Beijing Cracks Down on Airbnbs During Party Congress

Airbnbs in central Beijing are unavailable for the rest of this month.  

Yesterday, Airbnb hosts whose properties lie within the Fifth Ring Road were emailed notices that read as follows: “Due to external circumstances, homes in certain areas in Beijing, including yours, are unavailable through Oct 31. Existing reservations will not be automatically cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience.”

A search on Airbnb’s site for accommodations this month in Beijing only shows homes in outlying districts, such as Huairou and Daxing, and some parts of Hebei province. A search for homes within the Fifth Ring returns a screen that reads: “Due to external circumstances, homes in certain areas in Beijing are unavailable through Oct 31.”

A map of Airbnbs available in Beijing this month

No reasons were given for the unavailability, but many Airbnb hosts believe that this move is due to the upcoming Party Congress, which begins Oct 18. Beijing has already taken many steps to prepare for the government meetings, which include adding extra security checks on Shanghai-Beijing trains.

Airbnb’s website shows all properties available again beginning Nov 1.