Huge Airbnb party with up to 200 guests in California has company threatening to sue

Airbnb said it is pursuing legal action against a guest who threw an unauthorized party with 150-200 guests in California.

The San Francisco-based company said in a statement to McClatchy News on Tuesday that it notified the guest about legal claims and damages for a party thrown Aug. 7 in Sunnyvale. The event was in violation of Airbnb’s “global ban on parties,” first implemented in August 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and extended in May 2021 through the end of the summer.

“As part of the ban, we also took measures within our platform to promote responsible behavior such as removing the ‘event-friendly’ search filter and removing any ‘parties and events allowed’ House Rules in listings,” the company said.

Airbnb said that the guest “booked the listing under false pretenses” and has been banned from the platform, according to the statement. The listing has also been deactivated.

The company said it has pursued similar legal action against guests who threw unauthorized parties in Sacramento, Cincinnati and Dallas, as well as other cities.

Airbnb also announced Tuesday that one-night reservations will be blocked during Halloween weekend in the U.S. and Canada to “help prevent unauthorized parties,” with exceptions being made for “guests with a history of positive reviews.”

This story was originally published August 17, 2021 at 3:57 PM with the headline "Huge Airbnb party with up to 200 guests in California has company threatening to sue."