Airbnb bans one-night NYE bookings in bid to stop disruptive parties

Airbnb bans one-night New Year’s Eve bookings across the world in bid to stop properties being used for ‘disruptive parties’

• The anti-party restrictions are in effect in 11 countries, from the U.S to the UK
• The heightened rules are being rolled out following a successful trial last year 
• Airbnb’s NYE defences have been activated over 7,800 times this year in London

Airbnb is cracking down globally on properties being used for New Year’s Eve parties with bans on some guests making one-night bookings for December 31.

The anti-party restrictions will be in effect over the New Year’s Eve weekend in 11 countries – the US (including Puerto Rico), Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, the UK, Ireland, Portugal and the Netherlands.

The heightened rules are being rolled out following a successful trial last year, Airbnb said.

It explained that it is introducing restrictions on certain types of bookings to ‘tackle disruptive parties’, with a ban on one-night bookings of entire home listings for guests without a positive account history, or no previous bookings at all.

Airbnb is cracking down globally on properties being used for New Year’s Eve parties with bans on some guests making one-night bookings for December 31

The home rental site added: ‘We’re also introducing tighter restrictions for those same guests who try to book two and three-night reservations, with an emphasis on attempts to book locally.

‘This wider rollout follows the successful trial of these automated defences in eight countries over NYE last year as part of our efforts to help enforce our global ban on parties, which we codified earlier this summer.

‘We estimate that the measures have contributed to a year-over-year drop in rates of party incidents over NYE of roughly six per cent in the UK, since the defences were first piloted in 2020.

‘Last year, approximately 340,000 guests globally were blocked or redirected from attempting to book on Airbnb over NYE, including more than over 34,500 guests in the UK.’

Airbnb’s anti-party restrictions will be in effect over the New Year’s Eve weekend in 11 countries – the US (including Puerto Rico), Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, the UK, Ireland, Portugal and the Netherlands

Airbnb revealed that the UK cities where its NYE defences had been activated the most in 2022 were London (over 7,800 times), Manchester (1,350), Brighton (850) and Edinburgh (800).

Naba Banerjee, Director of Trust Product and Operations at Airbnb, said: ‘Stays take place across the world each night on Airbnb, with the overwhelming majority of guests and Hosts being respectful of neighbours and delivering benefits to their local community.

‘These proactive defences will help to promote responsible travel and help to prevent rare instances of unwelcome behaviour, and enable Hosts, guests and communities to enjoy their end-of-year celebrations with added reassurance.’

Airbnb is currently in a drive to encourage more people to become hosts and rent out their properties.

To encourage the reluctant, Airbnb recently unveiled a new feature that offers neophytes advice from the site’s highly experienced ‘superhosts’ who, for a fee paid by the company, provide advice and suggestions.

‘We got to help people make money,’ Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky told AFP. 

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