SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Airbnb has rolled out new technology to its website that will make it harder for renters to get away with throwing a big party during Halloween.
Airbnb began cracking down on large gatherings in short-term rentals in 2020. At that time, it was a public health issue early in the pandemic.
These policies have since evolved to avoid any unauthorized parties. In California last year, new technology on the website stopped 12,000 people from renting.
“It was down over 60% year over year. So we went ahead and made this temporary ban a codified policy,” said Ben Breit, director of trust and safety communications at Airbnb. He said the company had new policies in place just in time for Halloween.
Guests with no positive review history, or no reviews, will not be able to book a night in all home listings. If someone without a positive review tries to rent for two nights, they will be redirected to listings that are not full houses.
Airbnb’s third update is that all guests attempting to make a local reservation over Halloween weekend will be required to certify that they understand the companies’ ban on parties.
“We mostly focus on larger types of gatherings. The ones that are most likely to be disruptive and cause property damage and annoy neighbors and things like that,” Breit said.
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The company hopes its updated policy will stave off complaints and 911 calls. An Airbnb was the scene of a fatal shooting in Oakland earlier this month.
Around 30 people were attending the unauthorized birthday party when brothers Jacey and Angel Sotelo Garcia were gunned down.
“Police have a limited amount of resources and you want them to be able to focus on what’s really important in the neighborhood,” Breit said.
Airbnb already limits the number of guests to 16 people when you make a reservation online. Breit said most renters follow the rules and check with landlords to see what’s allowed.
Those who fail to do so and violate the ban on major parties will themselves be banned or face legal action. “Send a message that we will try to block as many parties as possible, but better yet, don’t try,” Breit added.
For hosts, Airbnb has what is called airline coverage. This provides up to $1 million in property damage protection, in the event that significant damage is caused by short-term renters.
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