Airbnb says its screening tools turned away 40 would-be Las Vegas renters last Halloween

Airbnb is turning on its heightened antiparty screening tools for Halloween weekend in Las Vegas and nationwide, the company said Monday. The system reviews booking requests it considers more likely to end in a disruptive gathering, then either blocks them or sends the guest to another Airbnb option, such as a private room or a hotel listing.

Last Halloween weekend, the screening kept about 40 people from booking an entire home in Las Vegas, Airbnb said in an email to the Sun. Across the United States, the same system deterred more than 23,500 people from booking a whole house that weekend, including about 3,230 in Texas, 3,170 in Florida, and nearly 3,000 in Canada. Airbnb said this marks the sixth straight year it has raised the screening level for the holiday.

The company weighs several factors when it looks at a booking to judge whether it could be higher risk for a disruptive party, it said. Airbnb described parties as extremely rare on its platform: 0.07% of Nevada reservations in 2025 led to a party report, and about 0.06% nationally.

Roger Kaiser, Airbnb's vice president of fraud and safety operations, said most Halloween weekend bookings are ordinary trips. "Most people who book on Airbnb over Halloween weekend are doing what you'd expect: visiting family, taking a fall getaway, or catching a football game," Kaiser said in a release.

Airbnb's community disturbance policy blocks open-invite gatherings, including any party advertised publicly or on social media, and disruptive gatherings regardless of size. Listings also cannot be advertised as party friendly. Minor issues draw warnings, while repeat or serious problems can lead to suspended or removed listings and accounts.

The company also restated that people under 18 cannot hold Airbnb accounts, and adults cannot book a stay for a minor unless the adult is present for the whole trip. Violations can cost account holders their accounts and upcoming trips, and can leave them on the hook for property damage. Account holders may also face liability if law enforcement gets involved after a disruptive party, Airbnb said.

Airbnb is sharing updated guidance with U.S. hosts on writing expectations into listing descriptions and house rules, spotting warning signs, and contacting Airbnb Support. The company also runs a Neighborhood Support Line for residents to report parties in progress, a 24-hour safety line for hosts and guests, and offers noise sensors to hosts.

The rollout comes as Airbnb stays in a legal fight with Clark County over short-term rentals. County commissioners voted 5-0 on Aug. 18 to approve an ordinance that stops booking platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo from processing reservations for unlicensed rentals in unincorporated areas. Airbnb and the Greater Las Vegas Short-Term Rental Association are plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit challenging the county's licensing rules, and a federal judge's December preliminary injunction has blocked the county from enforcing parts of those rules.

Airbnb first announced on Oct. 2, 2020, that it would bar one-night rentals of entire homes in the U.S. and Canada over Halloween weekend. That came nearly a year after gunfire killed five people on Oct. 31, 2019, at an unauthorized Halloween party at an Airbnb rental in Orinda, California, The Associated Press reported at the time.