Airbnb suspends 21 Triangle-area homes as part of 'party house' crackdown

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Rental company Airbnb has announced a localized initiative cracking down on 'party houses' within the Research Triangle Park area.

In a release, the company said "21 listings across the region that have received complaints or otherwise violated our policies on parties and events" have been suspended from the Airbnb platform.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, safety measures have been added to the company's policy for parties and large gatherings. Airbnb tightened the rules on house parties over the summer and increased restrictions on those who can book a home.

The company said their decision is the result of a small number of hosts who "have previously received warnings about hosting responsibly or have otherwise violated our policies."

This follows Airbnb's choice to ban parties at Airbnb listings globally until further notice. Airbnb has banned 'party houses' since 2019.

"As COVID-19 cases continue to rise throughout the state, it's more important than ever that we all do our part to reduce the number of parties and large gatherings that could spread the virus," said Viviana Jordan, North Carolina public policy manager for Airbnb. "By sharing out these actions today, we hope to bring greater awareness to our 24/7 neighbor support line which helps to strengthen the enforcement of our global party ban."

As of this month, Airbnb guests without a history of positive reviews on the service are now prohibited from making one-night reservations in entire-home listings on New Year's Eve.