Party houses, especially those rented through online platforms like Airbnb, have been disturbing to many of Malibu’s neighborhoods—so much so that the city is expected to pass its first short-term rental ordinance in September. Public comments on the issue have revealed bad behavior at some party houses, including noise, parking and traffic problems, trash, vandalism and public urination.
Airbnb had started taking measures to tone down the party aspect of its short-term rental business nearly a year ago. The company began limiting guests under the age of 25 with less than three positive reviews, banning guests that threw parties in booked homes and even starting legal proceedings against partying guests. Airbnb also set up a 24/7 hotline for neighbors to alert them to listings and guests that create a “persistent neighborhood nuisance.”
In May, the company took it a step farther by removing the “event friendly” search filter and its “parties and events allowed” house rules, even from listings that had previously welcomed events. Airbnb also explicitly banned house parties in most major cities.
The company is now taking its anti-party rules to the limit. Days ago, it officially announced an indefinite ban on house parties at all future Airbnb bookings across the globe and no bookings for groups of 16 or more.
In its press release, the company said, “We understand that 16 is not a magic number, and issues can occur with groups of any size.” The company also reminded guests that they must comply with local restrictions on gatherings during the pandemic, and that guests who violate any of the new policies will be removed from the platform and may be “legally pursued by Airbnb.”