Airbnb suspends Palm Springs rentals during 'party house' crackdown

Airbnb suspended at least 30 short-term rental homes in Palm Springs

The party is over in Palm Springs.

Airbnb suspended at least 30 short-term rental homes in Palm Springs, Calif., as the company continues to double down its efforts to prevent people from gathering in "party houses" during the coronavirus pandemic.

Airbnb suspended at least 30 short-term rental homes in Palm Springs, Calif., as it continues to crack down on party houses during the pandemic. (iStock). 

The crackdown comes after a number of short-term rental hosts received citations over the summer. The company said it told hosts in the area of the suspension this week, ahead of the Christmas holiday and as the CDC continues to warn against holiday travel.  

"We all need to do our part to curb the number of large gatherings and parties during the pandemic, and that includes Airbnb," John Choi, Airbnb Public Policy Manager for Palm Springs said in a statement. 

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Airbnb announced Monday it removed or suspended 65 listings in a number of other cities – including San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose – that were flagged for violating the rental company’s policy on events and parties. 

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While the company is doing its part to prevent large-format gatherings, Americans are still on the move with the holiday season underway. Airline travel seems to be taking flight, despite health officials urging Americans to take caution to curb the spread of the virus. More than 5 million people passed through airport security checkpoints in the U.S. between Friday and Tuesday, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams advised people to celebrate the holidays only with people in their households, and if they are unable to adhere to the guidance, they should be sure to properly ventilate homes to take caution against the airborne virus.

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Airbnb’s ban on unauthorized parties was put in place before the pandemic, in November 2019, when a shooting took place at a Halloween party hosted at an Airbnb rental in Orinda where five people died. 

The company also launched a 24/7 neighborhood support hotline in the U.S. and Canada to enforce the party house ban, in addition to other company initiatives, including the restriction on permitting guests under the age of 25 (and without a history of positive reviews) to book entire home listings locally.

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