Airbnb limits options for people who want to host a New Year’s Eve party at someone else’s house.
The short-term rental service is banning some users from booking entire properties for a single night as part of an effort to stop overblown New Year’s Eve parties in the US and 10 other countries, Airbnb said Thursday.
“These proactive defenses will help promote responsible travel and prevent rare instances of unwanted behavior,” Naba Banerjee, Airbnb’s director of trusted products and operations, said in a statement.
Those without a positive account history or who have yet to book on the platform will be banned from making New Year’s Eve reservations, and those same customers who try to arrange reservations from two or three nights will also come under scrutiny, especially those trying to book locally, Airbnb said.
In addition to the United States, including Puerto Rico, restrictions will be in effect over New Year’s weekend in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, in Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Airbnb tested New Year’s Eve restrictions in eight countries last year and estimates there was a 56% drop in holiday-related incidents compared to 2020. The company blocked or redirected 340,000 people to from a booking last New Year’s Eve, Airbnb said.
The measures come after Airbnb officially codified a party ban this summer, saying it would use new technology to dissuade guests in the United States and Canada from use his service to host parties.
The ban on large gatherings began as a public health measure in response to COVID-19.
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