17 ‘party houses’ in San Diego County targeted by Airbnb crackdown
Airbnb announced Friday that it has suspended or terminated 17 San Diego County listings as part of a crackdown on “party houses” that have received complaints or violated company policies regarding parties and events.
The actions targeted listings in Escondido and La Mesa, as well as various San Diego neighborhoods including Clairemont Mesa, Linda Vista, Mission Bay Park, North Park, Pacific Beach, Peninsula, Southeastern San Diego and Uptown.
Airbnb said in a statement that hosts were notified within the past week.
The company said the action follows a recent policy change banning parties to all bookings until further notice, in addition to limiting registrations to 16 people.
“In the current environment, preventing large parties and gatherings is more important than ever, and we support the efforts of local officials to put an end to this irresponsible behavior,” said John Choi, director of public policy. from Airbnb in San Diego. “We hope that sharing these steps today can further raise awareness for our 24/7 helpline, so that we can strengthen enforcement of our party house ban across the country. San Diego County.”
On Twitter, San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott called the effort a good start, “but these owners can still advertise on other platforms.”
It’s a good start, but these owners can still advertise on other platforms. If the city council passes a short-term rental ordinance, San Diego could quickly revoke STR party house permits and bring peace to their neighbors. https://t.co/IAWj8FihuK
— SD City Attorney (@CityAttorneySD) August 28, 2020
The company said many of the registration suspensions resulted from concerns raised by county residents through the company’s neighbor hotline.
The announcement also comes less than a month after the San Diego City Attorney’s Office filed a lawsuit against a Bankers Hill short-term Airbnb rental that was allegedly the site of large, rowdy parties in violation of county public health order.
Airbnb reiterated, “The vast majority of San Diego County hosts contribute positively to their neighborhoods and economy, and they are also taking significant steps to prevent unauthorized parties — like establishing clear house rules, hours calm and communicate in advance with their guests. Our actions today are aimed at the small minority of hosts who have already received responsible hosting warnings or otherwise violated our policies.
— City News Service contributed to this report.
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