In an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19, vacation rental service Airbnb will be implementing stricter no-gather guidelines for their New Year’s Eve rentals this season. Guests without a high user rating will be required to book at least a two-night stay and those reserving properties over New Year’s must sign a legally-binding agreement swearing they will not host a party.
According to the San Francisco-based company, the rules will apply to rentals in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Australia, France, and Spain. Additionally, the company will implement technology to restrict last minute and local bookings to prevent spur of the moment party urges.
The company implemented similar measures before Halloween and reports that the two-night minimum stay was effective for reducing incidents of large gatherings. Airbnb has had a global “party ban” in place since August with occupancy caps at 16 people for all large properties.
If you have an Airbnb staycation planned for the new year, don’t worry, the company says it will not void any reservations made before the two-night policy was announced. Although it’s difficult to regulate pandemic protocols across rentals around the globe, this new policy is an effective solution for reducing the spread of Covid-19 while still allowing small households to plan a staycation.
