Airbnb Enhances Anti-Party Measures for New Year's Eve

Short-term rental company Airbnb is once again deploying enhanced anti-party screening technology to block potentially disruptive gatherings during the New Year's Eve period.

Airbnb said it is once again deploying its anti-party screening technology across the United States in anticipation of New Year’s Eve, including in Austin. The technology screens for short-term rental bookings that could result in disruptive — and potentially destructive — gatherings.

The company's screening system uses artificial intelligence to analyze hundreds of reservations and flag them based on various factors, including trip length, booking timing, distance between a guest’s home and the listing, and whether the reservation is for an entire home.

Bookings flagged as higher risk, such as short trips and trips close to the guest's home, could be blocked outright or redirected to alternative options, such as private rooms or hotel stays.

Puerto Rico, Canada, the UK, France, Spain and Australia will also see the technology deployed this year.

Increased enforcement

The New Year’s Eve rollout is part of Airbnb’s enforcement plan for its global ban on disruptive parties. The company made the ban permanent in 2020 and has since tightened screening measures around many major holidays and events, when complaints tied to noise, overcrowding and property damage are more common.

Since introducing its global ban five years ago, the rate of party reports has decreased by 45% in Texas, Airbnb said. In 2024 alone, over 99.9% of reservations in the state had no report of a party-related disturbance.

During last year’s New Year’s Eve period, Airbnb blocked more than 20,000 attempted bookings in the U.S. that were deemed suspicious, including 140 in Austin and 2,300 total in Texas.

Understanding the ban

Airbnb’s website states that disruptive gatherings are prohibited, regardless of size.

The company doesn’t allow:

• Disruptive gatherings
• Open-invite gatherings
• Excessive noise
• Excessive visitors
• Excessive trash/littering
• Smoking nuisances
• Parking nuisances
• Trespassing
• Vandalism

For hosts, advertising a property as party or event friendly is also a violation of the policy.

Book smart, follow the rules

Platform rules prohibit third-party bookings, meaning you can’t book a stay for another person. The rules also forbid booking a stay for an unaccompanied minor.

Guests who violate Airbnb policies could have their reservations cancelled, their account removed or could face financial responsibility for damages, the company said.