Airbnb has banned parties as permanent policy since June 2022 and reported a 44% drop in the rate of party reports,[1] but the ban does not protect you from neighbour complaints. A Montreux owner needs four things: a guest cap that matches the flat, written house rules that mirror the building’s, booking-signal screening applied to every enquiry, and a response plan for a noisy night.
Rules: real guest cap, no parties, quiet hours from the building’s règlement. Screening: booking signals, same for everyone. Monitoring: decibel-only, disclosed.
What Airbnb’s party ban does and does not do
Airbnb made its party ban permanent policy in June 2022, after a temporary ban introduced in August 2020. The company reported a 44% year-over-year drop in the rate of party reports globally, and said more than 6,600 users had been suspended in the previous year for violating the ban.[1][2] Those are Airbnb’s own figures, so read them as direction, not proof for Montreux.
The ban gives you a rule to point to. It does not give you quiet neighbours. In a Swiss building a single noisy night reaches your gérance or the co-owners’ association before it reaches Airbnb, and the consequences land on you: see our neighbour-complaints guide.
Write house rules you can enforce
- A guest cap that fits the flat. A 45 m² one-bedroom listed for six invites a gathering; set the cap to the real number of beds.
- No parties or events, in plain words, in the listing and again in the pre-arrival message.
- Quiet hours that mirror the building’s house regulations. Check your règlement de maison for the exact hours rather than guessing; many Swiss buildings use late-evening to early-morning windows.
- Visitors: state whether people outside the booking may enter.
- Smoking and terrace rules, especially if neighbours share a balcony line.
Rules only work if guests see them early. Put them in the listing, in the confirmation and in the digital guidebook (guest messaging guide).
Screen the booking, not the person
Airbnb’s AirCover for hosts includes guest identity verification and reservation screening.[3] Layer your own checks on top, applied identically to every enquiry:
- A guest count that does not match the apartment or the stated reason for the trip.
- A last-minute booking from an account with no reviews, for a weekend, in the city where the guest lives.
- Questions left unanswered after you ask about the purpose of the stay and the number of arriving guests.
A signal is a reason to ask a question, not a reason to refuse. Decline only on grounds you would apply to anyone.
Monitor noise without watching guests
A decibel-only sensor in the living area, disclosed in the listing, tells you when a night is going wrong without recording anyone. Keep cameras and sensors out of bedrooms and bathrooms, and read our guide to cameras and guest data in Switzerland before installing anything.
If it happens anyway
- Message the guests at once; call if there is no reply.
- Use Airbnb’s 24-hour safety line if guests do not respond.[3]
- Document with timestamps, photos and any neighbour messages.
- If there is damage, file the claim in the Resolution Center within 14 days of the responsible guest’s checkout.[4] Our damage-claims guide covers the clock in detail.
- Tell the building manager what you did, before they ask.
Keep neighbours on your side
Give the concierge or the nearest neighbour a direct number. A call that reaches you at 23:00 is cheaper than a registered letter from the gérance a month later. If you manage from abroad, see managing a short-term rental from abroad.
Want the house rules run for you?
RivieraHost manages licensed apartments in Montreux and the Swiss Riviera on a flat 20% commission — guest screening, house rules and 24/7 guest contact included.
Get a free revenue estimateRelated reading: Neighbour complaints in Switzerland · Security deposits and damage claims · Pet-friendly Airbnb · Cameras and guest data
10+ years in hospitality. BBA Hospitality (Glion), MSc Tourism (FHGR), MSc Data Science (HSLU).
Frequently asked questions
Does Airbnb ban parties?
Yes. Airbnb introduced a temporary party ban in August 2020 and made it permanent policy in June 2022. The company reported a 44% year-over-year drop in the rate of party reports globally after the temporary ban. These are company-reported figures, and the ban does not stop a neighbour from complaining to you, your building or the commune.
What house rules should a Montreux short-term rental have?
At minimum: a maximum number of guests that matches the apartment, no parties or events, quiet hours that follow your building's house regulations, a smoking policy, and a rule on unregistered visitors. State them in the listing and repeat them in the pre-arrival message so guests accept them before they book.
How do I screen guests without discriminating?
Apply the same criteria to everyone and base them on booking signals, not on who the guest is: guest count against the size of the flat, a booking for the same city, an account with no reviews, and whether the guest answered your questions. Airbnb's AirCover includes guest identity verification and reservation screening, so use the platform's tools first.
Can I install a noise monitor in my rental?
A sensor that measures sound level only, without recording audio, is the lower-risk option, and it should be disclosed in the listing. Never place sensors or cameras in bedrooms or bathrooms. See our guide on cameras and guest data in Switzerland and confirm with a data-protection adviser before you install anything.
What do I do if guests throw a party anyway?
Message the guests immediately, call them if there is no reply, and involve Airbnb's 24-hour safety line if needed. Document what happened with timestamps and photos, and if there is damage, file a claim in the Resolution Center within 14 days of the responsible guest's checkout.
Sources
- Fox Business, Airbnb party ban becomes permanent — coverage of Airbnb’s June 2022 announcement: temporary ban from August 2020, 44% year-over-year drop in the rate of party reports (company-reported). Read from a search listing; the page was not opened directly.
- ShortTermRentalz, Airbnb parties permanent ban — coverage of the same announcement: more than 6,600 users suspended in the previous year. Read from a search listing; not opened directly.
- Airbnb Help Center, AirCover for hosts (article 3733) — guest identity verification, reservation screening and a 24-hour safety line, as summarised in our damage-claims guide.
- Airbnb Help Center, Host damage protection (article 279) — claims to be filed in the Resolution Center within 14 days of the responsible guest’s checkout, as summarised in our damage-claims guide.
General information, not legal advice. Airbnb figures are company-reported and taken from press coverage; confirm current policy on Airbnb’s help pages and your building’s house regulations.