In preparation for Halloween, Airbnb is implementing an AI-powered anti-party solution throughout the U.S. and Canada to mitigate the potential for unapproved gatherings during the holiday weekend.
This new system employs AI and machine learning to proactively detect and stop potential high-risk one-night and two-night booking requests for entire home listings. The technology analyzes several data points associated with the booking attempts that might signify an increased likelihood of a disruptive or unauthorized party occurrence. These factors include the duration of the stay, proximity to the listing and whether the booking is made on short notice.
“While disruptive parties are rare, we want to try to reduce the risk of them even more,” said Head of Trust and Safety at Airbnb Naba Banerjee. “Our AI anti-party system is an important tool in helping us to do that, and we’re optimistic it will have a positive impact for our community and neighborhoods this Halloween.”
For individuals interested in making Halloween reservations through Airbnb, there are specific measures in place. Firstly, there are restrictions on one-night and two-night reservations, as the AI-driven anti-party system will automatically prevent the booking of certain one- and two-night entire home listings that are deemed to have a higher risk of hosting disruptive parties. Additionally, a mandatory anti-party attestation was instituted, requiring guests making local reservations to acknowledge and confirm their understanding of Airbnb's prohibition on parties. They must also acknowledge that any violation of this policy could result in their suspension or removal from the platform.
The new program comes after a wave of incidents involving short-term rentals being used improperly. As previously reported by Local Profile, on Sept. 3, 2023, a brothel was found operating in an Airbnb in Plano, prompting residents to push for a total ban.
Last year, Airbnb introduced an anti-party system for Halloween, which prevented thousands of individuals across the U.S. from reserving listings on the platform. The initiative successfully discouraged around 15,500 people in California, 11,300 in Florida and 11,000 in Texas from booking such listings, leading to a reduction in incidents of disruptive and unauthorized parties during the holiday weekend.
According to NBCDFW, during Halloween last year, approximately 1,900 people in North Texas were deterred from booking on Airbnb due to those defenses, including approximately 140 in Plano.
These actions represent Airbnb’s commitment to uphold its worldwide ban on parties, a policy that corresponded with a significant 55% year-over-year decline in party-related reports since its implementation in August 2020.
