Airbnb enforcing anti-party restrictions for Halloween 2021
Airbnb will block all one-night reservations for entire home listings in the United States and Canada for Halloween 2021 in a bid to stop parties that could serve as spreading events for COVID-19, the company said.
The rental company introduced its "anti-party" restrictions last Halloween to curb the spread of COVID-19 ahead of major holidays traditionally associated with what the company calls "party-type behavior."
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Airbnb implemented the party ban on New Year’s Eve and Fourth of July weekends. Users with a history of positive reviews from host feedback were given an exception to the ban.
Since introducing the party ban last year, Airbnb saw a 49% drop in unauthorized parties for Halloween and a more than 51% drop for New Year’s Eve. As a result, Airbnb will again institute restrictions on one and two-night entire home stays in the U.S. and Canada, the company announced.
Over the 2021 Halloween weekend, guests without a history of positive reviews on Airbnb will be prohibited from making one-night reservations in entire home listings.
Airbnb’s current community standards prohibit customers from "creating a nuisance that disturbs the surrounding neighborhood." Gatherings of 16 or more people and disruptive parties and events are prohibited while renting a property. The party ban was implemented in 2019 and later expanded to ban "open-invite" parties and large disruptive gatherings in apartments and condominiums.
Over the 2021 Halloween weekend, guests without a history of positive reviews on Airbnb will be prohibited from making one-night reservations in entire home listings.
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As the holiday approaches, the company will deploy heightened restrictions by blocking certain local and last-minute bookings from guests without a history of positive reviews. The company also said it will block reservations within an expanded radius.
Guests who have a history of positive reviews on Airbnb will not be subject to these restrictions. Customers who make one or two-night reservations will need to agree to Airbnb’s party ban regulations and they may be subject to legal action if the rules are violated.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.