Airbnb’s Anti House Party Policy Blocked Thousands of Bookings

The last thing that neighbors want during a pandemic is a bunch of 20-something adults turning a house into a makeshift nightclub. Since the pandemic started, a lot of party goers tried using Airbnb to find a place where they can gather irresponsibly and even trash the property during the party.

According to the vacation rental app, Airbnb was able to stop 3,500 potential parties in Boston thanks to its anti house party policy. The app didn’t mention the popular cities and towns which young Boston residents tend to gravitate towards. Aside from Boston, the app also blocked 3,000 bookings in Washington, 1,500 in Buffalo, and around 2,600 in Baltimore.

The anti house party policy was announced in July 2020 during the peak of the pandemic. Airbnb made it harder for guests under 25 to book an entire property or house. Guests below 25 years old with no positive reviews from Airbnb hosts will not be able to reserve an entire house or property near their homes. This rule is not applicable for those who are over 25 and for those who are younger but have at least three positive reviews on the app. Also, anyone can book a private room.

Airbnb explained that though less than 1% of bookings result in “safety-related issues”, the pandemic made it necessary for the company to make the necessary changes in their policy.

Last Tuesday, Airbnb released their data regarding their initiatives to “crack down on unauthorized parties in Boston”. The company said that though the parties are “rare”, they know that “it can be disruptive for hosts and neighbors”.

Stopping House Parties

House parties have led to problems regardless if it’s during a pandemic or not. In 2016, there was an unsolved murder that happened in a Lynnfield Airbnb rental. This made Airbnb apply the new regulations on the app. There was also a lawsuit that reached the Supreme Court.

The announcement made by Airbnb happened right before the 4^th of July weekend which is a favorite time by many to party.