Ahead of Super Bowl 2023, Vrbo Fights Back Against Party House Bookings

With Super Bowl LVII set to take place on Feb. 12, vacation rental company Vrbo is implementing new technology that prevents renters from turning homes into party houses, the company said on Monday. 

Vrbo said it's been pilot testing technology in Phoenix that identifies and prevents bookings that would be used for house parties. So far, the Expedia-owned company said it prevented 500 "unauthorized event bookings" from taking place, saving hosts $2.5 million in party-related damages.

"Even though disruptive party houses are rare on Vrbo, addressing them is still a priority," said Philip Minardi, director of public affairs at Expedia Group, in a press release. "By deploying this new solution and working closely with local hosts, Vrbo is preventing problematic behavior before it starts."

Vrbo referred to its press release when asked for comment.

The technology works by generating a "risk score" for each booking based on length of stay, lead time before a stay begins and the number of guests. It also looks at hosts and the number of beds and other amenities they may be providing. If Vrbo sees the booking to be high-risk, it informs the host and suggests they cancel the booking, free of charge. Potential guests are then emailed Vrbo's policies around disruptive gatherings.

Vrbo said that guest demographics aren't considered and that it doesn't share personally identifiable information. 

As online homestay rental companies, such as Airbnb, have increased in popularity, so too have stories of people booking houses to throw large parties. Vrbo, like Airbnb, lets homeowners rent out their properties for short periods of time. Following a 2019 Halloween party shooting in California that left five people dead, Airbnb said it was taking actions to prevent house parties. By late 2022, it had launched its own anti-party technology in the US, Canada and Australia and said it plans on expanding the tech worldwide by this spring.

Short-term homestay rentals are big business. When Airbnb went public, it reached a valuation of $100 billion, although that figure has since fallen. 

Vrbo partnered with Airbnb in 2021 to develop a community integrity program that shares important information about problematic listings and prevents repeat party house offenders. The company also said it has a zero-tolerance policy for party houses and will ban both hosts and guests who knowingly turn a home into a party house.

Super Bowl LVII will see the Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.