As the strange year of 2020 draws closer and closer to a close, many companies have had to alter their policies around the holidays.
Airbnb is certainly one of those, and it has recently announced that it will be applying new restrictions to those who are using the platform on New Year’s Eve.
Obviously, New Year’s Eve is notoriously one of the biggest nights of the year to party and Airbnb is well aware of the implications that could occur in the middle of a pandemic.
The policy will now mean that guests who do not already have a positive history of reviews will need to stay for at least two nights for the holiday if they are booking full home listings.
This is to take place in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Mexico, Spain, and France.
For those who made the booking prior to this past week, the new rules do not take effect. Airbnb asserts that any bookings made prior to this time do not constitute the same risks as now.
The fact that guests who already have positive reviews are allowed to also only stay for one night is because they are also not deemed as risky either.
Another thing the vacation rental giant is doing is making sure that all guests around the world who have a booking on New Year’s Eve do not host a large party or gathering of any kind.
If they do so it could lead to legal action on Airbnb’s end. They have had this ban on parties since August and will be especially diligent over the holidays.
“We believe this plan will help prevent large gatherings while supporting the type of safe, responsible travel that benefits guests, hosts and the neighborhoods they call home,” the company stated.
