Airbnb has announced permanent party ban on all its global listings with immediate effect after it “indefinitely” prohibited them in 2020.
In August 2020 the company announced a temporary ban on all parties and events in listings globally. The temporary ban has proved effective, and today now they are officially codifying the ban as a policy.
Explaining the rationale behind the ban, in a blogpost Airbnb wrote “We believe there is a direct correlation between our implementation of the policy in August 2020 and a 44% year-over-year drop in the rate of party reports. The ban has been well welcomed by our Host community and we’ve received positive feedback from community leaders and elected officials. As we build on this momentum, we believe the time is right to codify this policy.”
Though Airbnb approved hosts to hold limited parties, it prohibited open parties in 2019. It also launched a neighborhood helpline to report noisy parties or concerns about someone’s personal safety on the booked property. The company took this step after many people died at different parties hosted on Airbnb-booked properties.
How the Airbnb ban policy works
Back in August 2020, Airbnb had also put a cap of 16 people in large occupancy houses. While it was prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the measure was also taken to curb parties. Now, with this new policy about parties, it will remove the 16-person limit for large properties based on host feedback in the coming months.
Airbnb said guests who break the policy can face suspension or a blanket ban from the holiday booking platform. It noted that last year, it banned 6,600 users for violating the company’s party rules.
The company said it also works with hosts to cover damages through its AirCover for hosts program. Last month, Airbnb also rolled out tools for guests like a 24/7 safety line and a “Get-What-You-Booked” guarantee.
