Airbnb has announced heightened rules and technologies aimed at helping to stop unauthorised parties over New Year’s Eve in 11 countries, following a successful trial last year. The company said it is committed to reducing instances of unauthorised parties and helping Hosts protect against neighbourhood disruption.
It is introducing restrictions on certain types of bookings over New Year’s Eve. These restrictions will see a ban on one-night bookings of entire home listings for guests without a positive account history - or no previous bookings at all - on the platform. It is also introducing tighter restrictions for those same guests who try to book two- and three-night reservations, with an emphasis on attempts to book locally.
The restrictions will be in effect over the New Year’s Eve weekend in 11 countries, including the US (including Puerto Rico), Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, the UK, and - new for 2022 - Ireland, Portugal and the Netherlands.
Naba Banerjee, Director of Trust Product and Operations at Airbnb, said: “Stays take place across the world each night on Airbnb, with the overwhelming majority of guests and Hosts being respectful of neighbours and delivering benefits to their local community. These proactive defences will help to promote responsible travel and help to prevent rare instances of unwelcome behaviour, and enable Hosts, guests and communities to enjoy their end of year celebrations with added reassurance.”
This wider roll out follows the successful trial of these automated defences in eight countries over NYE last year as part of efforts to help enforce a global ban on parties.
In cities across the UK, potential party-throwers have been stopped by Airbnb anti-party measures in large numbers. Estimated total number of people who hit NYE defences in 2022 per individual UK cities:
- Bath - Over 600
- Belfast - Over 350
- Brighton - Over 850
- Bristol - Over 650
- Cardiff - Over 350
- Edinburgh - Over 800
- London (Combined Greater London and City of London) - Over 7800
- York - Over 450
- Glasgow - Over 700
- Manchester - Over 1350
- Birmingham - Over 750
- Liverpool - Over 400
- Sheffield - Over 200
