Airbnb is cracking down on what neighbors across Cincinnati call "party houses." The online house sharing company says it's suspending or pulling 23 listings that received complaints or otherwise violated policies on parties and events.
The company is taking similar action in Columbus and Cleveland, it says in a statement.
Airbnb attempted to ban so-called party houses last year and runs a hotline for neighbors to report issues.
"As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Ohio, it's imperative that we all step up and do our part to reduce the number of parties and large gatherings across the state," says Alex Dagg, Northeast public policy director for Airbnb in a release. "We hope to bring greater awareness to our 24/7 neighbor support line, which helps us bolster the enforcement of our ban on parties in Cincinnati and throughout the state."
The company declined to say which listings are suspended.
The topic was part of an August discussion on WVXU's Cincinnati Edition. Cincinnati City Council Member David Mann said the city needed to take a closer look at Airbnb owners. He proposed a motion asking the administration to review the rules governing short-term rentals to make sure they're being followed and whether the rules go far enough to protect neighborhoods.
Airbnb owners had said they were being unfairly targeted and that the city needed to do more to shut down nuisance parties.