Ahead of New Year’s Eve, Airbnb is once again cracking down on unauthorized parties after announcing a ban on one-night bookings in Canada and 10 other countries for Dec. 31.
On Thursday, Airbnb released a statement saying the ban was aimed at stopping unsanctioned parties and neighborhood disturbances after a ban last year dropped New Year’s party incidents to 56%.
The ban will prohibit accounts with a negative or no booking history from renting full house listings for one night. There will also be restrictions for the same accounts trying to book two or three night reservations, especially in their local area.
Last year, Airbnb introduced this ban for eight countries, including; Canada, the United States, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain and the United Kingdom This year, the ban will not only include these countries, but three others; Ireland, Portugal and the Netherlands.
“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 the statement.
According to Airbnb, around 340,000 guests were blocked from booking stays on New Year’s Eve, the majority of which were in the United States with 120,000 guests.
The ban comes as the company implemented a modified party ban that was originally announced in 2020 to limit large gatherings amid COVID-19. The permanent ban announced in June codifies serious consequences for guests hosting large parties, including account suspension and removal from the platform.
In October, Airbnb underscored its ban on Halloween parties after introducing its “anti-party technology,” which examines the account’s booking history, length of stay desired and whether the rental is a local stay.
In 2021, 114,000 people in Canada were unable to book a stay over Halloween weekend, according to Airbnb.
With files from CTV News’ Mitchell Consky and Natasha O’Neill.
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