Airbnb party ban now permanent after pilot saw gatherings in Canada nearly halved

Airbnb has codified a global policy that prohibits guests from hosting parties or events at any of its listed properties.

The policy comes after an initial ban, announced in August of 2020, which was intended to deter guests from welcoming unauthorized gatherings that exceeded 16 people during the height of COVID-19.

“We’ve historically allowed hosts to use their best judgement and authorize small parties – such as baby showers or birthday parties – if they’re appropriate for their home and their neighbourhood,” the vacation rental company said in a 2020 news release, when the ban was first announced.

“Some have chosen to take bar and club behaviour to homes, sometimes through our platform. We think such conduct is incredibly irresponsible – we do not want that type of business.”

With the initial ban implemented to help adhere to COVID-19 public health measures, it ultimately developed into much more, Airbnb explained in a news release on Tuesday. “It developed into a bedrock community policy to support our hosts and their neighbours.”

The company says its data shows a direct correlation between the implementation of the party ban in 2020 and a 44 per cent year-over-year drop in the rate of party reports.

“We’ve seen even more success in Canada, where there’s been a 47 per cent year-over-year drop,” a spokesperson for Airbnb wrote in an email to CTVNews.ca.

In Quebec, there has been a 61 per cent decline in year-over-year party reports since the ban was first implemented in 2020. Ontario and Alberta both saw a 40 per cent drop, and British Columbia’s party reports plummeted by 36 per cent.

But the new codified policy will come with some amendments to the original ban – such as expanding the guest cap for properties that can comfortably house more than 16 people, “from castles in Europe to vineyards in the U.S. to large beachfront villas in the Caribbean,” the news release explained.

Properties that are not capable of hosting more than sixteen guests will fall under the same rules of the 2020 policy.

So what does the codified ban mean for guests looking to gather a crowd?

“The policy will continue to include serious consequences for guests who attempt to violate rules, varying from account suspension to full removal from the platform,” Airbnb explained in the news release, also pledging to support platform hosts with property damage protection.

The company added that it will continue to restrict guests under the age of 25 without a history of positive reviews from booking entire home listings.

“Guests are still allowed to book private room listings, where generally the host lives on site,” Airbnb explained in Tuesday’s news release.