Stags and hens belong in the countryside, not in city centres
The cable has been ripped out of the speaker, the windows have been opened, the wine is being poured down the drain, Mr Blobby has been forcibly restrained.
That’s right. The party is officially over under Government plans to clamp down on so-called ‘party houses’, with tougher sanctions coming in for lax Airbnb owners and unruly guests.
This is just one element of the Government’s new 41-page action plan to tackle antisocial activities in the country, along with making laughing gas a Class C drug, stopping people from drinking alcohol at bus stops and moving on beggars.
Details remain thin on the ground as to exactly how the Government will clamp down on party houses. “If a let proves problematic, they can take action against guests and owners,” the plan says, adding that a consultation will be published “shortly”.
The policy should certainly be welcomed by anyone who lives near a party house, which increasingly plague quiet neighbourhoods with noise and litter. The Government is right to empower people to file complaints, and to be heard. But there is still a valuable place for party houses in more remote places, if managed correctly.
Airbnb has taken the opposite stance. In 2020, the room-letting company banned party houses at a time when social mingling was outlawed due to Covid, and then two years later said it was “officially codifying the ban” after reporting a 44 per cent year-on-year drop in party complaints.
“Parties are banned on Airbnb and our industry-leading prevention technology blocked more than 84,000 people in the UK from making certain unwanted bookings last year alone,” a spokesperson said.
That industry-leading prevention technology might need tightening up. Just a quick search on Airbnb shows that it is a treasure trove of party houses. On the listings page for a quite spectacular 11-bedroom castle in Saint Mellion, Cornwall, it says: “Parties and events are charged separately”. Another, Toftcombs Mansion House admits in broad daylight: “We allow hen and stag parties.”
Others have sidestepped the “no party” rule through linguistic gymnastics. One country house in East Riding, fitted with an indoor pool and an astroturf tennis court, describes the property as a “special place to celebrate life events.” It’s not a party, officer, it’s a life event celebration.
Regardless of Airbnb’s intentions, and despite Government attempts to join them in clamping down on unruly party houses, there will always be large groups of people looking to book large houses to have fun in. And this is something to be managed, rather than squashed.
Because, like it or not, the stag/hen do is no longer a few civilised drinks at the local pub the night before the wedding. It is now a much bigger, often multi-night event, and I have attended my fair share. In Prague, Bali and Hastings, I have been part of a troop of merry young men hopping from bar to bar. Lots of fun, but also inevitably disruptive for the residents.
I have also attended stag dos in large, remote properties, including a mansion near Horsham and another (which I organised) in a remote festival-like campsite on France’s west coast. These, I can say with confidence, caused a significantly lower gross disturbance than the events held in cities.
There are websites dedicated to the party house economy, like partyhouses.co.uk and Kate and Tom’s. On Big Domain there is even a property in Sherwood Forest with its own nightclub, which sounds dire, but it’s also a great thing.
Not too long ago people on an average salary living in a rented flat wouldn’t have dreamt of spending a night or two in a castle or a country pile, or getting the keys to their own “nightclub”. Now, if you have enough friends, it’s perfectly doable. And when the intention to have a party is transparent, rather than executed by stealth, it is surely better for everyone.
So yes, opportunistic landlords of party properties in residential areas should have their wrists slapped (more so, surely, than the revellers, if the problem is to be stopped at the root). But those lucky enough to own big second homes with plenty of land should not only be allowed, but wholeheartedly encouraged to let out their properties to the life event celebrating set. Because just like in the animal kingdom, stags and hens are much better suited to the countryside.
