It worked in 2021 and 2020.
Now, as summer approaches, Airbnb plans to try again to stop as many unauthorized parties as possible in New Jersey and across the country.
Airbnb piloted the 2020 global ban on Halloween and New Year’s Eve parties because it was in the best interest of public health, said Ben Breit, director of trust and safety communications at Airbnb.
Following the announcement of this ban, a new product was introduced on July 4, 2021, aimed at attempting to stop unauthorized parties.
Guests without a history of positive reviews on Airbnb have been banned from making one-night bookings and it has also rolled out even tighter restrictions on some two-night bookings.
It worked, Breit said. The weekend of July 4, 2021 was relatively calm. In New Jersey alone, more than 3,000 people were unable to make reservations because they matched this description and tried to make reservations for one or two nights.
Overall, more than 126,000 guests with no history of positive reviews were impacted by the ban on July 4, 2021 weekend parties across the country.
The party ban will be in effect for July 4 this year. Breit said Airbnb is expanding the anti-party system to include Memorial Day weekend. Those who violate the no-party rule may be subject to legal action by the company.
Travelers who have already received positive reviews on Airbnb will not be subject to these restrictions and will be able to book freely.
“What we’re seeing is that if you have that history of positive reviews, you’ve earned that trust through the platform. You’ve shown time and time again that when you make a booking, whether it’s for travel with family or for a business trip or a weekend getaway, you do it for the right reasons, that you respect the property, that you respect the neighbors,” Breit said.
For the most part, Airbnb customers are families traveling for the right reasons, he added. This ban is for those who are not traveling for the right reasons and who plan to be disruptive.
Memorial Day and July 4 are important weekends for Airbnb hosts to make reservations for responsible travelers. He said that’s why the party ban allows exceptions for those with a track record of positive reviews.
Breit made it clear that just because thousands of people fit the description of not having a history of positive Airbnb reviews doesn’t mean they’re all party people trying to be disruptive. This could very well mean that they have never made an Airbnb reservation before.
Since they don’t have advance reservations, they can’t have positive reviews yet, either, Breit said.
Airbnb also has a Neighborhood Helpline, which provides a forum for neighbors to report a party going on at a home that would be listed on Airbnb.
There is a 24/7 security team that will jump on the case if a game in progress has been reported so they can better defuse the situation.
The forum is at www.airbnb.com/neighbors. If the neighbor prefers to call, a hotline is available 24/7.
Jen Ursillo is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at [email protected]
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