Airbnb launches anti-party technology for New Year’s Eve stays

Key Takeaways

• Anti-party technology blocked over 20,000 people in the US and over 3,000 people in Canada from booking last New Year’s Eve - and will be in effect this year.
• Global ban on disruptive parties has seen an over 50% drop in the rate of party-related reports over five years.
• Reminder issued that third-party bookings are prohibited.

As 2025 comes to a close, Airbnb is activating heightened anti-party technology across the US including Puerto Rico, Canada, the UK, France, Spain, and Australia to help reduce the risk of disruptive parties and support positive stays. 

Powered by machine learning, this technology assesses hundreds of signals to identify bookings that could potentially be higher risk for a disruptive party, with the aim of stopping those reservations from being made. Those bookings are either blocked entirely from proceeding, or the guest is redirected to alternative listings on the platform, like a private room or hotel room.

Last New Year’s Eve, similar measures prevented over 20,000 people in the US and over 3,000 people in Canada from booking an entire home listing on Airbnb. This technology is an important part of our investment in upholding our global ban on disruptive parties. In the five years since we introduced this policy and measures to help enforce it, we have seen an over 50% decrease in the global rate of party reports to us.

We remain committed to helping our hosts and communities support respectful stays, and shared vigilance is essential to that goal. We are urging parents, grandparents, and other adults to stay attentive to social media activity, and to not make or allow bookings on their account for others. Third-party bookings and unaccompanied stays by anyone under 18 are not allowed on Airbnb, and anyone who breaks our rules could have their account removed, vacation bookings cancelled, and be held financially responsible for any property damage. We also support law enforcement with criminal investigations when needed. We ask anyone with concerns about a booking or social media post to report that to our customer support team for assistance.

Our further support for hosts, guests and local communities to help promote responsible travel includes: 

• Reservation screening technology to try to identify and deter potentially higher-risk bookings year round
• Tips for hosts on preventing parties in their listing.
• Our Neighborhood Support Line for local residents to report urgent issues directly to us, like a party in progress at a home they believe is listed on Airbnb.
• A 24-hour Safety line for hosts and guests to directly reach our Safety team for support.
• Free noise sensor for hosts, which can help to get ahead of issues before they start while respecting guest privacy