Airbnb enacts new restrictions to prevent destructive New Year's Eve house parties

People who wish to book an Airbnb rental to celebrate New Year's Eve in Philadelphia with family or friends cannot have a poor track record with previous hosts. 

Customers without a history of positive reviews will be prevented from booking one-night reservations for entire home listings for the holiday, the vacation rental company said Wednesday.

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People who have received negative reviews from hosts also will have limited abilities to book two-night stays over that weekend, including last-minute reservations.

However, renters with a history of positive reviews will not be subject to the company's restrictions.

Airbnb's prohibition on single-night reservations for certain customers applies to the entire United States, as well as other countries such as Canada, France and the United Kingdom.

A similar initiative was deployed for New Year's Eve last year to reduce unruly house parties. The efforts kept at least 3,000 customers from booking entire home listings in Philly, according to the company.

Similar restrictions have been implemented at Halloween and the Fourth of July to crack down on disruptive gatherings.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has sought to limit parties held at short-term rentals. 

A house party ban was implemented in August 2020 to encourage safe travel amid the public health crisis. Airbnb also capped occupancies at listings to no more than 16 people and mandated all hosts and guests follow local COVID-19 health and safety protocols. The moratorium remains in place until further notice.

Any guest or host who violates the prohibition could face legal action and be suspended or banned from the platform entirely.

Last November, Airbnb removed or suspended dozens of listings in Philadelphia for throwing parties amid a rise in COVID-19 cases.