Can I not book locally?

[Jaylen17]

Hi, I’ve been having trouble trying to book an AirBNB within my local metro area. I’ve talked to several host about a small family gathering and it has gotten approved numerous times, however, when trying to complete the booking, AirBNB system tells me that “It detects that this will lead to an unauthorized party” Is there literally nothing that I can do? This is very upsetting and such a inconvenience.

[Elegant-Homes-Retreat0]

Hi @Jaylen17,

I understand how frustrating that experience must be—especially when you're upfront with hosts and still face system restrictions.

Airbnb’s system uses automated risk-detection tools, especially for same-city or local bookings, which can sometimes mistakenly flag plans like small family gatherings as unauthorized parties.

Here are a few suggestions:

Try Booking with a Longer Stay
Bookings of 2 nights or more are often seen as lower risk and may not trigger the system's restrictions.

Update Your Profile
Make sure your profile is fully verified with a clear photo, government ID, and positive reviews if available. This builds trust and can reduce flags.

Avoid Using Party-Related Terms
When messaging hosts or writing about your trip, avoid words like “party,” “gathering,” or “event.” Even small celebrations may be misread by the system.

Contact Airbnb Support Directly
If your plans are respectful and within house rules, contacting Airbnb directly via the Help Center may help override the block:
👉 Airbnb Help Center

Thanks for being a transparent and considerate guest. I hope you're able to complete your booking soon!

Warm regards,
Team AryaStay | Elegant Homes Retreat – Vadodara, India 🇮🇳

[Jaylen17]

@Elegant-Homes-Retreat0 Hello! The stay was for 2 nights and I had completed my full profile months prior to this trip. I did also try and get in contact with AirBNB, however, the customer support team told me that they do not handle anything with reviewing bookings or profile, that all of those things are handled by their specialized support team that, for some odd reason, you cannot get in contact with. So once they sent my ticket to them, they responded about an hour later denying my booking. I did this for 3 homes.

[Elegant-Homes-Retreat0]

Hi @Jaylen17,

Thank you for clarifying, and I truly empathize with your situation. It’s frustrating when you’ve done everything right—verified profile, respectful communication, longer stay—yet are still blocked by a system that offers no way to speak directly with the team making the decision.

Many hosts and guests have raised similar concerns, especially about the lack of transparency and accountability with Airbnb’s specialized review process. It would really help if Airbnb allowed a guest to at least provide context or appeal before an automatic denial.

Hopefully, with more community feedback, Airbnb can improve this system to distinguish genuine travelers like yourself from high-risk bookings.

Wishing you better luck ahead, and thank you for being so respectful and proactive throughout the process.

Warm regards,
AryaStay

[Elisa]

Hi @Jaylen17 😊,

Thank you for sharing this here!

I’m sorry to hear about this situation. Have you tried reaching out to Airbnb Customer Support as our host suggested?

Do you have their contact details?

Warm regards 🌻,

[Jaylen17]

Hi Elisa!

Yes i’ve tried AirBNB customer support numerous times with 3 different houses but I unfortunately got denied each time by the specialized team that approves or denies the booking.

[Helen3 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jaylen17 

If you are trying to book on behalf of family members coming to stay in your area the easiest way to get around this is to get the family members who live further away to make the booking .

airbnb have a party block and if you live locally you are probably being caught out by this .

[Jaylen17]

Hi Helen!

Thank you for this info, will actually try to do this and see if it works!

[Helen3]

No worries happy to help do let us know if it works @Jaylen17