Airbnb says it will use new methods to detect and block people trying to use the short-term rental service to throw parties.
The company said Tuesday it has introduced technology that examines a renter’s history on Airbnb, how far they live from the home they want to rent, whether they’re renting for the weekday or the weekend, and other factors.
Airbnb said the screening system it is rolling out for listings in the United States and Canada has been tested in parts of Australia since last October, where unauthorized parties have dropped by 35 percent.
The San Francisco-based company said the technology is designed to prevent a customer’s reservation request from ever reaching the host of the property involved. Airbnb said people blocked from renting an entire home might be able to book a room because the host is more likely to be nearby.
Airbnb has been under increasing pressure since 2019 to take control of the parties after five people were killed in a shooting at a Halloween house party in suburban San Francisco.
The following year, Airbnb announced a worldwide party ban on its listings and banned people under the age of 25 from renting an entire home near their home unless the site had positive reviews. The party ban was initially imposed as a temporary health measure during the pandemic but was made permanent in June.
