Airbnb is restricting the options available to those who wish to host a New Year’s Eve party in someone else’s house.
Airbnb announced Thursday that it is prohibiting certain customers from booking full properties for a single night in an effort to prevent excessive New Year’s Eve celebrations in the United States and 10 other countries.
Airbnb’s director of trust product and operations, Naba Banerjee, said in a statement, “These proactive measures will aid in promoting responsible travel and preventing rare cases of unpleasant behavior.”
Those without a positive account history or who have never booked on the platform will be prohibited from making New Year’s Eve reservations, and those same guests who try to arrange two- or three-night reservations will undergo scrutiny, especially when booking locally, according to Airbnb.
In addition to the United States, including Puerto Rico, the New Year’s Eve weekend will see limitations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
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Airbnb tested the New Year’s Eve limits in eight countries last year and expects that party-related occurrences decreased by 56% compared to 2020. Airbnb stated that the business rejected or rerouted 340,000 bookings on New Year’s Eve.
Airbnb announced in the summer that it would utilize new technology to discourage U.S. and Canadian customers from using its platform to host parties.
The prohibition on big gatherings originated as a public health response to COVID-19.
»Airbnb is tightening down on raucous New Year’s Eve celebrations«