Airbnb Permanently Bans Parties and Events

Airbnb has permanently prohibited parties and events at homes on its platform, following the success of a temporary measure during the pandemic. Since its implementation in August 2020, the rule has evolved into "much more than a public health measure," according to the firm. "It evolved into a bedrock community policy to support our hosts and their neighbours," said the San Francisco-based company. However, it also removed a cap on the number of people who can stay at home.

According to Airbnb, the number of complaints about parties has decreased by 44 percent since the measure was implemented. Exceptions to the global ban may be made in the future for "specialty and traditional hospitality venues," it added. Airbnb also stated that it would remove a limit on the number of people who can stay in its listings at any given time.

It previously imposed a 16-person occupancy limit due to concerns about the spread of Covid-19. The firm said "several types of larger homes are capable of comfortably and safely housing more than 16 people - from castles in Europe to vineyards in the US to large beachfront villas in the Caribbean".

"Removing this cap is meant to allow those hosts to responsibly utilise the space in their homes while still complying with our ban on disruptive parties," it said.