‘Not safe. Period.’ Airbnb, cities join forces to stop ‘party houses’ during pandemic

A persistent problem in cities around the U.S. amid efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19?

“Party house” rentals hosting sometimes hundreds of people, reports from across the country show.

Just this month, cities in Texas, New Jersey and Arizona have dealt with large crowds gathering at rental houses for massive blow-outs, many of which are advertised on Airbnb, according to media reports. Airbnb banned U.S. guests under the age of 25 with fewer than three positive reviews from booking entire homes close to their place of residence at the beginning of July in response, the Associated Press reported.

Airbnb has not specifically defined distance limits, according to AP.

Airbnb implemented a “party house ban” in late 2019, a blog post on the company’s website said. “Open-invite” parties and events were banned, along with large parties and events in multi-family listings like apartment buildings and condos.

New Jersey

Both the company and city officials are imposing regulations that aim to stop these events, with some governments going so far as to outlaw short-term rentals altogether. The township council of Jackson, New Jersey introduced an ordinance, scheduled for a public hearing Aug. 11, that limits rental properties to a 30-day minimum, the Asbury Park Press reported.

Airbnb is joining in the effort to crack down on these potentially dangerous events in New Jersey by suspending or removing 35 rentals across the state after the governor linked indoor house parties to a spike in coronavirus cases, according to NBC.

“We stand with Governor Murphy, and we support his call to action to stop parties and promote behavior that respects the public’s health,” Chris Lehane, an Airbnb spokesman, said in a statement, according to NBC.

Airbnb’s suspensions, announced July 31, resulted from complaints made by neighbors who called the company’s 24-hour hotline about large, unauthorized parties, NJ.com reported. One of the parties was so packed that it took authorities five hours to clear out, according to CNN.

That party had more than 700 attendees, AP reported.

“Come on, folks. Come on,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said, according to AP. “That’s needlessly putting men and women in uniform and their families at risk.”

New Jersey limited indoor gatherings to 100 people or 25% of a room’s capacity, whichever is lower, the state’s online coronavirus information center says. Outdoor gatherings are allowed with no more than 500 people and people must practice social distancing, excluding First-Amendment protected activities such as protests or religious services.

“[Indoor parties] are how coronavirus gets passed around more efficiently,” Murphy said, according to NBC. “They are not safe. Period.”

Arizona

Airbnb suspended or removed 50 listings across Arizona earlier in July, the Daily Independent reported. All of the rentals received complaints or violated the company’s party ban policies, according to KPNX.

“It’s every weekend, a whole new group of people that show up and they’re going to town and they’re having a good party but they don’t realize this is a neighborhood where families live,” Masada Siegel, a Scottsdale resident, told KPNX. “People show up with party buses and marijuana seeping into the backyard and beer. . . . I didn’t sign up to live next to a fraternity house.”

Two-thirds of the 50 suspended listings were in Maricopa County, according to the Independent. Scottsdale and Phoenix hosted most of the violators, Ben Breit, an Airbnb spokesperson, told the Independent.

“We really hope that through sharing this, more neighbors are aware that we have this neighborhood support line 24/7 hotline and if there are more issues to be addressed we want to hear about it,” Breit said, according to KPNX.

A party hosted at a Paradise Valley short-term rental with 300 attendees took police three hours to disperse, the Independent reported. Party-goers were cited with littering, unruly gathering and excessive noise.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey extended an executive order put into effect in late June that prohibited gatherings of more than 50 people even when social distancing is followed, according to a news release on the governor’s website.

Texas

On July 28, two teenagers were shot outside an Airbnb rental where dozens of people were attending a party in Houston, KHOU reported. The 16-year-old and 19-year-old victims were taken to a hospital by ambulance and were expected to recover as of July 31, according to KHOU.

At least six juveniles were detained and they face drug possession charges and one faces a weapons charge, KHOU reported.

“The reckless behavior reported has no place on Airbnb, and we’ve removed the booking guest from our community,” an Airbnb spokesperson told KHOU. “We ban ‘party houses’ and have clear rules on responsible guest behavior, and we take reports of violations very seriously.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation in early July that gave mayors and county judges the power to impose restrictions on outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people and mandated that no one gather in groups of more than 10 while still practicing social distancing.

Georgia

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and other city officials introduced legislation to regulate “party houses” after neighbors in north Atlanta complained about a “party mansion” that allegedly hosted multiple events a week, WXIA reported. The city defined “party houses” as residences used for large-scale commercial events that pose risks to the public safety of those living nearby, according to WXIA.

“Party houses in residentially zoned areas are illegal and must end,” J.P. Matzigkeit, an Atlanta city council member, said, according to WXIA.

This story was originally published July 31, 2020 at 4:31 PM with the headline "‘Not safe. Period.’ Airbnb, cities join forces to stop ‘party houses’ during pandemic."