Airbnb to ban people likely to travel with already-banned guests. A new report claims that Airbnb is now throwing the banhammer at users who associate themselves with other problem users.
Airbnb to Ban People Likely To Travel with Already-Banned Guests
Airbnb is now banning people who are closely associated with guests that are already banned from the service according to a report on Wednesday from Vice.
The short-term-rental company recently confirmed to Vice that, as a “necessary safety precaution,” it sometimes bans users on the service that it deems as “likely to travel” with a user that has been banned previously. The company would not say when it began doing this or just how often it does, according to Vice.
On a request from CNET for comment on the matter, Airbnb did not respond immediately.
How Airbnb Vets Its Large Customer Base
Airbnb makes use of a background check system to vet its large customer base. On the website of Airbnb, the company says that it had 1.4 billion “guest arrivals” as of December 2022. However, the system can end up banning users for a few misdemeanor charges on their record as per a previous report from Vice.
According to reports, there is an appeals process for those who feel that they have been banned unfairly on the platform or from the service.
The Reason for Airbnb’s Cautious Move
The caution which is put forward by short-term rental companies such as Airbnb and Vrbo is coming into light as stories have percolated over the years of problem guests tuning homes into party centers. Many of those stories have included complaints by neighbors and in some cases, deaths.
In order to combat this, Airbnb implemented a permanent party ban in the summer of 2022 and then launched an anti-party tech at the end of the previous year. Vrbo just ahead of the Super Bowl 2023 also implemented tech to stop renters from turning homes into party houses and venues.
