COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Short-term rental giant Airbnb is working to make New Year's Eve a silent night at vacation properties in Columbus with anti-party technology.
In a news release, the booking service detailed how “machine learning” is being deployed to enforce a “global ban on disruptive parties” this year, along with tools for hosts and neighbors to keep things peaceful.
Airbnb said its system evaluates factors like trip length, listing type, distance from the guest and reservation timing to assess the risk of disruptive, unauthorized parties. High-risk bookings are blocked or redirected to other accommodations.
Additionally, guests making reservations must agree that disruptive or unauthorized parties are not allowed in Airbnb properties. By agreeing, they acknowledge that violating this rule could lead to serious consequences, such as being suspended or permanently removed from the platform.
In an email to NBC4, Airbnb pointed out how neighborhoods have benefited from these measures.
“Specifically in Columbus, approximately 300 people were deterred from booking an entire home listing on Airbnb last New Year’s Eve due to those defenses,” the email noted. “Across the state of Ohio, approximately 1200 people were deterred from booking an entire home listing last year's New Year's Eve.”
Now, Airbnb is adding additional layers of protection to stop unwelcome festivities, which include:
“While issues are rare, we want to do our part to help reduce the risk of unauthorized and disruptive parties,” said Tara Bunch, Global Head of Operations at Airbnb. “Airbnb is committed to supporting hosts and the communities they live in, and we hope these defenses allow guests, hosts and neighbors to celebrate the holiday with added reassurance.”
Along with Columbus and the entire U.S., travelers should note Airbnb's technology will be in effect worldwide.
