That secret party-house rager you were hoping to throw on New Year’s Eve? Don’t try to book it on Airbnb.
The short-term rentals site has clamped down on listings during the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to prevent large gatherings of the sort health authorities are urging people to avoid. That includes instituting a global ban on all parties and events until further notice and restricting users under 25 from booking entire homes in the areas where they live, a move that a spokeswoman said has resulted in more than 770,000 blocked reservation attempts in the U.S. and Canada.
Over Halloween weekend, Airbnb prohibited one-night reservations in entire-home listings to reduce parties. It is implementing a similar (though slightly looser) measure for New Year’s Eve, banning guests without a history of positive reviews from making one-night reservations for entire homes.
Guests who have a history of positive reviews will not be subject to the rule, and those who booked one-night reservations for New Year’s Eve before Dec. 3 can go ahead with their plans as well.
Read the full story at LATimes.com.