Today, we are announcing a new Social Events Policy. The policy highlights pre-existing rules and introduces new restrictions for hosting social events and gatherings.
In recent months, we have seen how the COVID-19 pandemic has modified local regulations and public-health orders due to social distance recommendations. The new restrictions, as well as the closure of bars, clubs, and event spaces, have caused an increase in the number of illegal or unauthorized parties. This not only represents a risk and a nuisance for neighborhoods, but also a health concern for our communities.
While most hosts and guests comply with local laws and guidelines, we need to do more to maintain a safe marketplace. Formalizing this new policy will help to ensure the wellbeing of our community.
Notable policy requirements:
Gatherings at residential spaces must start before 9pm and end no later than 12am.
Public events (alcohol or tickets are sold, advertised on social media, open attendance, etc.) are prohibited at residential spaces.
Guests and Hosts must comply with local orders pertaining to COVID-19. These include, but are not limited to social distancing requirements, limitations on public gatherings, wearing of masks, and the posting of signs for invitees.
Peerspace routinely scans the marketplace to flag suspicious or risky bookings. Our Trust & Safety team will cancel bookings, and may suspend accounts, that violate the Social Events Policy. Hosts should continue to enforce their own rules and maintain compliance with local laws and regulations.
In the coming weeks, we will release an update that will block guests from submitting inquiries and requests that violate the Social Events Policy. In the meantime, we ask hosts to review all inquiries and decline unauthorized events (this will not adversely affect your ranking as a host).
You can review the full Social Events Policy here.
Thank you to our growing community of hosts. We appreciate you always putting safety first.
Since you’re rolling out a system to block reservations that start after 9pm, does this mean you’re finally releasing an update that automates our minimum hour requirements?
This would be great! blocking renters from sending a booking request that is less than the minimum. I get requests all time that are under the minimum. I often go ahead and except but especially now it’s really not worth opening space for less than 4 hours when I spend at minimum 90 mins on each end of a booking cleaning. I hate to have to explain this to the renter. They have already seen the quote and they feel entitled to that price, it looks like an official offer.
Thanks @Gina_W and @Jennifer_P for the helpful feedback. We have hosts tell us that although they have a published minimum booking duration, they appreciate being able to receive requests below that threshold to decide to accept on a one-off basis. There are also many like you who would prefer not to have to deal with it.
We will think more about this in 2021. Perhaps the solution allows hosts to specify whether they are willing to entertain requests below the min hour commitment or have them blocked.
Finally! We have been getting tons of requests for private parties and gatherings which are illegal here in LA. People even getting really rude. And I was wondering if my cancellations were hurting ranking.
For some reason my bookings between 9:00pm-12am are blocked off yet neither of my listings are residential. Yet there are about 6-8 spaces in my building that don’t have this issue on their listings.
Perhaps when they try to book 2 hours when there is a 4 hour min the system should still quote the price for 4 hours. This is really the issue. There is a dollar value on my time for opening the space.
Hi @Vinh_B , if you would like to verify your space type with us, you may send an email to help@peerspace.com and our team can provide more guidance to determine whether your space falls within our prohibited social events clauses. Thanks.
I did. I got no information on how they were determining my space is residential. It’s a warehouse. There are bedrooms for shoots and such, but it is not residential. Also, I run two spaces, and the space next door, also a warehouse, has no such restriction… So this is still an issue.
@Vinh_B Thank you for following up! I see that you just provided the requested documents to our Trust and Safety Team. They will review the lease and provide more information. Have a great rest of your day!
@Vinh_B I totally hear you. I see our Trust and Safety is reviewing the documents now so they can answer that question within your email thread. Please watch for their response shortly!
Hello Matthew! It would be great if the price showed up as the charge for the minimum hours or there is a default minimum fee even if they want to book less than the minimum hours. I don’t know about others but I state the minimum hours based on what i’d like to earn for opening my doors to 20-50 people.
@Matthew_B Hello. Can you please update us on why is the Social Events Policy still a thing? It’s been 2 years since it was started and does not appear to have been updated.
Also, why can I do events that go past midnight in one of my listing, but not in another even when both listings are for the same location?
NYC does not have and Covid restrictions and I have a guest that wants to book until 1am. The listing with the limitation prevents them from booking past midnight. The other listing allows bookings 24/7.
I’m not an anti-vaxer or Covid denier. Just want to understand why Peerspace policies are not keeping up with the state of things as the pandemic dissipates.
Hi @Geoffrey_B, just saw your note and wanted to clarify why the Social Events Policy exists. This policy was created to outline and enforce rules around booking events on Peerspace. The policy covers host and guest requirements to abide by local laws, obtain necessary permits, insurance coverage requirements, and guests’ adherence to hosts’ rules. The policy promotes the safe use of host spaces to limit unnecessary risk, which is why we require guests to acknowledge and re-accept when making a booking request.
At the conclusion of the policy, there is a paragraph about compliance with Covid-19 public health mandates which likely do not currently apply in your area. These specific guidelines will not be enforced where there are no mandates. However, Peerspace’s rules regarding who can book spaces and host social events and for which durations of time still applies (for example, late-night social events in residences will remain blocked until further notice). It is possible your space is not commercially designated which is why that booking time period would not be allowed. If you think this is an error, please reach out to our support team who may be able to assist.
Am I understanding things right? The Social Events Policy is not specifically in response to Covid? This would be a thing regardless of pandemic status?
My location is 100% commercial and all of my listings are for the same address — essentially the same space just different configuration of rooms (A, B, or A+B combined). Unsure why some configurations allow events and others do not.