Health First: Airbnb Homes are Places for Shelter and Well-being

The vast majority of Airbnb hosts and guests have embraced health authorities’ direction to contain the spread of COVID-19. We have been heartened by the patience and generosity as we navigate the disruption to travel and daily routines.

As a company, we have stated our commitment to the safety and well-being of our community. Our principle is Health First, and it guides our decision making. In that spirit, we urge our community to follow official guidance regarding all prevention measures. Please do not use Airbnb homes for parties or gatherings given the risks.

Typically, Airbnb hosts set House Rules for parties and events, based on what’s appropriate in their communities. Given the current situation, we have temporarily disabled the “event-friendly” filter search on our platform. We have paused our offering of Airbnb Experiences, to support social distancing guidelines. We are enhancing our risk detection review efforts to prevent unauthorized parties. We monitor and enforce against the individuals who promote this dangerous conduct. We need your help and ask that misuse be reported to us so we can take action to limit risk. This is easily done at airbnb.com/neighbors, where we will review reports and take appropriate action.

The Airbnb community is committed to local and global health and welfare. Our Italian pilot program offers free accommodation for doctors and nurses who are on the frontlines of the medical mobilization. This program will be expanded to more regions. We are working with governments to communicate local guidance to our communities, to keep hosts and guests safe and well informed.

We have created a resource hub where our community can find information on cleaning and other COVID-19 topics. And we are also working for the long term. When people are ready to travel and take up social activity again, our community will be ready to propel the recovery.