Dana Point Airbnb Rental Owners Get New Holiday Rules: 2022

DANA POINT, CA — Airbnb announced Monday that it is expanding its crackdown on New Year's Eve parties in Dana Point, Laguna Niguel and throughout the U.S.

The vacation rental platform first announced on Nov. 2 that it would prohibit guests without a history of positive reviews on Airbnb from making one-night reservations in entire home listings on Dec. 31. It also said it would restrict local and last-minute two-night reservation bookings during that period by guests without a history of positive reviews.

On Monday, the platform announced it would extend its restrictions on two-night bookings to include three-night bookings, as well. The decision was made based on positive feedback from hosts that use the platform, according to Airbnb.

If you are searching for Airbnb rentals available for New Year's Eve in Orange County, you're bound to be disappointed. There are only 40 places to stay for one-night rentals for groups of four guests and under as of this report. Parties of six or more for one night are even fewer, with a mere three available on the rental platform across the entire county. One of those is for a backyard, day-use only rental in Huntington Beach.

In 2020, Airbnb announced a global ban on parties and events with more than 16 people at Airbnb listings in an attempt to prevent nuisances that disturb surrounding neighborhoods.

During holidays that attract more unauthorized parties, the platform ramps up its preventative measures, according to Airbnb, which said the program is aimed at protecting its hosts and minimizing neighborhood disruption.

The platform first piloted its restrictions during New Year's Eve in 2020 for the mainland United States, Canada, Australia, France, Spain and the United Kingdom. According to Airbnb, about 243,000 guests around the world encountered the restrictions during booking attempts ahead of New Year's Eve.

Its 2021 restrictions are being applied to the same countries as in 2020, along with Brazil and New Zealand. The U.S. restrictions were also extended to include Puerto Rico.

The same restrictions applied in the U.S. and Canada over July 4 and Halloween in 2021.

Have Airbnb rental parties upset your neighborhood? Tell us about it by emailing your Patch editor.