To curb party houses and discourage large gatherings at short term rentals during the pandemic, Vrbo is banning all one-night rentals in Arizona for at least several months.
Critics of vacation rentals in Arizona have cited disruptions to neighborhoods from parties and certain guest behaviors which they argued have been elevated during the pandemic.
AZ Central reported that Vrbo said it would not allow any rentals in Arizona for one-night stays through January in a letter to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. The company will develop longer-term solutions after that with a focus “on understanding and addressing potential issues during the reservation process and the stay, and having systems in place to identify bad actors after the fact to prevent future incidents.”
This decision came after Expedia met with local leaders according to the letter.
These conversations revealed a unifying question: how to make vacation rentals safer for everyone in an uncertain environment and reduce possible negative impacts of large-group gatherings? As a company built on family travel, we take those concerns and feedback seriously.
Vrbo has been angling for the family travel market with a focus on larger home rentals and non-urban destinations, setting itself apart from Airbnb. It is unclear if Vrbo plans to implement the one-night ban in other markets. On Wednesday, the city of Chicago approved the proposed ban on one-night rentals to prevent party houses. It is the first U.S. city to take that action.
Airbnb has been cracking down on listings that have violated its policies on parties and events. In July, Airbnb suspended or removed 50 short term listings in Arizona.
photo credit: Vrbo
