Airbnb using new technology to pinpoint, ‘clampdown’ on NYE parties
Party seekers in Las Vegas beware, Airbnb will be using the power of artificial intelligence to clamp down on New Year’s Eve parties this year.
The online rental hosting service will use proprietary AI and machine learning technology to “clampdown” on Dec. 31 parties in specific counties and regions around the globe, and the technology will also be used in Las Vegas. An Airbnb representative said via email to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that this will encompass 1,290 guests across Nevada and 750 guests in the Las Vegas Valley, plus 63,000 people across the country.
“The aim of this system is to try to identify one, two and three night booking attempts for entire home listings over the holiday weekend that could be potentially higher-risk for a disruptive and unauthorized party incident and block those bookings from being made,” an Airbnb statement read. “Guests able to make local reservations will need to attest they understand Airbnb bans parties and that if they break this rule they face suspension or removal from the platform.”
According to Airbnb, the AI technology dives into hundreds of various signals that could potentially indicate a certain booking is at a higher risk for a party incident, like the duration of the intended trip the person is trying to book, where the listing is from their location, the type of listing being booked, and if the reservation is made last-minute.
Airbnb said last year it blocked thousands of people from booking an entire home listing on the platform using the technology, including 63,550 people in the U.S. They first started using the technology in 2020.
State legislation was passed last year forcing Clark County to start issuing licenses in unincorporated areas for short-term rentals, however none have been issued yet. Short-term rentals are legal in Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas for hosts registered and having the proper permits with the respective municipalities. A search of Airbnb properties in Las Vegas for the nights of Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 returns more than a 1,000 rentals ranging from $35 a night to $4,024.
Contact Patrick Blennerhassett at pblennerhassett@reviewjournal.com.