners are treating it like it, raising their prices to the top..
my regards!