Airbnb said it has permanently banned parties at its facilities around the world, about two years after home-sharing services put temporary restrictions on large gatherings.
“Temporary bans have proven effective,” the company said. Said “We have officially codified a ban as our policy,” he added in a statement on Tuesday. That day, a permanent ban came into effect.
The move came after Airbnb banned social media-promoted “open invitations” gatherings and annoying “chronic party houses” in the neighborhood in 2019. However, the company said the 16-person occupancy limit that Airbnb adopted when it announced a temporary ban on “all parties and events” in the summer of 2020 has been lifted under the new policy.
Customers who violate the rules may face consequences such as account suspension or permanent ban from the platform. In 2021, Airbnb said it had suspended more than 6,600 customers for violating the party ban.
Complaints about noisy parties in homes booked through the service have accumulated over the years, leading to a temporary ban applied by the company in August 2020. At that time, lessors were using to gather these homes into large groups while restaurants and bars were closed due to pandemic restrictions.
“Over time, the party’s ban became more than a public health measure,” the company said. “It has evolved into a foundational community policy to support our hosts and their neighbors.”
Airbnb said the party’s reporting rate has dropped 44% year-on-year since imposing a temporary ban. However, critics of the company point out that reports have declined as restrictions on meetings at bars, restaurants and other venues have been relaxed since the early days of the pandemic.
“The ban was well received by our host community and we received positive feedback from community leaders and elected officials,” the company said.
Covid-19 was not the only safety risk for these parties. In the United States and Canada, at least 27 shootings were associated with Airbnb rentals between March and October 2020.
The rally was also destructive to our neighbors. In 2019, Airbnb introduced a 24-hour hotline called the Neighborhood Support Line. This can be used by neighbors to contact the company about awkward homes and guests.
Leader, Jessica Black Texas Neighborhood UnionA group working to limit short-term leasing across Texas said it was concerned that Airbnb had lifted the 16-person capacity limit. She said that garbage, noise and parking are all issues when there are more people in a residential area than usual.
“The house wasn’t designed or intended as an event venue,” Black said. “It’s not like having a neighbor. I’m a stranger, so I’m not going to knock on the door at midnight. You don’t know who they are.”
May, Airbnb Banning guests without history The number of positive reviews from booking one night on weekends of summer holidays, such as Memorial Day and Independence Day.
“The simple fact that there are no reviews yet does not mean that guests are trying to hold a party,” the company said in May. “This is a willing trade-off for trust and security.”
Professor Karen Shi of the University of Denver, who studies the short-term leasing industry, said Wednesday that he wasn’t surprised that Airbnb had permanently banned parties. According to Professor Xie, the company is “sick of dealing with host claims and settlement of damages from house parties.”
“Almost all hosts who are willing to open their homes to their guests hate house parties,” she said.
