Airbnb just announced new rules designed to crack down on illicit New Year’s Eve house parties.
If you’re planning to book an Airbnb around New Year’s Eve this year, be aware that these new regulations may make it more difficult.
According to Airbnb, these new rules were put into place to protect hosts from guests who might attempt to throw a rowdy party at their Airbnb to ring in the New Year.
While every Airbnb host is free to set their own rules, the vast majority of Airbnb hosts do not allow you to throw a large party at their property. It can be a huge liability to the owner and cause problems ranging from damaged property to noise complaints from the neighbors.
Many Airbnb hosts specifically do not allow bachelorette and bachelor parties, college students on spring break, and other groups who may be inclined to throw a party during their stay.
New Year’s Eve is a particularly notorious time for guests to break the rules and throw a party at their Airbnb.
But these new rules will prevent it from happening. Here’s what you need to know about how Airbnb is regulating New Year’s Eve guests.
Airbnb’s New Rules For New Year’s Eve Bookings
Airbnb has announced a ban on one-night stays on New Year’s Eve for entire home listings for users who have a negative account history, or no account history at all.
This means that if you’ve used Airbnb before and have positive reviews from previous hosts, you’ll be in the clear.
But if you’re new to the platform, or have a history of negative reviews, you won’t be able to book a one-night stay on New Year’s Eve.
This rule is an attempt to curb unauthorized and disruptive parties on New Year’s Eve, and it will apply to Airbnbs in 11 different countries, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, the UK, France, Ireland, and more.
In addition to the ban on one-night stays for users who have a negative account history or no account history, Airbnb will also be closely monitoring booking requests for two-night or three-night stays over New Year’s Eve for similar reasons.
Additionally, they will be placing an emphasis on monitoring local bookings, which have a higher likelihood of leading to illicit house parties.
What Does This Mean For Guests?
Airbnb instituted these new rules to protect hosts and prevent guests who may abuse the rules of their Airbnb and throw a New Year’s Eve party.
According to Naba Banerjee, the Director of Trust Product and Operations at Airbnb, these regulations are designed to be proactive:
“Stays take place across the world each night on Airbnb, with the overwhelming majority of guests and Hosts being respectful of neighbors and delivering benefits to their local community. These proactive defenses will help to promote responsible travel and help to prevent rare instances of unwelcome behavior, and enable Hosts, guests, and communities to enjoy their end of year celebrations with added reassurance.”
If you don’t have an established Airbnb account with positive reviews from past hosts, know that you will be unable to book a one-night stay over New Year’s Eve, and may have difficulty booking a multi-night stay that weekend too.
Even if you weren’t planning to throw a Project X-style New Year’s Eve party at your Airbnb and just wanted a quiet getaway to ring in the New Year, these new restrictions may prevent that from happening.
In this case, you’ll be better off booking a hotel to celebrate New Year’s Eve rather than booking an Airbnb.
For guests who have a positive review history on the platform, you shouldn’t have difficulties making an NYE booking.
