Airbnb Is Banning One-Night Bookings Over Halloween Weekend to Help Prevent Parties
Halloween is going to look a lot different this year amid the global pandemic. In September, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that many classic Halloween activities like trick-or-treating and going to haunted houses can be high-risk for spreading COVID-19. Another higher risk Halloween tradition? Indoor costume parties. In order to help prevent parties this spooky season, Airbnb announced that it's banning all one-night reservations over Halloween weekend.
So how will the ban work? Starting today, you won't be able to make one-night bookings for entire-home listings in the United States or Canada on Friday, October 30 or Saturday, October 31. If you previously booked a reservation meeting those criteria, Airbnb will cancel it and reimburse you. Airbnb plans to fully pay for guest reimbursements so hosts with confirmed bookings will still get paid.
Along with enforcing a two-night minimum stay, Airbnb is introducing more efforts to help prevent parties this Halloween. For instance, Airbnb will remind guests who've placed a reservation between October 28 and November 1 of the company's global ban on parties, which was announced in late August. And guests will be required to attest that if they violate Airbnb's rules on parties, they may be subject to legal action or removal from Airbnb. The company also says that if guests are still able to throw parties during Halloween weekend, neighbors can call Airbnb's neighborhood support line "to quickly respond to issues."
"The great majority of guests are respectful of our hosts’ homes and neighbors, and we understand that this initiative will disrupt many one-night reservations that might not have led to parties," an Airbnb news release reads. "This action is designed to help protect our hosts and the communities they live in."
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