This week’s roundup covers Airbnb’s continued efforts to reduce disruptive parties, Sydney’s review of its short-term rental regulations, new licensing requirements in Salt Lake City, and the latest developments surrounding Bill 9 in Maui. Let’s dive in.

Airbnb announced this week that it is once again rolling out its anti-party system ahead of Fourth of July weekend. The system is designed to identify and block high-risk bookings for entire homes in an effort to reduce disruptive parties. This marks the fifth consecutive year Airbnb has implemented these measures for the holiday. Airbnb says the system helped block or redirect more than 20,000 people from booking entire home listings across the U.S. during the 2025 holiday weekend, with fewer than 0.06% of all U.S. stays throughout the year resulting in a reported party.

Following the recent release of stricter short-term rental tax rules by the Australian Tax Office, covered in Industry News on May 29th, the City of Sydney is reviewing the impact of its current short-term rental regulations. Officials are evaluating whether the existing 180-night cap on non-owner-occupied rentals is helping return homes to the long-term housing market and whether additional measures may be needed. Potential changes being discussed include reducing the cap to 90 nights and incorporating occupancy rates into future regulations. Airbnb has pushed back on the review, arguing that officials should focus on enforcing existing rules and increasing housing supply rather than introducing additional restrictions.

Salt Lake City, Utah, passed new short-term rental regulations this week as part of its 2026-2027 budget, requiring vacation rental operators offering stays of less than 30 days to obtain a business license beginning July 1st. The rules cap rentals at 200 nights per year, require a two-night minimum stay requirement, and require operators to designate an emergency contact. The ordinance also requires listings to meet city safety codes, allow inspections to verify compliance, and set limits on short-term rentals in multifamily buildings. Violations could result in weekly fines of up to $1,000 and the loss of a license.

Previously reported in Industry News on May 29th, Maui County Council voted 7-2 this week to give final approval to Bill 88, a measure that creates two new hotel zoning districts, H-3 and H-4. Based on recommendations from the council’s Temporary Investigative Group for Bill 9, which will phase out short-term rentals in apartment-zoned districts, Bill 88 creates a pathway for some vacation rentals impacted by Bill 9 to seek hotel zoning and potentially continue operating as short-term rentals. The bill now heads to the Mayor for final approval.

As local governments continue to evaluate short-term rental regulations and platforms roll out new systems to address guest-related issues, the vacation rental industry continues to take shape in 2026. Check back next week for the latest news.