Airbnb Canceling One-night Stays and Prohibiting New Bookings for Halloween Weekend — What to Know

Airbnb will not allow travelers to book one-night stays over Halloween weekend in the U.S. and Canada, the company shared with Travel + Leisure on Friday, and will cancel any existing one-night bookings.

The company will prohibit anyone from booking a one-night stay for an entire home listing on Oct. 30 or Oct. 31, according to the company. Anyone who has already booked an entire home one-night stay on those dates will find their reservations canceled and will be reimbursed. Airbnb said it would pay for the reimbursements and affected hosts would still get paid.

The new policy is part of the company's effort to prevent large gatherings and parties, following last Halloween when a deadly shooting broke out at a California house party. Earlier this year, Airbnb canceled reservations for more than two dozen listings in Los Angeles it identified as “party houses” and removed some entirely from its site.

“The great majority of guests are respectful of our hosts’ homes and neighbors, and we understand that this initiative will disrupt many one-night reservations that might not have led to parties,” Airbnb said in its announcement. “This action is designed to help protect our hosts and the communities they live in.”

In addition to increasing the minimum stay, Airbnb said it would “remind guests” parties are not allowed and require guests to “attest that they understand that they may be subject to removal from Airbnb or legal action if they violate Airbnb’s rules on parties.” The company said it would also expand its technology that prevents guests without a history of positive reviews from making a last-minute booking.

The ban on large gatherings is also in line with COVID-19 restrictions, which limit large gatherings in many parts of the country. In July, the home-sharing company said it would stop renting entire homes to some guests in the U.S. under 25 years old in an effort to prevent house parties.

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she’s not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.