- Airbnb is cracking down on unauthorized home parties by banning some users under the age of 25 from renting entire homes in their area.
- The new rule, which applies only to those users who have fewer than three positive comments, has been in effect in Canada since the beginning of this year.
- The changes come after a California Airbnb party shooting left five people dead last year.
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Airbnb is implementing a new policy to help crack down on unauthorized home parties.
The house-sharing company announced Thursday in a blog post that it will begin banning users under the age of 25 with fewer than three positive comments from renting a full house in their area. Those users will still be able to rent hotel rooms and private rooms, as well as any listing outside their region.
Airbnb also noted that younger guests who don’t have negative reviews and more than three positive reviews will still be able to book without restrictions.
“There will always be people working to find ways to bypass our trust and safety protections, and we know that people over the age of 24 are also perfectly capable of reserving a home for the wrong reasons,” said the Airbnb blog post. “But because of the positive impact this policy has had on unauthorized parts reserved for guests under the age of 25, we believe this is the right action to continue to protect the safety of our community.”
The new rule follows a test of the program in Canada earlier this year, during which Airbnb says it saw a decrease in the number of parties at the house. Airbnb banned party houses earlier this year, banning parties that guests promoted on social media and banning large events in homes such as apartment buildings and condos. At the time, Airbnb said it would also add a dedicated phone line where neighbors could report their concerns.
The changes to the Airbnb platform come after a mass shooting at an Airbnb home party last Halloween left five people dead. The party was advertised on Instagram as an “Airbnb Mansion Party,” although the host had explicitly banned home parties, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
