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Can You Throw A Party In An Airbnb? [Party Policy Explained]
Can You Party In An Airbnb?
Airbnb no longer allows guests to throw parties.
Airbnb’s Global Party Ban, introduced in August 2020, ended the era of guests being allowed to invite friends to their rental. Unauthorized parties had always been forbidden by Airbnb, but now authorized parties are forbidden as well.
In this guide, we’ll cover what you should know about Airbnb and parties.
After explaining Airbnb’s Global Party Ban and the timeline leading up to its implementation, we’ll cover what Airbnb considers to be a “party”, how to find an Airbnb rental for your group, plus whether or not Airbnb might allow authorized parties in the future.
*Vrbo.com is the best Airbnb alternative for apartment and house rentals (some allow their guests to throw parties). To see today’s deals on rentals, click here.
Airbnb’s Party Policy Explained
Prior to 2020, unauthorized Airbnb parties had been occurring for years.
This was despite Airbnb’s no unauthorized party policy, and many hosts stating “no parties allowed” in the house rules of their listing. Still, the total number of parties that resulted in property damage or neighbor complaints were a small percentage of all Airbnb bookings. The 2019 Halloween party shooting may have been the final straw that forced Airbnb to crack down.
In July 2020, Airbnb released this policy, which set restrictions on guests under the age of 25 (who lacked a solid booking history) in Canada, US, UK, France and Spain. The policy aimed to prevent young adults from booking local homes as a way to host a party (these parties were often open-invite).
In August 2020, two months later, Airbnb released this Global Party Ban - which covered all age groups, property types and countries. The policy also set the maximum number of guests allowed to enter a rental at 16. In their release, Airbnb stated that these new rules would remain in effect indefinitely.
So, for now, no guest is allowed to host a party in an Airbnb rental.
To read Airbnb’s Party and Events policy, click here. For more on Airbnb’s age restrictions, click here.
*Vrbo.com is the best Airbnb alternative for apartment and house rentals (some allow their guests to throw parties). To see today’s deals on rentals, click here.
What Does Airbnb Consider A Party?
Travel and celebration are often intertwined.
It’s very common to take a trip as a way to celebrate a work or life event, such as an anniversary, graduation, wedding or birthday. Some events Airbnb considers to be a “party” will include kids parties, birthday parties, house/dinner parties, engagement parties, bachelor or stag, and bachelorette or hen parties (among others).
A wedding reception, elopement and baby or bridal shower could be allowed - if the guest and host are on the same page (meaning you’ve discussed the details of the gathering with your host prior to booking).
While you can’t host a party in an Airbnb rental, you can book one to celebrate with your family or friends - as long as you follow some important rules. Keep this information in mind when you consider booking an Airbnb rental for a group celebration:
Every guest should be accounted for when you make your booking/reservation. This means a person should not enter the property if they are not already a registered guest and plan to spend the night. To learn exactly how to add guests to your Airbnb booking, click here.
Your booking should be “closed-invite” and you should personally know everyone in the group (as opposed to “open-invite parties”, where your friends can invite their own friends).
The maximum number of guests allowed to enter/stay in an Airbnb rental is 16.
Disclose the purpose of your trip/stay to potential hosts PRIOR to booking.
Always follow your host’s house rules (the rules are shown on your booking).
Does Airbnb Check The Number Of Guests?
Airbnb does not know or check how many guests show up to a booking (apart from what is claimed when a guest makes the booking). However, if you’re caught having more guests over than what you’ve booked for (whether your host sees it or a neighbor reports it), Airbnb can potentially ban your account.
*Vrbo.com is the best Airbnb alternative for apartment and house rentals (some allow their guests to throw parties). To see today’s deals on rentals, click here.
How To Find An Airbnb For Your Small Or Mid-Sized Group
To find an Airbnb suited for your small or mid-sized group, simply enter the total number of guests when searching on Airbnb.com. This way, only properties large enough to host your full group will be displayed in your search results. From there, browse and read each listing’s “house rules” section.
When you find a property that fits your tastes and budget, disclose the purpose of your trip/stay to your potential host PRIOR to booking. You may need to inquire with multiple hosts before you find one that allows large groups. Always account for all guests who will attend (if 9 guests will be present, book for 9).
*Vrbo.com is the best Airbnb alternative for apartment and house rentals (some allow their guests to throw parties). To see today’s deals on rentals, click here.
Will Airbnb Allow Parties In The Future?
From my perspective, it appears Airbnb is distancing itself from any association to house parties.
Notably, Airbnb recently eliminated the “event-friendly” search filter and removed the option for hosts to include “parties and events allowed” in their House Rules. In the past, “parties and events allowed” meant that a guest could hold an authorized party.
Airbnb has stated that its Under-25 Policy resulted in a “meaningful drop” in unauthorized house parties in Canada (where it was first introduced). Moving forward, Airbnb will likely focus more on individuals, couples and small groups (rather than on large groups and get togethers) - though their maximum group size may change in the future. Airbnb has stated that they “understand that 16 is not a magic number”.
*Vrbo.com is the best Airbnb alternative for apartment and house rentals (some allow their guests to throw parties). To see today’s deals on rentals, click here.
Conclusion
Hopefully you found this guide helpful.
The era of hosting an open-invite Airbnb party - large or small - seems to be over. But you can definitely still rent an Airbnb for a small or mid-sized group of your family or friends to celebrate an occasion. Just follow the instructions above and communicate clearly with your host. To learn more about Airbnb, explore our other guides below.
Enjoy your travels!
Learn More About Airbnb
Introduction To Airbnb
Understand Your Options
Airbnb vs. Hotels Comparison [Atmosphere, Price, Safety, Amenities]
Airbnb vs. VRBO, HomeAway, FlipKey, TurnKey, OVO [Comparison]
Get Started With Airbnb
Know Before You Go
Specific Types Of Bookings
How To Find An Airbnb With A Specific Feature [Or Unique Stay]
How To Find An Airbnb That Allows Pets [Airbnb’s Pet Policy]
How To Find An Airbnb With A Pool, Hot Tub Or Jacuzzi [Step-By-Step]
Can You Throw A Party In An Airbnb Rental? [Party Policy Explained]
Cancellations, Refunds And Changes
Airbnb’s Other Listing Categories
Airbnb’s Other Features
Help With Your Account
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