Airbnb Is Making Its Ban on Parties Permanent

Airbnb is making its ban on parties at homes listed on the site for short-term rentals permanent. The San Francisco company believes the ban has worked, saying Tuesday that reports of parties at listed properties have dropped 44% from a year ago. More than 6,600 guests were suspended last year for related violations, Airbnb said. Airbnb began to crack down on parties in 2019 after a fatal shooting at a party in a house in California. At that time, the company prohibited advertising parties at Airbnb locations on social media.

"The policy will continue to include serious consequences for guests who attempt to violate rules, varying from account suspension to full removal from the platform," Airbnb said. The number of parties at Airbnb locations increased during the pandemic, Airbnb said, as people moved gatherings from bars and clubs to rented homes. That led to a temporary ban in 2020. While making the ban permanent, Airbnb said it will lift a limit of 16 people at rented properties, the AP reports. It said the cap was prompted by health concerns before vaccines against COVID-19 were available.

(More Airbnb stories.)