Did Airbnb deny your Memorial Day reservation? How the app is checking your background

Kendall Little, Naples Daily News
·3 min read

Planning a Memorial Day party? If it’s in an Airbnb, you might want to consider canceling it. And if it works like last year, thousands of people booking in Florida are likely to have reservations denied.

Parties are banned through Airbnb, but the company wants to ensure no one has to endure a disruptive party on their block.

Airbnb's anti-party system is in effect for Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends. But how does it work?

Here's what you need to know about the ultimate party pooper this summer.

How does the Airbnb anti-party system work?

Airbnb uses AI to determine which users may be booking the rental for a party.

In order to determine which users might be booking an Airbnb for a party, the AI tracks how far the user lives from the rental. If the user lives in the same area as the rental, they might be booking it as a party house.

The AI also tracks how far in advance the booking is made and how long the stay will be. A last-minute booking for one or two nights may indicate a party.

Does the anti-party system actually work?

Since the initiative launched in August 2020, Airbnb officials say there's been a 50% global decrease in party reports.

Last year, the technology blocked 67,500 people across America from booking an entire home listing on Airbnb during Memorial Day weekend or Fourt of July weekend.

In Florida specifically, 9,300 people were blocked from booking homes over Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends last year. Here's the breakdown by major city:

  • Miami: 1,300

  • Orlando: 2,000

  • Jacksonville: 300

  • Tampa: 500

How often do disruptive parties happen in Airbnbs?

Loud parties are banned on Airbnb, but there's no real way of counting the amount of parties that happen unless neighbors report them.

In 2023, 0.035% of reservations globally resulted in a party that was reported.

How long has Airbnb been using anti-party AI?

The rental company started using the anti-party technology in August 2020. It's been used during major holiday weekends like New Year's Eve and Halloween.

Since May 2023, the AI has blocked or redirected over 860,000 guests from booking an Airbnb.

What else does Airbnb do to prevent parties?

Airbnb offers a few other anti-party measures for hosts and local communities.

  • Neighborhood support line: Local communities can report issues directly to Airbnb

  • Safety line: Working 24 hours for hosts and guests to reach the safety team

  • Noise sensors: Airbnb offers free noise sensors for hosts to test noise levels in the listing without using a camera

Where do people like to stay for Memorial Day in Florida?

Airbnb has identified several Florida cities that are top-searched for Memorial Day weekend this year. The most searched for destinations in Florida are:

  • Destin

  • Panama City Beach

  • Pensacola Beach

Airbnb's top 10 categories for Memorial Day weekend are:

  • Amazing pools

  • Beach

  • Amazing views

  • Lake

  • Cabin

  • Countryside

  • Surfing

  • National Parks

  • Golfing

  • Iconic cities

Florida sounds like a pretty good fit for almost all those categories.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Airbnb AI denies reservations to stop Memorial Day parties. Here's how