Airbnb makes global Covid-19 ‘party ban’ permanent

A rule brought in to prevent superspreader events during the Covid-19 pandemic has been made permanent across the world.

A temporary “party ban” introduced by Airbnb during the pandemic has been made permanent globally after reports of guests partying at their listed properties reduced by almost half.

In August 2020, a temporary ban on all parties and events in listings globally came into effect “until further notice.”

Airbnb said as the pandemic hit and many bars and clubs closed, they began to see a rise in “partying behaviour” at their rental properties.

“The temporary ban has proved effective, and today we are officially codifying the ban as our policy,” Airbnb wrote in a statement on Tuesday.

All Airbnb properties across the globe will be banned from hosting parties effective immediately. Picture: Supplied

Airbnb has seen a 44 per cent year-over-year drop in the rate of party reports since the ban was implemented almost two years ago.

“Over time, the party ban became much more than a public health measure,” Airbnb said.

“It developed into a bedrock community policy to support our Hosts and their neighbours.”

An Airbnb spokesman said “a diverse array of signals are used to determine violations of our party pan”.

These include whether there has been an open-invite, excessive noise, excessive trash, excessive visitors and parking that impacts neighbours.

Airbnb first brought in party restrictions in 2019 and hardened them once the pandemic arrived. Picture: Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP

Penalties for defying the “party ban” range from account suspension to full removal from the platform.

In 2021, over 6,600 guests were suspended from Airbnb for attempting to violate the party ban.

This isn’t the first time Airbnb has cracked down on parties.

Over 6,600 guests were suspended from Airbnb for attempting to violate the party ban last year. Picture: Supplied

Open-invite parties advertised on social media and “chronic party houses” were prohibited in late 2019.

A Neighbourhood Support Line was launched in Australia in 2021 for neighbours to communicate concerns directly to the company.

Airbnb also prepared a series of anti-party prevention methods in the US including a 24-hour safety line and a partnership with Vrbo to share information on repeat “party house” offenders.