Airbnb announced on Wednesday on its official website that strict rules to avoid parties will be implemented and could affect US travelers.
The popular American home rental app has become a wonderful solution for travelers who look for cozy stays and easy reservations, but now they must consider that it won’t be possible to book short stays from new accounts or users without positive reviews.
In 2020 the company introduced a global party ban, prohibiting users from hosting parties at Airbnb listings and limiting gatherings to 16 people. According to the new statements, this strategy —applied during special dates like Halloween, New Years’ Eve, Christmas, and the 4th of July— worked and now the system includes a configuration that alerts when users try to book for just one or two nights.
In a few weeks, for the 4th of July this summer —and expanded to Memorial Day— those users without a history of positive reviews will not be able to make one-night reservations and certain restrictions apply also for two-night reservations.
Airbnb understand that this could affect travelers who simply want to spend the holidays with family or visit new destinations for a short time, but the measure will remain; they stated: “We also understand that the simple fact of not yet having reviews does not mean that a guest is trying to throw a party — this is a trade-off we are willing to make in the interest of trust and safety.”
Those who rely on this app for their holiday plans must stay up to date with the company’s new measures before booking. Airbnb also recently announced that they will no longer offer refunds for covid-related cancellations in different scenarios including if guests or hosts test positive.
More Details About The Strict Rules
Airbnb’s algorithm is changing and so are its rules. Now that the pandemic restrictions have been eased, the company is trying to avoid future problems and guarantee good behavior from its guests. These are the new main rules and considerations:
The measures will apply for Memorial Day and the 4th of July.
The new rules apply to the United States, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
Users without positive reviews will not be able to make one-night reservations in entire home listings.
Restrictions apply also for two-night reservations with other considerations such as local reservations and last-minute bookings from users without positive reviews.
Airbnb also introduced an “anti-party attestation” and users booking local listings must attest that they understand that parties are banned and that the company can take legal actions if they break the rules.
The company will pay close attention to its “Neighborhood Support Line” features and act when necessary if they receive alerts, messages, party reports, or calls from neighbors.
Airbnb insisted that they “do not take these measures lightly” and that they understand that some guests might be affected, but considered these rules necessary to avoid future inconveniences.
Airbnb's Comeback From The Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic had a deep impact on travel, and companies like Airbnb were deeply affected. But in 2022 the home reservations company seems to be back on the top and implementing new strategies to offer travelers more opportunities and expand its services.
According to the statistics shared by Stratos in January, this year Airbnb has 2.9 million hosts in 220 countries and over 100,000 cities.
In the United States, there are over 660,000 listings, the highest in the world. That’s why this app is particularly interesting for US travelers. The most popular city is New York and the highest numbers of listings are in Honolulu, Portland, Los Angeles, Seattle, and New Orleans. Those wishing to spend their holiday vacations in any of the trendy US destinations in 2022 —such as Las Vegas or Hawaii—can take advantage of the hosting opportunities offered by Airbnb, bearing in mind the new measures and rules.
Read More:
Airbnb Will No Longer Offer Refunds For Covid-Related Cancelations
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
For one-night reservations: Guests without a history of positive reviews on Airbnb will be prohibited from making one-night reservations in entire home listings. For two-night reservations: As July 4 approaches, we will deploy more stringent restrictions on certain two-night reservation attempts.
That includes violating its payment terms, policies or standards, or its applicable laws, regulations or third-party rights. Airbnb can also ban you to protect the personal safety or property of Airbnb, its members or third parties.
We have implemented restrictions that prevent guests from making reservations for entire homes or private rooms when a pattern of factors suggest that the booking may present higher safety risks (such as parties). While we know this may be an inconvenience you still have options.
But over the past few years, the appeal of using Airbnb has been diminishing. Due to exorbitant cleaning fees, the stress of having to coordinate with hosts, issues upon arrival and the opportunity to stay in hotels for much less, many travelers have now sworn off the site.
Across the US, Airbnb bookings have grown 8.9% over the last year (January 2023- January 2024). However, each market and property is unique. Some markets boom while others bust.
It can include violating its payment terms, policies or standards or applicable laws, regulations or third-party rights. Airbnb may also cut you loose to protect the personal safety or property of Airbnb, its members or third parties.
If your listing is below standard in some way, Airbnb can temporarily suspend your listing. The reasons for the initial suspension can range from ratings that are too low to a slow response time. It can also include high levels of cancellations and too few accepted reservations.
Insufficient info: Airbnb can block your calendar if you haven't provided all the information required for your account, so make sure everything's up to date. Short-term stay restriction: Airbnb may block your calendar if your listing is located in a city that doesn't allow reservations shorter than certain days.
Double-check that the dates you want are available if you can't book. You may also want to message the Host by clicking or tapping Contact Host on the listing. They may have some requirements, like minimum nights to book, that your request doesn't meet.
Your account may also be deactivated or suspended as the result of an issue reported to our Customer Service team. Airbnb takes safety very seriously, and if we receive a report of a violation of our Community Standards, we will investigate the report and take appropriate action.
On the other hand, with Airbnb, your income is sporadic and less predictable, which is another reason many people quit. After all, it's hard to budget and plan for expenses when you're unsure of what your income will be for a certain month.
Covid-19 was a giant blow to the travel sector, including Airbnb, as lockdowns reduced the supply of short-term rentals by a significant 25 percent, according to Jamie Lane, chief economist at AirDNA, a short-term rental data analytics firm.
Because of the high surcharge on Airbnb rentals, many people have returned to staying in hotels. As many Twitter users pointed out, hotel amenities – such as a concierge, cleaning services, pools, and better security – might be worth more than an Airbnb stay.
Guests who are loud or disruptive, increasing traffic, and the commercialization of residential areas are some of the issues that some locals have taken issue with.
As Airbnb's popularity has increased, so have guests' expectations. The surge in demand has led to high turnover, and many hosts have come to depend on management companies to deal with cleaning and maintenance and have increased their cleaning fees as a result.
Airbnb had a strong start to 2024. In Q1, Nights and Experiences Booked grew to 133 million. Revenue of $2.1 billion increased 18 percent year-over-year. Q1 net income was $264 million—our most profitable first quarter ever.
If your reservation request was declined and the listing for the stay shows that it's still available, the Host's calendar may not be up-to-date, they may want reservations of a different length or time, or they may have another reason for declining.
If you block someone, they won't be able to send you messages, use Instant Book for your listings, send you a reservation request, or accept a reservation request from you. Blocking someone you have an upcoming reservation with is not possible.
Why Airbnb might think you're having a party. We have measures in place to help identify and prevent reservations that are potentially higher risk for safety and property damage incidents, like unauthorized parties.
Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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