Airbnb has officially banned outragers as the pandemic continues to rage. On August 20, the company announced in a community blog post that it would officially implement a “global party ban” on properties rented through the platform. The ban caps rentals at 16 people and will remain in effect "until further notice". While unauthorized gatherings have always been prohibited — Airbnb says 73% of listings explicitly prohibit gatherings in their house rules — those rules appear to have been broken.
Early in the outbreak, Airbnb removed its "activity-friendly" search filter as part of its efforts to comply with current public health directives, according to the blog post. While the company noted that until now, allowing small parties and events has been at the discretion of individual hosts, the "patchwork of party and event bans" that cities have enacted individually during their reopenings isn't exactly the vibe. “Some [users] choose to bring pub and club action to their homes, sometimes rented through our platform. We think this behavior is extremely irresponsible – we don’t want this type of business and anyone engaging in or Anyone who allows this behavior does not belong on our platform.” The company is sorting out potential exceptions for places like boutique hotels that rent out rooms on the app.
Parties more generally are in an awkward position due to their clear potential to spread the coronavirus. On August 4, with the rise of not wearing masks, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health had to remind residents that the county "prohibits gatherings, including gatherings, during the coronavirus pandemic to protect the health and lives of county residents." , a crowded house party hosted by a TikTok influencer. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti effectively closed Sway House member Bryce Hall's rental home after he threw a tantrum while celebrating his 21st birthday, The New York Times reports power supply.
An Airbnb spokesperson said the groups did not directly contribute to the ban. “To our knowledge, none of the TikTok parties are present in Airbnb listings. This [ban] was implemented because local health regulations vary in jurisdictions across the country, and we believe stricter, more stringent enforcement is necessary. Strict regulations. "A consistent policy across the globe in the interest of public health," they tell Bustle.
The company is still rolling out a new operating system that will inform guests of the potential consequences of hosting parties at their rental properties, including bans from the platform and even possible legal action.
