SAN FRANCISCO—Vacation-rental company Airbnb has announced that they will ban one-night reservations between October 28 to November 1 in order to prevent unauthorized Halloween parties from taking place. The new plan went into effect on October 2 to allow guests time to plan accordingly.
Additionally, if guests plan to make a reservation of at least two nights, Airbnb will require them to specify their purpose for booking, and affirm their understanding that they will have their booking terminated if they violate the rule on throwing parties. The company has also said that one-night reservations previously booked for the Halloween weekend have been cancelled as well, but that guests will be reimbursed.
“The great majority of guests are respectful of our hosts’ homes and neighbors, and we understand that this initiative will disrupt many one-night reservations that might not have led to parties. This action is designed to help protect our hosts and the communities they live in. We will also be introducing additional measures to complement the two-night minimum in an effort to stop as many large gatherings as possible,” Airbnb explained in a public release.
Airbnb has announced that any guests who violate their policy against so-called “disruptive parties and events” may have their account removed, and that hosts who allow these parties to take place could have their listing removed. Guests and hosts may also be subject to legal action, depending on what kind of breach occurred.
