In an effort to “crackdown on disruptive parties,” guests with a history of low ratings will be prevented from booking entire places for December 31st, Airbnb said last week.
Given that not only hosts buts also guests are assigned a score after each stay, guests who have not received a sufficient number of positive ratings will be barred from making one-night reservations in entire home listings.
There is more. For two-night reservations, the company will use special technology to restrict last-minute bookings from guests who reside nearby.
In 2020, Airbnb piloted a global party ban during the darkest days of the pandemic, and it was worked.
Hosts around the globe reported fewer property damages caused by wild parties after the company blocked over 240,000 red-flagged guests.
Now the company looks to “build upon the party ban” blocking people who may risk the safety and wellbeing of property owners and local residents with unauthorized or disruptive parties.
The blockage will be applied in the US (mainland), Canada, Australia, France, Spain, the UK, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and New Zealand.
Airbnb acknowledges that thousands of stays take place worldwide every night with an overwhelming majority of guests being respectful of neighbors.
However, “trusted” guests have expressed concerns about being blocked even when they boast good reviews.
“We’re not trying to say that nobody should be partying on New Year’s Eve. What we are trying to say is that if you’re going to do it, do not do it in an Airbnb listing. It can lead to property damage. It can be disruptive to neighbors,” said Ben Breit, Head of Trust and Safety Communications at Airbnb.
Nice guests are safe. According to the Airbnb 3-point criteria “guests who have a history of positive reviews on Airbnb will not be subject to these restrictions.”
The risk is higher around New Year’s Eve. Strict policies like this one have proven to minimize the risk of getting involved in a long and stressful after-party legal process.