INDIANAPOLIS — If you're already thinking about your New Year plan, Airbnb is too. That's why they're rolling out their anti-party defenses early.
Jonathon Howe is used to hosting guest during big events at his Airbnb on the southwest side of Indianapolis.
"I've had everything from Taylor Swift to All-Star to Indy 500," said Howe.
And he's had a few experiences along the way, like unauthorized parties.
"I had one where they literally had a bouncer. He said 'oh it's cool we got a bouncer.' I'm like 'this is a tiny apartment. That doesn't make me feel better that you have a bouncer. That means people you don't know are coming,'" said Howe.
Stories like this are why Airbnb rolled out its anti-party technology to stop potential party-throwers from booking rentals during the biggest party of the year, New Year.
The technology analyzes information like the length of the trip, the type of listing, distance between listing and guest's location, and date of reservation to help determine the potential risk for an unauthorized party.
"I appreciate the changes Airbnb is making. They're trying to raise awareness against dissuading people from having parties," said Howe.
Over last year's New Year's holiday, Airbnb says its anti-party technology stopped 33,000 people it considered "higher risk" for parties.450 of those were from Indiana.
Jim Borthwick with Hosts Helping Hosts said local hosts appreciate the support from Airbnb to help them continue to be good neighbors in their community,
"I'm all for any support we can get from the website. It's all part of being a good neighbor. It's all about Hoosier hospitality. We want guests to have good times in our city. We also want everyone to be safe and neighborly," said Borthwick.
When bookings are identified as higher risk, the guest will either be blocked from booking or be redirected to alternative accommodations on the platform. Borthwick said as a host they look at all reservations the same whether it's a holiday or not.
"It's really all about putting our best foot forward at all times. We can never let our guard down. We strive to be the best of neighbors," said Borthwick.
13News also reached out to Dakota Pawlicki, the co-founder of the Coalition to Address Short-Term Rentals, to get his thoughts on the roll out.
“We are encouraged to see Airbnb taking reasonable steps to address neighborhood concerns. It is our hope that these measures are not limited to holidays and are used year-round, and that other less-responsible companies like VRBO be held to such standards,” Pawlicki said.