Airbnb bans ‘party houses’ permanently

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Airbnb has announced that it will keep its ban on parties in place following a temporary ban set in 2020.

The company announced Tuesday that it would codify the 2020 temporary ban, which had limited occupancy to 16 people and prohibited disruptive parties.

“Disruptive parties and events will continue to be prohibited, including open-invite gatherings. ‘Party house’ properties will continue to be strictly prohibited as well.” Guests or hosts who break these rules could have their accounts removed or their listings removed from Airbnb.

In 2019, five people were shot and killed during an unauthorized party at an Airbnb rental in Orinda, California. At the time, Airbnb set up a rapid response team to deal with complaints from neighbors and started screening “high risk” bookings, such as reservations at a large home for one night.

Coronavirus-related closure of bars and nightclubs in 2020 led to an increase of large house parties at Airbnb rentals. The company followed up with an “until further notice” ban on large parties.

Following the ban, Airbnb said there was a 44% drop in party reports year-over-year. In 2021, at least 6,600 guests were also suspended from Airbnb for attempting to violate Airbnb’s party ban.

The temporary party ban policy had limited occupancy to 16 people. Airbnb has since removed that limit for hosts who have a listing that can house above 16 people “comfortably.”

The company said it will use strong enforcement to identify disruptive parties, including “party homes.” Airbnb has set up several measures to enforce its policy, including a 24-hour safety line, a neighborhood support line and a partnership with competitor Vrbo to share information on repeat offenders.

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