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Airbnb toughens rules on New Year’s Eve rentals to curb coronavirus spread

Airbnb toughens rules on New Year’s Eve rentals to curb coronavirus spread
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Airbnb announced new rules for New Year's Eve to prevent parties and large gatherings at its properties amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

The vacation rental company released its plan on Thursday to limit rentals in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Australia, France, and Spain.

The new measures state that Airbnb would require guests who don't have a positive review history to book a minimum of two nights for any stay, including Dec. 31. Any guests with reservations on Dec. 31 must swear that they will not throw a party under threat of legal charges.

The company said that guests who have a history of positive reviews on Airbnb would not be subject to this restriction.

The company said it would allow already-booked one-night reservations to continue as planned since their "data has historically shown that one-night New Year’s Eve bookings made prior to now very rarely lead to unauthorized parties."