How to Avoid Getting a Last-Minute Booking Blocked by Airbnb

Airbnb is cracking down on parties. They are now basically the equivalent of your parents when you were in high school. Even if you refer to it as a “small gathering,” there is still the possibility of making a mess or other types of property damage. So to avoid these situations, they’re instituting a new policy for last-minute bookings. Here’s what you need to know.

Airbnb’s anti-party initiative

In the U.S., Canada and Australia, Airbnb will begin blocking last-minute bookings people make in the city where they live, Airbnb told USA Today in a statement provided by company spokesperson Charlie Urbancic. This program was piloted in March in both the U.S. and Canada, and Airbnb’s data indicate that last-minute reservations tended to lead to a disproportionate number of parties.

So how exactly does this work? Per USA Today:

Airbnb will use technology to block last-minute bookings of homes given risk factors, including information about the listing, reservation and guest. If a guest has no reviews and tries to book an entire home locally the day of their stay, they may be barred form doing so. A guest with positive reviews, however, may be able to book such a listing.

Earlier this winter, Airbnb capped the number of people permitted a party in one of their listings at 16 people worldwide.

So how can you avoid them cancelling your last-minute reservation?

Having positive reviews definitely helps. Or let’s say you’re making a last-minute booking in your hometown for your parents to stay in during their socially distanced visit. Have them make a reservation under their own account (or make an account for them and do it that way) so it won’t be a case of you booking a rental in your own hometown via your own account. Then it’s up to them not to throw a raging party.