Looking for a host that will allow me to throw a mini party

Jaquetta0
Level 1
Paterson, NJ

Looking for a host that will allow me to throw a mini party

Hello I am looking for a host that is willing to allow me to throw a party. It can be inside or outside if you do have a backyard. I’m just looking for a home to throw my son second birthday, only looking to bring 20 people to attend. Anyone?

20 Replies 20
Ann72
Level 10
New York, NY

@Jaquetta0  Before COVID-19, you could filter your search by choosing "more filters" after you've put in the dates and number of guests.  You would then scroll down to "house rules."  But for New Jersey anyway that option has disappeared.  Airbnb hosts are not enthusiastic about allowing groups of people to congregate at their houses right now, even though your proposed party is within the legal limit for New Jersey.

 

Do you have any parks nearby?  It's usually easy to get a permit from your township for a gathering like yours.

Debra300
Level 10
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

@Jaquetta0,

After the massive party fiasco in Middletown just a few weeks ago where as of last week more that 65 attendees have tested positive for the virus, there is almost no likelihood that a responsible host will knowingly host someone who's planning a party.  I don't normally comment on profile pictures, but it sure would make a host wonder what type of party you're planning.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Jaquetta0  A bikini shot/bedroom selfie may be okay for your Instagram account, but is highly inappropriate as a guest photo. You are asking to rent someone's home- would you show up in ripped jeans and a crop top for a job interview as a server in a nice upscale restaurant?

 

You haven't even bothered to write up anything about yourself in your Airbnb profile, nor upload any govt. ID. You would be lucky to have a reservation accepted if it was just for a normal stay, let alone a party. Are you unaware there is a pandemic going on?

 

A 2 year old doesn't need a party with 20 people, he isn't even aware that it's his birthday, or what a birthday is- he'll be quite thrilled with having a couple of little friends over, a handful of family members, some balloons, presents, and some cake. 

 

 

 

 

Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

I may be crazy, but I still think all of these extremely similar posts of 'I have no reviews or profile but where can I host a party' are part of some Airbnb algo research project, it's too weird to be a coincidence.

@Mark116  It's a thought- you mean Airbnb looking for hosts who respond, "Sure, you can have a party here"? 

I think they are more like a window into the new-to-Airbnb-clueless-guest dynamic since COVID that so many hosts have been posting about.

@Mark116   It is especially strange that most of these posts don't even mention the location where they want to throw a party, even though this a global forum.  Are there that many people who don't care whether the party house is in New Jersey or Bangladesh?

Ann72
Level 10
New York, NY

@Debra300 @Sarah977 @Mark116  And oddly, this exact kind of person always asks questions but never responds with a yes, no, what do you mean, thanks, okay cool, whatever.

 

Maybe we hosts are being put to the test by the Trust and Safety team lol.

Debra300
Level 10
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

@Ann72,

It sure would be such a inappropriate use of resources to instead of answering the phones, Airbnb has staff post inane questions, put what some would call a thirst trap as their profile.  What came to my mind are the Craigslist ads where some people would post similar pictures, and state they are willing to do "work around the house" in exchange for room and board.

@Debra300  Oh Lord 🤣

Ian-And-Anne-Marie0
Level 10
Kendal, United Kingdom

Many new members here log in through Facebook. This forum grabs their profile photo from there. If the new member had no profile photo, they would be ripped to shreds for not having one.

 

Can’t be on the right side ever, can they?

I hope it is a research post, this makes the posts based on the profile photo quite discriminatory - then advice about what another persons child’s party needs should be... What authority is that on?

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0,

I've noticed and other hosts have commented about the increased number of posts from new hosts who are inquiring about a place to host a party.  From what I've observed, all of the OPs are located in the US, and in various states. 

 

Also, I've only given recommendations to the inquirers without profile pictures that they upload one that clearly shows their face.  I stand by my statement that the OPs profile picture will make a host really question the type of party that will be held, or if she will make responsible choices while renting a space, because the picture that she chose to introduce herself is not conducive for most business transactions.

 

Generally, a researcher will identify themselves as such, and provide some details about the research they are trying to gathering information.  Personally, I've not seen anyone of these types of inquiries make such a declaration.   What type of research are you hoping or thinking is be conducted?

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0   Well, yeah, they can, all you have to do is use a profile photo that falls within the realm of normal professional attire, and fill out your profile page with 1 or 2 sentences saying something about yourself.  I can understand I guess that people still want to throw parties during a pandemic where transmission occurs primarily from close contact with other people...but if you want to go a step further and throw said party in somebody else's home, you should expect reasonable push back. 

@Mark116 

@Jaquetta0  Wants to book a kiddies party for a two year old, not applying for any sort of job and needing to even use a profile picture to make a rental booking would be pretty alien to her.

 

People want immediacy, filling in forms and reading terms, like house rules - doesn't happen. Although why she - or all the other party enquiries end up here, who knows? Maybe she searched on Google and because there's already loads of party references here, this was an option for her? She has no previous stays at Airbnb on her account, so would be a new guest and not know how Airbnb works. To her, this COULD be Airbnb.

 

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0,

I appreciate your input, because you frequently try to present an insightful viewpoint.  Thanks again for providing the link to Project Lighthouse.  Based upon the written details the research will begin in September.  So, it's unlikely that the recent rash of inquiries for prospective party locations are related to the project.  I also clicked the link regarding Airbnb's non-discrimination policy: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/1405/airbnbs-nondiscrimination-policy-our-commitment-to-inclus....  Although profile photos are not required to make reservations, hosts still have the authority to cancel them if they feel uncomfortable with hosting a person if it's not based upon a protected characteristic.

 

"Nothing in this policy prevents a host from turning down a guest on the basis of a characteristic that is not protected under the civil rights laws or closely associated with a protected class. For example, an Airbnb host may turn down a guest who wants to smoke in a unit, or place limits on the number of guests in a unit."

 

I use Instant Booking for my listings, and generally get requests to book only from people who do not meet the reservation preferences that I've selected (one of them is that a profile picture is required).  If I were to receive a reservation from a new Airbnb user that had a profile picture that raised my personal red flags, I certainly would present more inquisitive questions to the guest about the planned activities while staying in my space, and try to engage in extended dialogue with the guest to get help me gauge my comfort level to rent to them.  I've even called a couple of guests, because I know some people do not have strong written skills, e.g. writing complete sentences without slang, acronyms or emojis.  Had they not been able to talk with me in a manner that resonated to my acceptable level of maturity and accountability, I would have declined the reservations.

 

Unfortunately, Airbnb is again more focused on protecting the guests from discrimination rather than insuring that hosts have comparable protections.  The platform still requires that hosts post a profile picutre: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/67/why-do-i-need-to-have-an-airbnb-profile#:~:text=At%20least%20...  This tactic is similar to the email service they provided, the guest's email address was obfuscated to protect their privacy, but the host's personal email address was in full view whenever they send an email to guests.  To provide equal protection under Airbnb's non-discrimination policy, the host's profile picture shouldn't be displayed until the reservation has been made.