Three people were shot dead at a Halloween Party in California and a further two people later died in hospital. The party was held in an Airbnb rental. The company’s CEO, Brian Chesky, has said a ban is now in place on all ‘party houses’. He also took to Twitter to explain that there will be a manual screening process for suspect properties and a rapid response team will be on hand if any unauthorised parties are reported.
The property’s host had been told the booking was being made for a family gathering and around twelve people would be attending. It is believed more than 100 partygoers were at the four-bedroom home when the shooting occurred.
According to The Guardian the owners of the property became suspicious when neighbours contacted them about the party, they could see from their video doorbell that there were more than twelve people in their home. Concerned, they called the police. They were then notified that a shooting had taken place whilst police were on route. Despite two guns being found at the property, no arrests have been made.
The home has been removed from Airbnb and the renter has been permanently banned.
Unauthorised parties have always been banned on Airbnb, but they still take place and homes have been left in dreadful states.
Founded in 2008, Airbnb is a popular accommodation booking platform for holidaymakers looking for short-term and long-term rental either in their home country or abroad. This is not the first time the online brand has been in the press. Over the past few years, users have reported finding hidden cameras in properties as well as listings that have been far from expectations. As a broker, that only takes commission on bookings, Airbnb has very little control over what happens in properties making the crack down on ‘party houses’ an almost impossible task.
