Airbnb : extends ban on parties through end of summer

(Reuters) - Airbnb Inc said on Thursday it would extend a ban on parties in homes listed on its platform through at least the end of summer in an effort to halt the spread of coronavirus infections.

This comes as increasing vaccination rates and easing travel restrictions in parts of the world are expected to boost travel demand in the summer months.

In August of last year, the short-term home rental company placed a global ban on parties at its properties, which it said proved to be popular with its host community.

"We will not tolerate behavior that disrupts neighborhoods or violates the trust of our Host community," said Airbnb in a statement.

San Francisco-based Airbnb said the event-friendly search filter will remain inaccessible during this period and it expects to provide an update on the policy at the end of summer.

Also, guests without a history of positive reviews on Airbnb cannot book one night reservations for an entire home in the United States during July 4th weekend. (https://bit.ly/3bZNgW5)

(Reporting by Shreyasee Raj in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernard Orr)