Airbnb cracks down on NYE parties with restrictions on bookings

People hoping to ring in the New Year at an Airbnb property will have to come up with an alternative as the company continues to crack down on revelry.

Australians hoping to ring in 2022 at an Airbnb rental will likely have to come up with an alternative as the company attempts to crack down on New Year’s Eve parties.

Some guests will find it more difficult to book places to stay on December 31 and January 1 under rules announced on Tuesday by the online accommodation marketplace.

Airbnb users who don’t have a history of positive reviews will be banned from making one-night reservations of entire home listings.

These users will also face tough restrictions on two-night bookings that Airbnb deems could pose a risk of “disruptive” parties, including the inability to make certain local and last-minute reservations.

Guests who have a history of positive reviews will not be subject to these restrictions.

The rules come as part of Airbnb’s indefinite global ban on parties and events at its listings, which has been in force since August last year and includes a cap of 16 on guests.

The restrictions on New Year’s Eve bookings were trialled in 2020 and have been reintroduced for a second year.

Airbnb has announced restrictions on New Year’s Eve bookings in Australia. Picture: Wendell Teodoro/Getty Images

Derek Nolan, Airbnb’s head of public policy for Australia and New Zealand, said the vast majority of guests were considerate travellers who were respectful of their hosts’ neighbours.

“Safety incidents are extremely rare on Airbnb – however, we continue to work diligently to make them even rarer,” he said.

“We want to remind both guests and hosts that bad behaviour has no place on Airbnb and those who fail to adhere to our policies face removal from our platform.”

About 243,000 guests around the world encountered these restrictions when attempting to make New Year’s Eve bookings during the trial last year.

Airbnb claims the pilot program reduced the amount of disruptive parties that could have otherwise been held.