Recently, Airbnb’s ban on parties became codified policy. Airbnb is specifically targeting unauthorized parties, or those held without the consent of the Airbnb host, in Australia, Canada, and the United States. These parties often cause damage to the homes themselves, as well as the surrounding neighborhood. In order to prevent this from occurring, Airbnb is introducing a tool that identifies reservations made by individuals with a high risk for such behavior. This includes examining users’ history of positive reviews, past lengths of stay, distance to the listing, and other factors. The tool is designed to prevent individuals flagged from making entire home bookings. However, these users are still able to book a private room, likely where the host will be on site, or a hotel room through Airbnb. This tool is an expansion of a previous policy that has been in place in North America since 2020 called the “under-25” system, focusing on younger guests. This system has proven efficacy, including a “35 percent drop in incidents of unauthorized parties” in areas in which it was enacted in Australia in its pilot phase in 2021.
Airbnb also emphasizes that the intention of this policy is to be as considerate as possible to users, given that the system naturally can never be exactly precise. Along with these tools, Airbnb aims to partner with experts and communities to complement their safety efforts, as well as to invest in their Neighborhood Support Line to facilitate more direct communication with neighbors voicing concerns. For more information on this policy update, click here