Airbnb Announced Its Temporary Party Ban Is Now A Permanent Feature
Since the beginning of its time, Airbnb has been used to throw big parties, and you may or may not have attended one, two, or a few over the years. If you've used Airbnb to host large events, it's definitely time to find another platform. The days of using Airbnb for parties and events of varied sizes and reasons are officially over. According to CNBC, in late June, Airbnb announced its decision to ban parties permanently — perhaps a huge relief to hosts worldwide.
The news came after a temporary restriction ban that Airbnb had formerly put in place two years ago, but the company has decided to move forward with the prohibition permanently, effective immediately. The ban includes rowdy parties, open invite events, and even one-night gatherings. This shouldn't come as a surprise, as it's no secret that the company has struggled with guests throwing wild house parties that have gotten out of control over the years.
Airbnb is not playing around
According to USA Today, Airbnb first placed a ban on parties and set safety guidelines in 2019 after five people were shot and killed during a booking in California. Then, the global ban came in 2020 due to the pandemic. Since August 2020, the company has experienced a 44% year-over-year decrease in party reports, according to Airbnb. Because the ban proved to work effectively, they decided to move forward with it in their policy.
Of course, Airbnb can implement as many restrictions as they want, but there's only so much they can do to an extent. The operators aren't always able to stop parties or events from happening, especially for guests checking into properties where the owner doesn't live nearby. But consequences have been put in place should guests violate their rules. According to CNBC, repercussions for Airbnb guests who break the rules include account suspension or even complete removal from the platform.
Better safe than sorry
Airbnb felt that this was the right move because there was a direct correlation between the 2019 California incident and the 2020 pandemic that proved a ban would be the most effective solution. Airbnb hosts and neighborhoods hailed the ban, and the company also received positive feedback from community leaders and elected officials, per Airbnb. However, according to The New York Times, the previous 16-person occupancy limit that Airbnb originally put in place in the summer of 2020 under the recently developed policy is now being lifted.
For larger groups, Airbnb emphasizes using its Summer Release, where consumers are matched with categories of more spacious and comfortable housing for those who correctly comply with the guidelines to find better accommodations. It's clear that the company does not play around, considering that more than 6,500 people were suspended from the platform for overruling the party ban in 2021.