Airbnb and Minut collaborate on noise prevention support for Hosts

At Airbnb, we know that the overwhelming majority of guests are respectful neighbors and travelers, and that the vast majority of Hosts share their homes responsibly. Equally, we are committed to being good partners to the communities Hosts call home, and supporting Hosts to promote responsible travel in their neighborhoods and deter unwanted behavior.

To that end, Airbnb and property tech company Minut have collaborated to offer Hosts in over 60 countries and regions a free noise sensor and three months of subscription free to Minut’s noise and occupancy monitoring service, and to integrate Minut noise alerts and Airbnb’s messaging tool.

While issues on Airbnb are rare, measures like noise sensors can help guests to keep aware of noise and support Hosts to detect and prevent issues before they start – all while respecting guest privacy as the devices only flag if decibels exceed a certain level, and do not record or transmit sounds and conversations. Though this technology is privacy-safe, Airbnb still requires Hosts to disclose the presence of these devices on their listing page in advance of bookings, and strictly prohibits devices in spaces like bedrooms and other sleeping areas.

Resolving a potential noise concern detected by a Minut sensor can now also be faster and more seamless for Hosts and guests through the integration of Minut noise alerts with Airbnb’s messaging tool. This means if a device detects that noise in a listing exceeds the decibel level set by the Host, an automatic notification can be sent by Minut through the Airbnb messaging tool to let the Host and guest know. A recent pilot in Prague enabled Hosts on Airbnb to trial Minut noise sensors, and found a reminder can be all that’s needed for a potential noise issue to be quickly resolved, with Hosts and guests able to solve 100% of noise alerts between them within 20 minutes of detection.

Catherine Powell, Global Head of Hosting at Airbnb, says, “Stays take place across the world each night on Airbnb, with the vast majority being respectful of Hosts’ homes and neighborhoods and sharing the benefits of tourism with local communities. This collaboration with Minut continues our commitment to encourage safe and responsible travel on Airbnb, and further empowers our Host community to stop unauthorized parties.”

Nils Mattisson, Minut CEO & Co-founder, says, “Our mission is to support Hosts in caring for their homes, guests and communities, and our partnership with Airbnb plays an important part in that mission. We’re excited to extend it with our new offer and integration, which make noise monitoring more accessible and more efficient for Hosts worldwide.” 

This collaboration is the latest in a series of measures and resources to promote responsible travel on Airbnb and enforce our anti-party stance, including the launch of new anti-party technology in the US, Canada and Australia, the codification of our global party ban, which correlated with a global 44% year-over-year drop in the rate of party reports since it was introduced in August 2020, the expansion of the 24-hour safety line and Neighborhood Support Line, and tips for Hosts on how to prevent parties in their property.

Hosts in eligible countries and regions can visit the Minut store to get the noise sensor and subscription offer, and find out more about the technology and integration in Minut’s Help Center.