Airbnb is implementing its anti-party technology across the United States, including Puerto Rico, and Canada for Halloween. This marks the fifth consecutive year the company has used this system to address concerns about unauthorized parties and support both hosts and local communities.
The system uses machine learning to review attempted bookings of entire homes during the Halloween weekend. It looks for factors that may indicate a higher risk of parties, such as reservation length, distance between guest and listing, property type, and timing of booking requests. If a booking is flagged as high risk, it will be blocked. Guests affected by these blocks can instead book alternative accommodations like private rooms where a host is more likely to be present.
Last year, Airbnb reports that around 38,000 people in the United States and approximately 6,300 people in Canada were prevented from booking entire home listings over Halloween due to these measures.
According to Airbnb, “The vast majority of stays are positive, and party-related reports are rare. In 2024, we saw a decrease in the reporting rate of parties compared with 2023, with fewer than approximately 0.035 percent of stays worldwide leading to an allegation of a party. Since introducing our ban on disruptive parties in 2020, we have also seen an over 50% decrease in the rate of parties reported to us globally.”
As Halloween approaches, Airbnb is reminding users that third-party bookings—when someone books a listing for another person without staying themselves—are not allowed on the platform. All users must be at least 18 years old; guests under 18 must be accompanied by a registered adult. These policies are intended to ensure that both guests and hosts remain covered by Airbnb’s support programs and help prevent unauthorized gatherings.
The company warns that violations could result in account suspension or bans: “If anyone breaks these rules, their account could be suspended or banned. This means we may cancel their upcoming trips and they won’t be able to use the platform to make future bookings potentially putting winter holiday or summer vacation plans at risk. Importantly, they could also be held financially responsible for any property damage that occurs during the stay. We urge users to be vigilant: do not share access to your account, do monitor for unexpected bookings or payments, and reach out to Airbnb’s customer support team in the event of any concerns.”
Airbnb states it continues efforts toward proactive safety measures for holidays like Halloween as part of broader policies aimed at reducing unauthorized parties and promoting responsible travel.
