Airbnb Says No Right To Party: Platform Makes Party Ban Permanent

NEW YORK — Airbnb has been increasingly cracking down on unauthorized parties at rental properties on the platform in recent years. This week, the company announced that a global temporary party ban that went into effect in August 2020 will be made permanent.

A representative from Airbnb said that the temporary ban "proved effective."

"We believe there is a direct correlation between our implementation of the policy in August 2020 and a 44 percent year-over-year global drop in the rate of party reports. We’ve seen even more success in New York, where there’s been a 62 percent year-over-year drop in party reports."

As the July 4 weekend approaches, the company is adding additional party-deterrent measures. Guests without positive reviews on the platform are banned from making single-night reservations for the holiday weekend.

Before 2020, hosts were allowed to authorize small gatherings if they felt they were "appropriate for their home and their neighborhood," Airbnb's official statement on the policy says.

But in response to problematic listings that drew repeated complaints from neighbors, Airbnb began cracking down on "party houses" and created a neighborhood support hotline in the U.S. and Canada. Guests under age 25 also now need a history of positive reviews to rent entire houses close to home.

In response to the pandemic and social distancing requirements, Airbnb enacted a global party ban in 2020. The company now says the success of the temporary ban in preventing neighborhood complaints spurred it to keep the rule.

Gatherings of more than 16 people are considered parties and "guests will be informed about Airbnb’s party rules and informed that they may be legally pursued by Airbnb if they violate our policy."