It takes a level of audacity most of us don’t ever have to trash a hotel room. Most of us, swayed by the stern warning from reception and deposit, know that the rule is to simply leave it in the same condition you found it, if not better. And so our stay is one that, while enjoyable, also carries with it a great sense of responsibility: we ensure the kitchen appliances are still working, that the bathroom is neat and tidy, that the bedspread is as pristine as when we arrived. Safe to say, it’s far from a party when it comes to enjoying the luxury of sleeping in a hotel or AirBnB. But for those who are willing to chance the dice and who prefer the idea of causing damage to someone else’s home rather than their own, the allure of throwing a party in an AirBnb is one too great to resist.
Across the platform, many a house has come to be trashed thanks to someone booking it for a massive party. Now, it’s been revealed that the house-sharing platform will be cracking down on exactly this, launching an “anti-party technology” designed to crack down on guests who throw massive bashes in houses. The technology has been piloted here in Australia and will consider factors like “history of positive reviews (or lack of positive reviews), length of time the guest has been on AirBnb, length of the trip, distance to the listing, weekend vs weekday, among many others” to determine whether a booking is intended for hosting a party, according to reports from the company.
The new anti-party development will first roll out in the US and Canada, while still continuing to operate in Australia. In a statement, AirBnB explained: “The primary objective is attempting to reduce the ability of bad actors to throw unauthorised parties which negatively impact our hosts, neighbours, and the communities we serve.”
Previously, AirBnB had allowed hosts to let their properties out for the purpose of throwing house parties, but guests were banned from throwing parties against the wishes of the property owner. Best judgement was generally considered on the behalf of the host, but it became problematic in an age of social media where news of parties could spread easily, or give rise to “open-invite” parties, causing greater disturbances to the wider community and neighbourhood. As a result, AirBnb banned those parties advertised on social media and allowed hosts to be ejected from the platform for letting “chronic party houses” disturb others.
The anti-party technology has been trialled in Australia since October of 2021, with the company stating: “We have seen a 35% drop in incidents of unauthorised parties in the areas of Australia where this pilot has been in effect.”
It might be bad news for those audacious individuals looking to throw a party without the consequences directly impacting their own house, but for hosts on AirBnb it presents some good news. And if you suspect someone has circumvented the technology to host a big party, AirBnb also provides a neighbourhood support helpline that you can contact.