Airbnb makes party ban policy permanent, says it had big impact in Arizona

PHOENIX – Airbnb said Tuesday its party ban has been so effective, especially in Arizona, that the vacation rental platform is making the policy permanent.

Since the policy was enacted on a temporary basis in August 2020 as a public health measure during the COVID-19 pandemic, Airbnb said it’s seen a 44% year-over-year decline in party reports globally.

The drop was even steeper in Arizona, at 55%.

“Over time, the party ban became much more than a public health measure. It developed into a bedrock community policy to support our hosts and their neighbors,” the San Francisco-based company said in a press release.

More than 6,600 guests were suspended last year for related violations, Airbnb said.

Airbnb began to crack down on large gatherings in 2019 after a fatal shooting at a party in a house in California. At that time, the company prohibited advertising parties at Airbnb locations on social media.

The number of parties at Airbnb locations increased during the pandemic, Airbnb said, as people moved gatherings from bars and clubs to rented homes. That led to the temporary ban in 2020.

While making the ban permanent, Airbnb said it will lift a limit of 16 people at rented properties. It said the cap was prompted by health concerns before vaccines against COVID-19 were available.

Airbnb has an even stricter policy in place for the Fourth of July and Memorial Day, limiting rental options over the summer holiday weekends for guests without a history of positive reviews.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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