“The temporary ban has proved effective,” the company said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that “we are formally codifying the ban as our policy.” The permanent ban took effect that day. The move comes after Airbnb in 2019 banned “open invitation” rallies advertised on social media, as well as “chronic party houses” that had become annoying in the neighborhood. However, the 16-person capacity that Airbnb adopted in the summer of 2020, when it announced a temporary ban on “all parties and events”, is being lifted under the new policy, the company said. Customers who break the rules may face consequences, such as the suspension of their accounts or a permanent ban from the platform. In 2021, Airbnb said it had suspended more than 6,600 customers for violating the ban on parties. Complaints of intense party booking through the service have accumulated over the years, culminating in a temporary ban imposed by the company in August 2020. At the time, tenants were using these homes to gather in large groups while restaurants and bars were closed due to pandemic restrictions. “Over time, the ban on parties has become much more than a public health measure,” the company said. “It has evolved into a key Community policy to support our hosts and their neighbors.” Airbnb said it has dropped 44 percent year-over-year in party reporting since it imposed the temporary ban. Critics of the company have noted, however, that the drop in reports came as restrictions on gatherings at bars, restaurants and other venues have eased since the first months of the pandemic. “The ban has been accepted by our host community and we have received positive feedback from community leaders and elected officials,” the company said in a statement. Covid-19 was not the only security risk at these parties. At least 27 shootings were linked to Airbnb rentals between March and October 2020 in the United States and Canada. The rallies were also annoying for the neighbors. In 2019, Airbnb introduced a 24-hour hotline called the Neighborhood Support Line, which neighbors could use to contact the company about annoying homes or visitors. UPDATED June 29, 2022, 8:43 p.m. ET Jessica Black, leader of the Texas Neighborhood Coalition, a team working to reduce short-term rentals across Texas, said she was concerned that Airbnb had lifted the 16-person capacity limit. Garbage, noise and parking all become problematic, he said, when there are more people than usual in a residential neighborhood. “The homes were not designed or intended to be event venues,” Ms Black said. “It’s different from having a neighbor. They are foreign, so you are not going to knock on the door at midnight. You do not know who they are. “ In May, Airbnb announced that it was banning guests with no history of positive reviews from booking overnight weekend vacations during the summer, such as Memorial Day and Independence Day. Although “the mere fact that there are no reviews yet does not mean that a guest is trying to organize a party,” the company said in May, “this is an exchange we are willing to make in the interests of trust and security. ” Karen Xie, a professor at the University of Denver who researches the short-term rental industry, said Wednesday that she was not surprised that Airbnb made its party ban permanent. The company, said Professor Xie, “is tired of dealing with host claims and settling the cost of home party damage.” “Almost all hosts who are willing to open their homes to visitors hate house parties,” he said.
