Airbnb Is Banning Parties in Its Rentals Worldwide

House parties and Airbnb have never had a cordial relationship. For years, the home rental company has been under fire for allowing unauthorised parties of all kinds on the wildness spectrum—the better end of which has been trashy, open-for all orgies, and the worst ending in fatal shootings. 

In the middle of a global pandemic though, the problem went up a notch. A recent party in an Airbnb rental in New Jersey had over 700 attendees, leaving local residents terrified of their aftermath. London too reported Airbnb rentals being turned into illegal nightclubs, drawing lots of people. With local residents and governments being exasperated by the company’s perceived lack of accountability, Airbnb has finally come out with a new policy: It has now banned house parties in all of its rentals worldwide, for an indefinite amount of time. 

All of their listings now have a restriction on the number of guests allowed, with the limit capping at 16 for the bigger residences which can house more. 

As the world continues battling the COVID-19 pandemic, most bars, clubs, and pubs around the world have been either closed or regulated. And so, for people who’ve chosen to take their bar and club behaviour to homes—not their own, but the ones rented through Airbnb—they’ve tightened their rules. The website removed filters such as “event friendly” from its search, and “parties and events allowed” from its listings. It’s also made it mandatory for all users to adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines. 

“We think such conduct is incredibly irresponsible—we do not want that type of business, and anyone engaged in or allowing that behavior does not belong on our platform,” the company said in its statement that was released on August 20, adding that instituting a global ban on parties and events is in the best interest of public health. "We also understand that 16 is not a magic number, and issues can occur with groups of any size," it adds, asserting that they are not sanctioning smaller gatherings with this either, and reminding all guests to comply with the local health restriction. 

In fact, unauthorised parties were prohibited at Airbnb listings even before the pandemic struck. The company had banned all events with an open invitation and only allowed hosts to authorise small parties—such as baby showers or birthday parties—if they were appropriate for their home and their neighbourhood. 

Airbnb claims to have imposed stricter limits since last year itself. First, they banned all “party house” listings, i.e. those that created persistent neighbourhood nuisance. They then put restrictions on allowing guests under the age of 25 to book listings locally, in the U.S. and Canada. And for the U.S., they also launched a 24/7 neighbourhood support hotline—basically meaning your neighbour could snitch on you directly to the company if you end up being a pain in their ass. 

And if that doesn’t deter you from planning an Airbnb rave, the company say it’s also implemented harsh consequences for both hosts and guests who try to skirt the rules. It includes a ban from the community and even legal action if they get out of hand, such as the party in Sacramento in California where three people were shot.   

Follow Satviki on Instagram.