LOS ANGELES — If you’re looking for a room or place to celebrate the New Year, you may need to book a hotel.
Earlier this month, Airbnb announced it would crack down on unauthorized parties in Los Angeles, Southern California and across the country during New Year’s Eve as a precautionary measure to curb rowdy celebrations — and may – be violent.
Officials at the vacation rental platform said it will restrict certain types of bookings during New Year’s Eve and the New Year’s holiday weekend.
New account users and those with a negative or little history on the vacation rental platform are barred from renting whole-home overnight reservations on New Year’s Eve, officials said. . Only customers with a positive account history are allowed to book.
Airbnb officials have also tightened rules for some guests trying to book two- and three-night reservations over New Year’s weekend.
“These proactive defenses will help promote responsible travel and prevent rare instances of undesirable behavior, and allow hosts, guests and communities to enjoy their holiday celebrations with added confidence,” said Naba Banerjee. , director of trusted products and operations at Airbnb in a press release.
(Photo courtesy of Airbnb)
After years of complaints from landlords and city officials, Airbnb strengthened its measures to ban open-invitation parties, such as those advertised on social media and chronicle party houses, in 2019 and strengthened its defensive approach. the following year with more anti-party measures.
The coronavirus pandemic and pandemic-related restrictions have fueled even more complaints from neighborhoods as many people rented Airbnb homes to party instead of going to bars and clubs.
While celebrations and parties can take place in a hotel room, home, or elsewhere, some people have specifically booked an Airbnb or vacation rental to house them. And these parties can get hectic sometimes and lead to violence.
Airbnb has spent millions putting preventative measures in place to limit excessive unauthorized parties, especially during holidays like Halloween and the like.
Airbnb officials said that since the measures were rolled out, party incidents during the New Year holidays have contributed to a global drop in incidents of 56% year-over-year.
Officials in Los Angeles said more than 2,900 people were deterred by Airbnb’s anti-party defenses from booking entire property listings on New Year’s Eve 2021.
Officials said the restrictions would be in effect over New Year’s weekend in 11 countries, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal and the Netherlands.
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