Airbnb tightens 'anti-party' rules for New Year's Eve rentals

Airbnb said Monday it is tightening its policy restrictions on New Year's Eve parties, adding "anti-party" restrictions on some three-night rentals for guests without a history of positive reviews on the platform .

In the US, Canada, Brazil, UK, France, Spain, Australia and New Zealand, guests without a history of positive reviews on Airbnb's platform cannot make one-night, two-night and now three-night reservations. An entire house that "may increase exposure to unauthorized parties." Airbnb said it would focus on local reservations.

The company said that guests on the platform who have a history of positive reviews from Airbnb hosts will not be subject to the restrictions.

Airbnb banned "party houses" in 2019 following a fatal shooting during a large Halloween party at a rental in California. Five people died in the shootout, and local news reports said there were more than 100 people in the house at the time. In August 2020, the company said it was adding restrictions for large gatherings to comply with local health departments' social distancing requirements, with an occupancy cap of 16 people. Hosts or guests on Airbnb who try to evade the rules could be banned from the platform or potentially legal action.

During the early days of the pandemic, Airbnb created guidelines for hosts and guests, and if a guest or host becomes infected, its emergency circumstances policy may be implemented. It has updated those rules as the pandemic situation has added warrants and filters for guests to find listings with flexible cancellation policies. While the company hasn't implemented any new policies amid the rapid spread of the Omicron version of COVID-19, spokesman Ben Breit confirmed to The Verge that guidelines earlier in the pandemic will still apply.