Airbnb threatens to sue New Jersey revelers caught attending Halloween celebrations in rental homes after issuing a global party ban on its listings

Airbnb is threatening to sue any New Jersey revelers caught attending Halloween celebrations in rental homes this weekend, after the company issued a global party ban on all listings in the summer.  

The short-term property rental company issued a warning Friday that it will take legal action against partygoers found flouting its rules on gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.    

One-night stays over the Halloween weekend have been banned while guests attending parties at properties may face legal action, it warned.  

This comes after Airbnb announced a worldwide ban on parties in all its listings back in August after a series of mass gatherings drew in hundreds to mansions over the summer.   

Airbnb is threatening to sue any New Jersey revelers caught attending Halloween celebrations in rental homes this weekend, after the company issued a global party ban on all listings in the summer

Airbnb announced the latest crackdown on renters in a statement Friday. 

'The company may take legal action against guests who violate Airbnb's rules prohibiting parties,' the company said.  

'To strengthen our hosts' protection against parties amid concerns about a second wave of the pandemic, we recently announced that we are prohibiting one-night reservations over the Halloween weekend.'

The statement acknowledged that most guests 'are respectful of our hosts' homes and neighbors' and the clampdown 'will disrupt many one-night reservations that might not have led to parties' but insisted the action was necessary 'to help protect our hosts and the communities they live in' as the pandemic rumbles on. 

New Jersey has been singled out after the state became the setting for a spate of huge house parties over the summer and Governor Phil Murphy warned it has now entered the 'second wave' of the COVID-19 outbreak.   

Back in July, police were called to a 700-person party at a mansion rented through Airbnb in Jackson Township, Ocean County. 

The property had been rented out for $795-a-night on a Saturday night. 

People were pictured on social media not wearing face masks or social distancing. 

The owner of the home, 40-year-old Yaakov Weiss, was banned from Airbnb after he admitted he had rented his property out for the purposes of a party.  

Weiss and the party organizers, Patience Guanue, 23, and Alicia Hinneh, 22, both of Newark, were issued summonses for violating the state's executive order on gatherings.

The short-term property rental company issued a warning Friday that it will take legal action against partygoers found flouting its rules on gatherings. Back in July, police were called to a 700-person party at a mansion in Jackson Township, Ocean County

One-night stays over the Halloween weekend have been banned while guests attending parties at properties may face legal action, it warned. Pictured the Jackson Township party

At the time, outdoor gatherings were limited to 500 people and indoor gatherings to 100 people or 25 percent of a room's capacity, whichever is less.

This came after another party in Brick Township, Ocean County the week before where more than 400 people flocked to a home. 

Airbnb clamped down on the worst offenders, suspending or removing 35 listings where house parties were held. 

The company then issued a global ban on house parties in August in efforts to ensure coronavirus restrictions are followed in its listings across the glove.

Under the rules, no more than 16 people can now stay in any property worldwide and people are encouraged to report unauthorized parties to a company hotline.  

On Thursday, Murphy warned residents New Jersey had entered its second wave of the virus and blamed indoor gatherings for the surge in cases. 

'The second wave of the coronavirus is no longer something off in the future,' said Murphy.

'It is coming and it is coming now. We have been seeing the numbers of new cases grow exponentially across the past several weeks.' 

Officials announced another 2,089 cases of the virus Friday, marking the highest daily count in almost six months. 

It marks the 13th straight day of more than 1,000 new positive tests and the first time since May that cases have exceeded 2,000 in a day.

Seven more deaths were also recorded, taking the death toll to 16,339 and total infections to 236,523.    

Nationwide, more than 8.9 million people have been infected and 228,675 have died.