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Airbnb announced on Tuesday the codification of its ban on parties, making permanent the ban first announced in August 2020.
The ban was originally intended to be a temporary measure to encourage responsible home sharing during the pandemic, but the ban has proved effective and will become permanent, the company said on Tuesday.
“The ban has been well received by our Host community and we’ve received positive feedback from community leaders and elected officials,” the company said in a news release. “As we build on this momentum, we believe the time is right to codify this policy.”
The party ban was built upon measures announced in 2019 that prohibited “open invite” parties as well as “chronic party houses” — houses that were repeatedly being booked for large parties. The company also launched its Neighborhood Support Line at that time, which allowed people to phone in complaints about large parties, and removed the “event friendly” category from its search filter and “parties and events allowed” house rule option.
The restrictions implemented in 2020 were intended to stem the use of Airbnbs for socialization at a time when bars and clubs were shuttered during the pandemic. A capacity limit of 16 people was imposed, and guests, who violated the rule, were threatened with suspension. Airbnb says over 6,600 guests were suspended during 2021 for violations of the party ban.
The ban has proved effective so far, the company claims, with a 44 percent year-over-year drop in party activity after the ban was implemented in August 2020.
As part of the codified version of the law, the 16-person cap will be removed — with an understanding that there are a number of large properties on the platform that can comfortably host more than 16 people.
The ban on large, open-invite parties will remain in place, with punishment for violating the ban ranging from suspension to removal from the platform, Airbnb said.
Revenues for Airbnb during May 2022 were up 70 percent from the year prior, with the company bringing in $1.5 billion during the first quarter, Airbnb reported. The first quarter saw travelers book more nights on Airbnb than at any point in the company’s history, as more hosts joined the platform and travelers continued to traverse the globe.
