Airbnb makes its ban on house parties permanent

Airbnb on Tuesday announced its temporary ban on parties and events at its listings across the globe will now be a permanent policy.

The homeshare company says the temporary ban has proved effective, so it is being codified as part of its permanent policy.

Airbnb had already been working to crack down on "open-invite" parties and "chronic party houses." A number of properties were identified by the LAPD as "chronic party houses," which were removed by Airbnb from its listings just before COVID-19 surged around the world.

"When the pandemic hit, as many bars and clubs closed or restricted their occupancy, we began to see some people taking partying behavior to rented homes, including through Airbnb," the company said in a statement. "This was concerning to us due to both the disruptive nature of unauthorized parties and the risk of such gatherings spreading the virus."

The party ban was implemented in August of 2020, the same month an illegal mansion party was shut down by the City of Glendora. The party was attended by about 700 people, and at least one was arrest was made, and several citations were issued as it was shut down. Airbnb later sued the promoter.

The party ban was first intended as a public health measure , but developed into a community policy that benefited hosts and neighbors. Airbnb says that since the policy was implemented in August of 2020, they've seen a 44% year-over-year drop in the rate of party reports.

Airbnb says its new policy will continue to prohibit disruptive parties and events, along with open-invite gatherings. However, the 16-person cap will be removed for listings that can house more people comfortably.