Airbnb Pilots New Policy To Tackle Antisocial Behaviour

Airbnb has today launched a new pilot restriction to crackdown on antisocial behaviour and reduce unauthorised parties to protect the safety of everyone using Airbnb this summer. 

Starting today, this measure will restrict certain bookings by UK, Spanish and French guests under the age of 25 for entire home listings in their local area, as similar pilots in the US and Canada have cut the number of unauthorised parties.

The restriction is intended to protect local communities while still allowing younger guests to book listings outside of their local area. 

Here’s how it works:

• British, French and Spanish guests under the age of 25 with less than three positive reviews are not able to book entire home listings that are close to where they live. These guests can still book any type of listing outside their local area.
• All guests under the age of 25 are still free to book private rooms and hotel rooms through Airbnb, regardless of where they live.  
• Most importantly, younger guests with at least three positive reviews and no negative reviews on Airbnb or with long-term plans are not subject to this restriction, and they’re welcome to continue to book entire home listings in their local area.

While the vast majority of stays on Airbnb are for responsible guests and just 0.03% of stays result in a significant Host Guarantee claim, Airbnb is committed to being good partners to communities and today’s announcement follows a series of measures taken by the platform to clampdown on antisocial behavior and unauthorised parties. 

Last year, Airbnb banned all unauthorised parties and events in Airbnb listings globally and has since temporarily disabled the platform’s “event-friendly” search filter. In response to COVID-19, Airbnb also strengthened its policies to ban gatherings that violate public health mandates. 

We want everyone to enjoy the summer safely and while the overwhelming majority of guests on our platform are responsible neighbours, we are absolutely determined to obstruct and weed-out anyone intent on causing antisocial behaviour. We want to do everything we can to be good partners to the communities where hosts live and we hope that our new policy will make it abundantly clear that there is no home for any unauthorised parties on Airbnb

Director of Public Policy Patrick Robinson

Starting today, Airbnb is also launching a Summer Safety Campaign for hosts and guests to encourage safe and considerate travels amidst a busy summer season. The platform will be reaching out to the community with information and resources to ensure everyone can enjoy their stays safely over the coming weeks. 

Throughout the four week campaign, guests will be reminded to follow house rules, as well as local COVID-19 restrictions and Airbnb’s party policy. Violation of these policies and community standards may lead to the removal of guests from Airbnb.

Hosts will receive tips such as setting clear expectations to guests on the house rules and prioritising cleaning whilst hosting during COVID-19, and being considerate of local neighbours. Airbnb launched its enhanced Enhanced Cleaning Protocol for hosts earlier this year which includes expert cleanliness and hygiene guidance from international experts.