How Airbnb is cracking down on party houses
Airbnb is intensifying its efforts to prevent house parties during the Fourth of July holiday by introducing what it refers to as “anti-party technology” in Atlanta. The app has implemented a ban on parties at properties listed on its platform.
ATLANTA – Airbnb is ramping up efforts to prevent unauthorized house parties in Atlanta during the July Fourth holiday week, using what it calls “anti-party technology” that leverages machine learning to identify and block high-risk reservations.
The short-term rental platform has banned house parties since 2020, and this year, it’s warning would-be partygoers in Atlanta: don’t even try.
What they’re saying:
“Parties that are not behavior that we want to see on our platform,” said Jackie McGraw, a spokesperson for Airbnb. “It’s scanning hundreds of signals to identify reservations deemed higher risk.”
The company says the system analyzes a variety of booking characteristics — including the type of listing, the duration of the stay, the distance the guest is traveling, and whether the reservation was made last-minute — to predict whether a booking might lead to a party. If a reservation is flagged, it will be blocked or the guest will be referred to another property, according to McGraw.
“If it does identify a reservation or potentially higher risk, that reservation will be blocked or the guests will be referred to an alternative accommodation,” she said.
Airbnb first deployed the technology during New Year’s Eve celebrations and says it worked. Across Georgia, the company blocked 2,400 potentially risky bookings around the holiday — including 900 in Atlanta alone.
Now, Airbnb is applying the same AI-based approach to July Fourth — a holiday often associated with large gatherings and celebrations.
For those attempting to skirt the system and throw a party anyway, Airbnb is warning of consequences.
“It can result in the removal or suspension of both the host and the guest,” McGraw said.
If a guest is mistakenly flagged and still wants to book, the company requires them to sign what’s called an “anti-party attestation,” a contract pledging not to host a party at the rental.
What’s next:
Airbnb says only about 0.15 percent of bookings globally are flagged as potential parties since implementing the new technology. Still, the company says it’s committed to keeping neighborhoods safe and quiet during peak holiday periods — especially in cities like Atlanta.
The Source: FOX 5’s Rob DiRienzo spoke with Jackie McGraw, a spokesperson for Airbnb, for this article.
