Airbnb is making some changes to make sure everyone makes it into the new year safely.
A crackdown intended to prevent out-of-control parties won’t be a surprise, but how the company is doing that might be.
The company said it will use artificial intelligence to look for hundreds of signs that could point to a possible party plan, from how long a booking is to the type of booking people are trying to make.
The goal is to avoid tragedies like the 2019 shooting in Orinda where five people died at a Halloween house party turned mass shooting.
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In Sunnyvale, another house party turned violent, and the parents of a young man killed are suing the property owner, who reportedly never sought the proper permits from the city to run a short-term rental. They’re also suing Airbnb for negligence, saying the property should not have been listed on the site.
In response, Airbnb is increasing its party crackdown, putting restrictions on short rentals between one and three days, making people confirm they understand the anti-party policy, and offering hosts free noise sensors and a support line for neighbors.
Some of these have been in effect since 2020 and have resulted in nearly 64,000 blocked bookings in the U.S., more than 13,000 blocked bookings in the United Kingdom and 5,400 blocked bookings in Australia.
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People who violate the rules – property owners and renters alike – risk getting blocked from the site, sometimes for good.
