The party’s over: Vrbo launches new technology to halt party house rentals

On January 30, 2023, Vrbo announced the release in the United States of a cutting-edge technology that identifies and prevents potentially disruptive or unauthorized parties at the vacation rentals.

The release of this anti-party technology comes as part of a series of actions put in place by the Expedia Group vacation rental brand against party bookings, with the aim of educating hosts and giving them tools to effectively counter house parties.

During the 12 month pilot phase that took place in the Phoenix area during the Super Bowl, it has been estimated that this technology helped prevent more than 500 potentially harmful parties, and given its success it will be expanded nationwide in the United States.

How does this technology work?

To identify potential damaging parties, this technology generates a "risk score" based on several factors including the length of the stay booked, how far in advance the stay was booked from its start, what day of the week the first night of the stay takes place (weekend alert), the number of beds requested, and additional services.

If the technology identifies a potentially high-risk reservation, it alerts the host, who can cancel the reservation without incurring a penalty. In addition, users receive a notice before finalizing the reservation that reminds them of policies against unlawful gatherings.

How to prevent house parties in your vacation rental?

For now, this anti disruptive parties technology is only available in the United States. Despite this, the vacation rental portal suggests a series of tips for preventing disruptive parties.

Here are a few:

• Use house rules to establish clear boundaries and expectations for guests to accept before their stay. A ready-to-use vacation rental house rules template with house rules is available at the link.
• Review the reservation: last-minute reservations from people in the same city are a red flag for possible harmful reservations.
• Follow up on reservations from large groups of guests to make sure they understand your expectations regarding events and noise.