Is the party over at Airbnb?

The pandemic has created another problem for Airbnb: huge illicit house parties. Professional party promoters are transforming short-term rental properties into makeshift nightclubs equipped with DJs and bottle service for hundreds of party-goers. Despite new rules and enforcement measures, short-term rental sites are struggling to curtail events as hosts devise new strategies to keep the party going. It’s an especially thorny issue for Airbnb, flaring up old tensions with cities and potentially spooking investors as the startup takes a second shot at an IPO.

• Airbnb is canceling one-night bookings on Halloween to prevent house parties.