If you're thinking of booking a place in Toronto for a spooky party this Halloween, Airbnb's recent announcement may put a damper on your plans.
On August 17, Airbnb announced that customers without a history of positive reviews won't be able to book one-night reservations on All Hallows' Eve.
This means if you have bad reviews from your past Airbnb hosts (or no reviews at all), you should probably consider holding your costume party at a friend's house. If you've been a great guest and your reviews reflect that, you're in the clear for bookings but still won't be allowed to throw a party.
According to Airbnb's policy, a party can be considered a gathering of more than 16 people or any event that is disruptive to the community.
Guests making one or two-night resos will have to confirm they fully understand the party ban and that they could face suspension or legal action if they violate it. Airbnb has also warned that they plan to enforce further restrictions for two-night reservations that "may pose heightened risk for parties."
In August last year, Airbnb had announced an indefinite party ban around the world, limiting the number of guests at each of their listings to 16 people. Then in December 2020, keeping New Year's Eve festivities in mind, Airbnb introduced another rule.
"Guests without a history of positive reviews on Airbnb will be prohibited from making one-night reservations in entire home listings on New Year's Eve," read the announcement.
"We estimate that our efforts resulted in a drop in incidents such as unauthorized parties by over 49 percent for Halloween and over 51 percent for New Year's Eve," Airbnb stated in an official update yesterday, explaining why they brought the rule back for the spookiest season of the year.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.