Airbnb is making permanent its ban on parties at homes listed on the site for short-term rentals.
The announcement comes after two teenagers were shot and killed and several others wounded during a house party at an Airbnb on Pittsburgh's North Side in April.
The San Francisco company believes the temporary ban has worked, saying Tuesday that reports of parties at listed properties have dropped 44% from a year ago.
More than 6,600 guests were suspended last year for related violations, Airbnb said.
Airbnb began to crack down on parties in 2019 after a fatal shooting at a party in a house in California. At that time, the company prohibited advertising parties at Airbnb locations on social media.
The number of parties at Airbnb locations increased during the pandemic, Airbnb said, as people moved gatherings from bars and clubs to rented homes. That led to a temporary ban in 2020.
Shortly after the North Side shooting April, Pittsburgh City Council introduced a bill that would regulate short-term rental properties. The proposal would require owners of such properties to become licensed with the city and provide someone local to operate the units.
Earlier this month, Councilor Bobby Wilson introduced several amendments including a required audit of short-term rental properties and a public online database of the units and owners.
While making the ban permanent, Airbnb said it will lift a limit of 16 people at rented properties. It said the cap was prompted by health concerns before vaccines against COVID-19 were available.
WESA's Katie Blackley contributed to this report.
