Airbnb says its Live and Work Anywhere policy is all about winning the global war for talent. A year in, the company and its workers are reaping all sorts of added benefits.
Ahead of Halloween weekend, vacation rental website Airbnb wants to prevent bookings that could potentially lead to disruptive parties. The initiative to ban parties started in 2020.
Many people began working from Airbnbs during the pandemic. Now the company is shifting to a remote work model, allowing its employees to be located anywhere in the country they currently work in.
As the idea spread, more than 61,000 nights were booked, grossing nearly $2 million. One host in Kyiv says the donations have helped pay staffers who have fled and buy food for elderly neighbors.
The project is limited to Oregon users and follows a lawsuit settlement alleging that hosts could discriminate against Black renters based on their names.
The McCallister family home will be available to rent on Airbnb later this month. The overnight stay will include junk food, booby traps and "ample opportunity to scream into the mirror."
The U.S. travel industry is rebounding after taking massive hits early in the pandemic. But Americans are making different choices now, such as staying closer to home and choosing rural destinations.
The company also said it has banned "numerous individuals" that it found to be associated with hate groups or involved in criminal activity at the Capitol.
The short-tem rental company says it's actually seeing an increase in its business because people are less inclined to stay at hotels and are choosing to "work from any home" during the pandemic.
Airbnb properties are prohibited from hosting parties or accommodating groups larger than 16 people until further notice. The company said the new policy is "in the best interest of public health."
"This marks the first time Airbnb has taken affirmative steps to initiate legal proceedings against a booking guest for throwing an unauthorized party," the company said.
