Airbnb is blocking one-night rentals over the Halloween weekend to prevent parties that could spread COVID-19
- Airbnb will not allow one-night stays during the Halloween weekend as a way to prevent parties, which can turn into coronavirus super-spreader events.
- For those who have made one-night reservations for that weekend, both the host and guests will be reimbursed.
Airbnb recently announced in a statement that it is barring one-night rentals on both October 30 and 31 as a way to prevent Halloween parties, which could be super spreader events for the coronavirus.
The company said the preventative measure is to "protect our hosts and the communities they live in."
Guests can still rent places to stay for the Halloween weekend, but the reservation must start on October 29 or end on November 2, depending on the first night of their stay. For any reservations made during that time, Airbnb will remind guests that parties are not allowed, and if they violate that rule, they could face legal action.
In addition to requiring two-night minimums, Airbnb will use "technology that restricts certain local and last-minute bookings by guests without a history of positive reviews on Airbnb," according to the announcement.
Anyone who already booked a one-night rental for the weekend will have their reservation cancelled and receive a full refund. For hosts who had booked rentals, Airbnb will pay them the money they would've made from the booking.
The ban will only be in effect in the US and Canada, while customers in other parts of the world can book freely.
This isn't Airbnb's first time cracking down on users who use listings as "party houses." After a fatal shooting at a Halloween party in 2019, Airbnb enacted a global ban on "parties and events."
In July, the company began to bar anyone under the age of 25 from booking listings close to where they reside as a way to cut down on parties as well.
Other home-rental services, such as Vrbo and Sonder, have not made any sort of announcements regarding the Halloween weekend.