AUSTIN, Texas — Airbnb said it denied more than 48,000 reservations in Texas last year in an effort stop parties from happening a rentals.
In Austin alone, the vacation rental company said it denied about 3,300 reservations last year using its "Under 25" policy.
The policy was put in place back in 2020 and restricts guests under 25 without a history of positive reviews from booking an entire home listing in their area under certain circumstances. Guests under 25 are still allowed to book private rooms, where the host generally lives on site.
Its age-based policy was part of the larger attempt to ban parties at rentals. It started in August 2020 to prioritize public health in the early days of the pandemic and prevent community disruptions caused by parties. The company's community standards were updated then to prohibit gatherings of more than 16 people and prohibits disruptive parties and events.
In addition to the age-based policy and updated community standards, Airbnb banned one-night bookings in entire home listings around a few major holidays for guests lacking positive reviews. The rule was put in place for the Fourth of July, Halloween and New Year's Eve.
"We believe it worked. Those weekends were generally quiet, and these initiatives were well-received by our Host community," Airbnb said in a release.
In Texas and Austin specifically, the vacation rental company declined thousands of bookings around three holidays. Here's a look a the numbers:
Fourth of July: More than 11,300 bookings declined in Texas, with more than 1,700 in Austin
Halloween: Over 7,600 statewide and more than 1,000 in Austin
New Year's Eve: Over 10,800 statewide and more than 1,400 in Austin
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