Airbnb has announced a new water safety and drowning prevention campaign targeting two states that were highlighted in a series of Scripps News investigations.
“As part of our commitment to help support great experiences, Airbnb is redoubling its efforts to promote water safety education among hosts in Florida and Arizona, two of Airbnb’s most popular destinations for water-centric vacations in the US,” the company said in a statement.
A recent Scripps News investigation found more than 50 children had drowned in vacation rental pool incidents in Florida alone since 2021. Not all the incidents involved a death.
Scripps News also found several incidents in Arizona.
Airbnb said it collected data showing summer bookings at listings with pools in Florida rose 35 percent between 2024 and 2025, and 26 percent in Arizona.
As a result, Airbnb said it planned to send messages this week with water safety and drowning prevention tips to hosts with pools and hot tubs in Florida and Arizona.
In addition to always watching children around water, installing an isolation fence around the pool or hot tub is an important safety feature, according to Safe Kids Worldwide.
Experts have also recommended door alarms on all doors leading to a pool as well as having easy access to rescue equipment.
The company said it plans to host a water safety webinar for hosts in partnership with Safe Kids Worldwide on May 27.
“I think all of the vacation rental platforms, including Airbnb and others, understand that they have an obligation to really create more awareness around the dangers of drowning on their properties,” said Sen. Carlos Guilermo Smith, a Florida Democrat who said he welcomes Airbnb’s new campaign. “They all have an obligation to make sure their hosts are doing what they can to protect their guests that come to stay on their properties.”
Sen. Smith proposed a Florida bil this past session that would have implemented increased regulations for vacation rental homes in Florida, requiring hosts to have at least one of several pool safety features - like a fence or a door alarm - if they are renting out a home with a pool.
Airbnb supported the bipartisan bill, and it passed the Florida Senate, but it stalled in the Florida state House.
“It was really disappointing to see that the Florida House of Representatives didn’t advance this legislation this year, but that’s why I’m coming back next session with even more resolve because we have the wind in our sails. We have momentum. We have bipartisan support, and we have a moral obligation as lawmakers representing the state that has more fatal child drownings than any other state in the country to take action,” Sen. Smith told Scripps News.
Repeated requests to the bill sponsor in the Florida House of Representatives went unanswered.
Airbnb declined to answer questions from Scripps News about whether it planned to implement the same policies that were were written into the bill regardless of the outcome of the legislation.
The company said it does expect hosts to follow local laws and regulations. Scripps News has learned that those regulations can vary widely based on the jurisdiction.
“There’s no question that more can be done to prevent drownings specifically at vacation rental properties in Florida,” said Sen. Smith.
