Tips to help prevent parties at your property

Get details about the global party ban and strategies for avoiding problems.
By Airbnb on Jul 1, 2020
3 min read
Updated Jul 25, 2022

Highlights

  • Airbnb’s party and events policy allows you to cancel without consequences if you provide evidence a guest intends to have a party

  • Setting expectations and communicating clearly can help avoid issues

Helping Hosts and guests stay safe is one of Airbnb’s priorities. To help deter unruly behavior at properties listed on Airbnb, we prohibit disruptive parties and events, including open-invitation gatherings.

Our global party and events ban has led to a 44% year-over-year drop in the rate of party reports since its implementation in August 2020. It’s also been well-received by Hosts, ​​community leaders, and elected officials.

Whether you’ve hosted hundreds of times or you’re just getting started, we want you to feel at ease welcoming guests into your space. Here are six steps you can take to discourage parties and reduce some related risks.

1. Learn how the ban works

To help stop problems before they start, we encourage you to read our party and events policy. Some key points:

  • Disruptive parties and events and open-invitation gatherings are not allowed.
  • In certain countries and regions, we’ve implemented restrictions on some local bookings of entire home listings by guests under the age of 25 who have negative reviews or fewer than three positive reviews.
  • We’re removing the occupancy cap of 16 people—which we implemented in 2020 primarily in response to public health concerns related to COVID-19—in the coming months.
  • Hosts of traditional hospitality venues, like boutique hotels, may allow appropriate events at their discretion.
  • Hosts may not authorize a gathering that violates the policy.

Airbnb may take action against guests and Hosts who violate our policies.

2. Set expectations with guests

It’s a good idea to update your listing description and house rules to let guests know what to expect before they book. Clarify whether you allow any guests who aren’t included in the reservation on the premises, especially if your space can accommodate a lot of people or has a swimming pool or a large outdoor area.

3. Get to know your guests

Communicating clearly with your guests is one way you can help keep yourself, your property, and your community safe. After you get a reservation request or a confirmed booking, review the guest’s info and ask a few basic follow-up questions about their visit, such as:

  • What’s the purpose of your trip?
  • Who else will be staying with you?
  • Can you confirm you’ve read the house rules?

This is also an opportunity to remind guests of anything you don’t want them to forget or overlook, like quiet hours. You can share local laws or restrictions regarding noise, parking, and public health.

4. Be a good neighbor

Let your neighbors know you’re hosting guests. Consider leaving your contact info with one or more trusted neighbors and asking them to get in touch with you if any unexpected issues arise.

If they have concerns, you can assure them that the overwhelming majority of guests do not cause problems. In fact, 99.92% of reservations worldwide on Airbnb had no reports of safety-related issues in 2021.*

5. Make yourself available to guests

Even if you offer self check-in, you can still show your guests that you’re available. Here’s what you can do before, during, and after check-in:

  • Let guests know how to contact you by phone in an emergency. You’ll be better able to manage any incidents, and they’ll appreciate a fast response.
  • Offer to stop by—or send someone—if guests need anything. If you don’t live nearby, it’s smart to designate a property manager or Co-Host who can handle things in-person when necessary.

6. Take action if you have concerns

If you believe a guest intends to throw a party, you can cancel the reservation prior to check-in without consequences. We will ask you to provide evidence supporting your decision, such as messages from your guest and other documentation.

For example, let’s say a guest who lives near your place books a last-minute, one-night stay on a weekend. They message you and ask about extra street parking for several friends—and you read another Host’s review of the guest that mentions a party. If you share the guest’s message and the review with us, you may be able to cancel the reservation without consequences.

You may be able to cancel online if you have Instant Book turned on and haven’t reached your limit of three cancellations per year. If the guest’s check-in time is within 24 hours, you’ll need to contact us to cancel the reservation.

To learn more about safety and expectations for hosting, read our community policies.

*Based on internal Airbnb data from January 1 to December 31, 2021.

Information contained in this article may have changed since publication.

Highlights

  • Airbnb’s party and events policy allows you to cancel without consequences if you provide evidence a guest intends to have a party

  • Setting expectations and communicating clearly can help avoid issues

Airbnb
Jul 1, 2020
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