Airbnb cracks down on holiday parties

Ahead of Halloween weekend, vacation rental website Airbnb is cracking down on potential parties. Party bans were first put into place in 2020 to limit pandemic gatherings, but the policy was made official last year.

The initiative to crack down on parties focus on bookings around Halloween and New Year’s Eve. Airbnb reports that there was a 70% drop in calls about disruptive parties in Georgia locations last year.

Ben Breit is with Airbnb. He said the policy focuses on specific types of reservations that could lead to complaints.

“If you do not have a history of positive reviews, or you don't have any reviews, you are not going to be able to make a one-night reservation," Breit said. "And additionally, there are certain restrictions on two-night and three-night reservations."

The party ban is part of a larger measure to support hosts and their neighbors. Airbnb has established a 24/7 neighborhood support line if a party is occurring or for general concerns. Breit said residences identified as party houses can face bans from the platform.

“Where it's more of a long-term problem, we don't want properties like that on our platform," he said. "So we prohibit them through our rules. We have a different trained team that would investigate that type of claim from a neighbor.”

Atlanta City Council voted earlier this year to limit the number of Airbnb rental permits from the city. The ordinance limits short-term rentals in the city to two per person, including their main residence. It went into effect in September, affecting 54% of rental owners.