Airbnb officially bans parties at its listings in a new policy

Short-term rental agency Airbnb is permanently banning parties at properties listed on its site, the company announced Tuesday.

"We know that the overwhelming majority of our Hosts share their homes responsibly, just as the overwhelming majority of guests are responsible and treat their listings and neighborhoods as if they were their own," Airbnb said in a statement.

"In turn, we focus on trying to deter the very rare cases of Hosts who do not operate responsibly, or guests who try to throw unauthorized parties."

Those who violate the policy will be suspended or removed from the platform.

Airbnb used to leave the decision to throw parties to hosts. Then, in 2019, it banned "open-invite" parties and "chronic party houses."

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with bars and clubs being closed, people began taking their parties to Airbnbs. The company temporarily banned parties in August 2020 to curb the spread of the virus. Since then, reports of parties have dropped 44% year-to-year, Airbnb said.

In 2021, about 6,600 people were suspended from Airbnb for violating the temporary ban. At the time, there was a 16-person limit on gatherings, which has since been lifted.

The temporary ban received positive feedback from hosts and politicians, Airbnb said.

"Over time, the party ban became much more than a public health measure," it said. "It developed into a bedrock community policy to support our Hosts and their neighbors." [Copyright 2022 NPR]