Airbnb suspends or removes 17 SD County listings as part of Party House crackdown – NBC 7 San Diego

Airbnb announced Friday that it has suspended or removed 17 San Diego County listings as part of a crackdown on “party houses” that have either received complaints or violated company policies regarding parties and the 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 this current environment, it is more important than ever to prevent large parties and gatherings, and we support the efforts of local officials to put an end to this irresponsible behavior,” said the public policy director of Airbnb in San Diego, John Choi. “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.”

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 hosts in San Diego County contribute positively to their neighborhoods and economy, and they are also taking significant steps to prevent unauthorized parties, such as establishing clear house rules, hours calm and communicate in advance with their guests. Today’s actions are directed at the small minority of hosts who have already received responsible hosting warnings or otherwise violated our policies.”