'Party Houses' Banned On Airbnb After Halloween Shooting
Airbnb will no longer allow "party houses" to list on its platform, the company’s CEO Brian Chesky announced on Saturday.
What Happened
Chesky’s announcement comes in the wake of the Halloween night shooting in Orinda, California, on Thursday that left five people dead.
“What happened on Thursday night in Orinda, CA, was horrible. I feel for the families and neighbors impacted by this tragedy - we are working to support them,” Chesky said.
The event, which was taking place in a house rented through Airbnb, was advertised across social media as a “mansion party,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
What's Next
Airbnb will increase manual screening of the venues adjudged "high-risk" by its automated screener, according to Chesky. The online real-estate marketplace will also establish a dedicated party house rapid response team.
“...We are redoubling our efforts to combat unauthorized parties and get rid of abusive host and guest conduct, including conduct that leads to the terrible events we saw in Orinda,” Chesky said. “We are taking immediate action against users who violate these enhanced guest policies, including removal [from the platform],” he added.
Margaret Richardson, Airbnb’s Vice President of Trust, will be overseeing the implementation of the company’s updated policy.
“We must do better, and we will. This is unacceptable,” Chesky said.
Governor Calls for Gun Reforms
The tragedy sparked strong reactions on social media, as users argued that the focus should be on gun reforms instead of “rental property control.”
“This will barely make the news today. That's how numb we have become to this,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a tweet. “Our hearts are aching for the victims and all those affected by this horrific tragedy.”
“We must continue to raise our voice, [continue] to push for [Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell] to pass [common sense] gun reforms,” he said.
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