Airbnb cracks down on New Year's Eve rentals
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Airbnb is preparing for New Year's Eve by rolling out strict guidelines for short-term holiday rentals in Chicago and other parts of the U.S.
The latest: To crack down on parties, Airbnb launched a new wave of anti-party technology to deter unauthorized festivities.
What they're saying: "Airbnb is really made for people to visit their friends and families or to visit new cities," Airbnb's Nathan Rotman tells Axios.
- "It's not to throw events or cause disruptions in neighborhoods."
How it works: Airbnb uses technology powered by machine learning to help identify higher-risk bookings of entire homes.
- They monitor and assess the length of the trip, the type of listing and how far the listing is from the guest's location.
- Any guests booking entire homes will need to book longer stays (three days or more) and agree in writing they will not throw parties.
- If Airbnb flags you, you will be either blocked from making a reservation or steered towards alternative accommodations on the platform.
State of play: Airbnb says last year's defenses deterred over 30,000 people nationwide from booking houses for parties.
- Over 300 people were stopped from booking homes in Chicago.
Zoom out: This is part of the larger move by the short-term rental company to deter party houses, especially since many municipalities, including Chicago, have laws forbidding it.
- "We want to ensure that the communities where our homes are operating are protected, especially in Chicago neighborhoods," Rotman said.
Yes, but: Many homes are geared towards gatherings and parties, attracting large groups with extra amenities like hot tubs, pool tables and pull-out mattresses.
- Airbnb says that they are focusing on deterring invited events and parties that bring multiple guests not staying at the property.
Reality check: The city already has stringent rules on the books to deter parties at short-term rentals including prohibiting one-night rentals, various fines ranging from $5-$10,000 levied towards property owners and even broadening the city's authority to levy penalties and revoke Airbnb rental licenses.
Between the lines: Rotman says this plan is to ensure "neighborhood integrity" and eliminate disruptions that would ultimately hurt the property owners.
- He says it's rare that would-be renters are erroneously flagged, but if it does happen, the renter can contact customer service to appeal.
The bottom line: If you want to throw a party for New Year's Eve, you should plan to have it at your own house.