Airbnb to prohibit some rentals over Halloween weekend to halt parties
NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 25: Horror decorations are seen within the Halloween celebration at Clinton street of Hackensack to neighborhood in New Jersey, United States on October 25, 2019. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Im
SAN FRANCISCO - Airbnb will prohibit one-night rentals over Halloween weekend as part of its ongoing effort to crack down on party houses.
The action, announced Friday, comes nearly a year after a deadly shooting at an Airbnb in Orinda, California. Five people were killed in the shooting, which happened during an unauthorized Halloween party.
RELATED: Four dead, others injured at Halloween party in Orinda; Airbnb 'horrified' about tragedy
San Francisco-based Airbnb said it will ban one-night rentals of entire homes in the U.S. and Canada on Oct. 30 or Oct. 31. Previously booked one-night rentals will be canceled and Airbnb will offer refunds.
Airbnb said it will also look more closely at two- and three-night reservations during Halloween. A guest may be denied, for example, if they try to book a whole home close to their own home during that period and they don’t have a history of positive reviews on Airbnb.
Airbnb has taken a series of steps to crack down on parties since last year’s shooting. Last November, it started manually reviewing U.S. and Canadian reservations to weed out suspicious rentals.
The company’s efforts have intensified as it prepares for an initial public stock offering, which could come later this year.
RELATED: Airbnb to ban 'party houses' in wake of deadly California shooting
In July, the company banned U.S. and Canadian guests under age 25 with fewer than three positive reviews from booking entire homes close to where they live. That policy was later expanded to the United Kingdom, Spain and France. And in August, Airbnb banned parties worldwide and limited occupancy at its rentals to 16 people.
Airbnb has also warned guests and hosts that it could take legal action against violators. In August, for the first time, it started legal proceedings against a guest who held an unauthorized house party in Sacramento, California.
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