Airbnb spooking unauthorized Halloween parties thanks to ‘anti-party’ technology

The Airbnb logo is shown on a smart phone in this file image from Thursday, May 4, 2023. (Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg)

Airbnb is continuing its efforts to reduce bookings for unauthorized Halloween gatherings in the Barrie area and across the country.

Thanks to what Airbnb calls ‘anti-party technology’ and its machine learning, the lodging company says it can prevent ‘higher-risk’ bookings of entire home listings from being made, ones that could be used for disruptive or unauthorized parties.

“Airbnb is rolling out this technology to try to reduce the risk of parties, emphasizing our commitment to support our hosts and local communities,” said an Airbnb spokesperson in a news release.

According to Airbnb’s community disturbance policy, the company does not allow disruptive gatherings (regardless of size), open-invite gatherings, and advertising listings as a ‘party’ or ‘event friendly.’

Further, the company prohibits disturbances that include excessive noise, excessive visitors, excessive trash, smoking nuisances, parking nuisances, trespassing, and vandalism.

Last Halloween season, Airbnb reports that its ‘anti-party’ defenses helped deter nearly 6,300 people in Canada from booking, including nearly 50 in Barrie. As a result, the company says it saw a reduction in the number of parties that were reported over the holiday.

“Airbnb is also reminding parents, grandparents, and other adults not to book stays for anyone else. Third-party bookings – when a user books a listing for someone else and won’t be there themselves – are prohibited,” continued the Airbnb spokesperson. “Breaking these rules can lead to account suspension or a ban and canceled trips – potentially putting future vacation plans at risk, as well possible financial responsibility for any property damage caused during the stay.”

The company adds that just 0.08 per cent of reservations in Ontario resulted in an allegation of a party, and party reports have decreased by 61 per cent since its global party ban policy was introduced in 2020.