Previously, Airbnb had temporary policies in place to prevent people from booking spaces for large-scale, open-invite or unauthorized parties. Certain users were blocked from making reservations on nation-wide holidays like Memorial Day Weekend, for example. Those who could book short-term rentals were warned of legal action if they violated the anti-party policy.
But irate hosts confronting the aftermath of blowouts held at their homes are not the only ones Airbnb has to deal with. Regulations laid out by the municipalities of the different locations where the service is available as well as problems faced by neighborhoods that have to bear the brunt of noisy guests are also issues the company has to think about.
The new screening tools identify potentially risky users and stop them from making home bookings. The system takes into account how long the guest in question has been using Airbnb, the distance from their home to the listed property, how many positive reviews they’ve received from hosts (or the lack of positive feedback) and so on.
Those who don’t pass the test still have the option of renting a private room while the host is physically present on the premises or making a hotel reservation.