Since its implementation in August 2020, the rule has evolved into “much more than a public health measure,” according to the firm. “It evolved into a bedrock community policy to support our hosts and their neighbours,” said the San Francisco-based company. However, it also removed a cap on the number of people who can stay at home. According to Airbnb, the number of complaints about parties has decreased by 44 percent since the measure was implemented. Exceptions to the global ban may be made in the future for “specialty and traditional hospitality venues,” it added.
Airbnb also stated that it would remove a limit on the number of people who can stay in its listings at any given time. It previously imposed a 16-person occupancy limit due to concerns about the spread of Covid-19. “Several types of larger homes are capable of comfortably and safely housing more than 16 people,” according to the firm, “ranging from castles in Europe to vineyards in the United States to large beachfront villas in the Caribbean.” “Removing this cap is intended to allow those hosts to use the space in their homes responsibly while still complying with our ban on disruptive parties,” it said. In 2019, the company began imposing restrictions on parties. It prohibited “open-invite” parties and “chronic party houses,” which were a nuisance to neighbours. During the pandemic, Airbnb imposed a permanent ban on parties “in the best interests of public health.” Last year, over 6,600 guests were also barred from using the platform for violating the rules. “This new and long-term policy was implemented to encourage and support community safety,” Airbnb explained. “We look forward to sharing updates on our efforts to supplement our community policies on parties in the coming weeks and months,” it added.
Previously, Airbnb suspended domestic rentals in China, where a “zero-Covid” policy was in effect, implying that lockdowns were in effect. Instead, the company is expected to focus on Chinese residents travelling to other countries. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, before the pandemic, Chinese tourists travelling abroad had tripled in less than a decade, reaching 155 million journeys in 2019. However, since 2020, China has had some of the world’s strictest Covid restrictions, making travel into and around the country extremely difficult.
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