AirBnb announces anti-party plan for summer holidays
Airbnb has announced that they are cracking down on summer parties across the state of New York, with strict anti-party measures set to go in effect over both Memorial Day weekend and the Fourth of July.
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - If you were planning to spend your summer holidays "Project X" style, in a huge rental home partying with your friends, you might what to rethink that idea. Airbnb has announced that they are cracking down on summer parties across the state of New York, with strict anti-party measures set to go in effect over both Memorial Day weekend and the Fourth of July.
If you don't have any positive reviews on the home-rental website, you will not be able to book an entire home listing for one-night reservations on either Memorial Day weekend or the Fourth of July weekend. As July 4 approaches, Airbnb will get even more strict, making it more difficult for guests without a history of positive reviews to book two-night stays.
Anti-party attestations will also be introduced to guests trying to make local reservations, in which they must attest that they will not throw a party against the company's rules. If they break that rule, users will also acknowledge that they could be subject to legal action from the company.
Airbnb says they do not take these measures lightly. Both Memorial Day and the Fourth of July are meaningful weekends that allow hosts to facilitate all kinds of responsible travelers, which is why the company allows exceptions on these bookings for those who have a history of positive reviews and have earned trust through Airbnb. The company says they understand that the simple fact of not yet having reviews does not mean that a guest is trying to throw a party- but that's a trade-off they're willing to make in the interest of trust and safety.
The company is also working to raise awareness of its Neighborhood Support Line, which provides a forum for neighbors to flag for Airbnb in real-time if they see a party in progress at an Airbnb home. In those cases, Airbnb's Safety team will work to support the neighbor, work with law enforcement if needed, and take action against the people responsible for throwing the party. The Neighborhood Support Line is available online and includes a 24/7 hotline in the United States.
This same sort of crackdown on partying was successful in 2021. Over 126,000 guests without histories of positive reviews were impacted by the anti-party system that year, resulting in a substantial decrease in reports of disruptive and unauthorized parties. Airbnb has said they look forward to sharing similar announcements in the coming months.