Airbnb will block some Halloween reservations to stave off parties

Airbnb will block some people from making one and two-night reservations for Halloween weekend in the United States and Canada for the second year in a row, after it introduced stricter anti-party policies as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Users who don’t have “a history of positive reviews” will be prohibited from booking one-night reservations for entire properties during Halloween weekend, meaning that one-night stays at “shared” accommodations won’t be impacted. Airbnb will also restrict some local and last-minute bookings for two-night stays for users without a list of positive reviews, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

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Airbnb did not specify its criteria for what constitutes a sufficient “history” of positive reviews. Its hosts and guests are offered the option after each stay to review each other with a starred rating and description.

Upon booking a stay for one or two nights on Halloween weekend, users will need to agree to Airbnb’s policy against parties by acknowledging that “they may be subject to legal action if that rule is broken.”

Airbnb’s anti-party policy, which was instituted in August 2020 and is in effect “indefinitely,” prohibits parties and events, and gatherings of more than 16 people. The rental property company has similar blocks in place for New Year’s Eve and July 4.

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