Airbnb Cracks Down On Dozens Of Bay Area Properties Over Parties, Events Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Airbnb cracked down on some house listings in the Bay Area following a ban on parties at Airbnb listings around the world, the short-term vacation rental company said Monday.
Airbnb recently suspended or removed more than 65 properties in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose from its platform after they received complaints or violated the company's party and event policy.
"Everyone in the Bay Area has a role to play in reducing the number of large gatherings and parties, and that includes Airbnb," said Matt Middlebrook, Airbnb's regional policy lead.
Airbnb announced in August that it would indefinitely ban events of any kind at its listings and cap a property's vacation occupancy at 16 people due in part to concerns about spreading the coronavirus.
The company noted that many of its hosts in the Bay Area have acted properly and followed both Airbnb's policies and local health guidance, and the crackdown affects "a small minority" of Airbnb users.
Airbnb has also sought to make it harder for hosts and users under age 25 who have fewer than three positive reviews from booking one-night reservations both locally and for New Years Eve.
"We are capping guests at 16 in these large properties as one step amongst several, all designed to mitigate any efforts to misuse an Airbnb for a party," the company said in an August blog post announcing the ban on events and parties. "We will continue to enforce our party rules against groups of any size and will be taking action both on guests and listings if we receive reports from neighbors."
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