Airbnb will be renewing a ban on parties that first came into effect a year ago for Halloween 2021, the company announced on Tuesday.
The measure is an extension of a broader policy against large parties which fall under Airbnb’s community standards.
Airbnb says although they have always prohibited unauthorized policies, the COVID-19 pandemic led them to take additional steps, including removing the “event-friendly” search filter and the “parties and events allowed” House Rules from any event-friendly listings.
For Halloween, Airbnb is also looking at some restrictions against last-minute bookings and reservations made by guests who lack a history of positive feedback.
It’s a similar move to what the company did in 2020, for events around Halloween, July 4 and New Year’s Eve.
“For Halloween 2020, we introduced a block on all 1-night reservations for entire home listings in the U.S. and Canada,” Airbnb stated.
“Then, for the weekends of New Year’s Eve and July 4, we introduced similar measures but with exceptions for guests with histories of positive reviews, based on feedback from our Hosts. For these holidays we also included additional protections for certain two-night reservations.”
According to Airbnb, these policies led to an estimated drop in incidents of unauthorized parties by over 49 per cent at Halloween, and over 51 per cent for New Year’s Eve.
For Halloween 2021, guests without a history of positive reviews will be prohibited from making one-night reservations in entire home listings throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Two-night reservations will be restricted against local or last-minute bookings by guests without a history of positive reviews. Reservations may also be blocked within an expanded radius.
Any guest, including those with a history of positive reviews, will also need to click a checkbox during an online booking that says they understand Airbnb’s party ban. The warning also indicates that legal action could be pursued against policy violators.
“We also know that the great majority of guests are respectful of neighbours and treat their Hosts’ homes with the utmost respect,” Airbnb stated.
“We believe this plan will help prevent large gatherings while supporting the type of safe, responsible travel that benefits guests, Hosts and the neighbourhoods they call home.”
