Child Safe Properties?

[Alexandra199]

I have found a bit of an anomaly in the Airbnb site....yes, I know, nothingn ew there. Here is my issue:

I have a cottage that I allow children to stay at. I even provide a travel cot to try and be helpful (guests need to bring their own child's bedding though). I do not however provide any other things for children such as stairgates, foam corners on furniture, plug hole covers etc etc. I also do not say in my listing that it is perfect for a childrens holiday.

In the Airbnb site there is now a section called "Things Guests Should Know" and within that section is another sections that is called "Highlight safety and property info". There is then a section that asks if my cottage is "Unsuitable for children?" and a cross or tick depending which you wish to select. Now, if you don't want children it an easy decision. But if you don't mind children staying, and if like me you think it is very possible that the type of guests you attract will likely bring children, I find myself in a quandary for the following reason:

If you click on the 'Learn More' section Airbnb give you a whole list of things that they recommend you provide if you allow kids. These include travel cot with sheet, smoke alarms in every bedroom/sleeping area, safety gates, cordless blinds, secure storage for all cleaning products, child locks on stoves and kettles, wall mounted TV's, tall furniture attached to the wall and water heaters at 49 degrees C. 

I do not have any of those specific things. I have smoke alarms and CO2 alarms etc but that's just basic safety. If I don't have these things should I therefore not be welcoming kids? Can anyone advise please?

[John2406]

Hi @Alexandra199 . As someone who also has welcomed children to our property, it had recently been suggested to me (by Airbnb) to check what we provide etc, although I don't recall anything having to be to the extent you're saying we should now provide!

I did note however that you mentioned that "Airbnb give you a whole list of things that they  recommend you provide if you allow kids....", although I would suggest that the accent is on the word "recommend"!

That there are - in my book, at least - several items we Hosts should have in place to confirm to parents that we ARE "child friendly", is one thing, but for Airbnb (or anyone else) to "dictate" that we should have everything on that list, would imho automatically remove - at a stroke - the bulk of child-friendly Airbnb's in the UK!

Although I would suggest we all should look at the list etc to see what is being recommended, I agree with you regarding the Smoke alarms and CO2 detectors, and - in order to comply with guidelines provided some years ago, that have never been rescinded, altho' we provide a Travel Cot, we do NOT provide a mattress or pillow for it (although we do provide bedding).

We do provide baby gates, but they also operate as dog gates, as we're dog-friendly, most of our blinds have safety cords, and tall furniture is attached to the wall, but as to the rest of the items, one has to allow one's Guests to take responsibility to look after their own children when they are not within their own home.

Having said that, some of the items probably should be in our properties, but unless there are electric, gas or other fired in ones property, it is usual practice to install smoke alarms immediately outside bedrooms (ie in a hallway) where they will 'sense' smoke. In a kitchen, such alarms should definitely be installed within that room, although only in specific places.

Maybe Airbnb should clarify what they are recommending, as to "who" has said that the items on their list are recommended we should put in place, as well as to whether this addition to what to do in order to be considered "child-friendly" is a world-wide policy, or just restricted to the UK?

On the basis of one child that stayed with its mother and grandmother last year, I think that Airbnb might wish to add a restraining device to their list, as the child - according to the mother - was climbing onto the sofa, and then trying to climb over its back to go down the stairs! The same child broke one of our baby gates by standing on its bottom bar, and then swinging back and fore whilst also jumping up and down on that bar, thus causing the screws holding the brackets to come out of the wall!

The best part of that however was that the mother had obviously seen what the child was doing and had done, but she told me I should have a more secure gate, but one not to be fixed to the wall! (wall fixings with a swinging gate being the safest of all - unless one uses it to stand on and swing back and fore!)

Hope others will provide their own take on the list, and advise what they do/don't provide?!

[Pat271]

@Alexandra199  @John2406 

I am like-minded to the two of you about children, and also don’t provide everything on Airbnb’s recommended list. We are in Maui, with the main attraction being the beauty and beaches outside, so we don’t expect guests to spend a lot of time in the unit.

Still, there are blocks of time at night, during bad weather, etc. when indoor safety and comfort are needed. It’s fine line between providing a safe, functional environment for children, and having a bunch of equipment, toys, etc. in our condo that most people won’t use, which clutter and take up valuable space.

I try to have safety in mind with any amenity I add. Here are some things I keep in mind:

- I have glass tops on the surfaces of all of my tables, nightstands, etc., but make sure that I have rounded corners made for the tops instead of sharp ones, in case a little one runs into them.

- I make sure all cleaning supplies that might be toxic are placed in the upper cabinets when I know little ones are coming.

- I don’t provide any games or toys with small pieces that could be ingested or choked on. All games and toys I provide are simple ones without any intricate, breakable mechanics or electronics.

- I have 2 extra-long twin beds in the guest bedroom. We also offer the option to convert the twins into a King with an insert and make it up with King bedding. The setup is great for either couples with 2 children, or 2 couples.

- I provide colorful plastic plates, cups and utensils for the children.

- We are lucky in our resort town to have several baby rental stores. The cost for the guest is nominal, like $10 a night for a crib, $5 for a pack-n-play, etc. The company brings the equipment before arrival, and picks it up after departure. This is a godsend for my guests, most of which are traveling by plane. Bringing their own baby equipment is not practical.

Sometimes guests ask me to elaborate about the suitability for children, and at that time I do specify that the condo is not completely child-proof, e.g. there are no protectors on the plug outlets, no inside hooks on the cabinet doors to prevent entry, etc. When they do ask me to elaborate, it provides me with a great opportunity to reiterate that children need to be watched at all times, especially toddlers. I have had occasions when toddlers and small children have been left to run amuck, and our cleaner has arrived to sticky walls and windows, crumbs everywhere, etc.

In general, I’m glad I host children, and enjoy being able to enable a fun family vacation for my guests and their young ones. It comes with its downsides, but usually it all works out for the best.

[Inna22]

@Alexandra199 very interesting topic. So much to unpack here

1. I do not provide a cot or playpen because they are often recalled, can collapse if handled inappropriately so I feel they are a liability. 
2. Kids are so different! My youngest never got into anything. She could go into the most non child friendly space and keep to herself. A crawling 9 month old is a completely different story from a 9 month old who has not mastered the skill and can be left in one safe spot.
3. People push limits. There are so many posts about people nagging, threatening and sneaking kids in. Putting restrictions just invites that. I would rather describe my place as is and let people make decisions for themselves

I have never gotten comments from any guests about having any trouble or safety issues. I do not lock any cleaning supplies, do not have any covers and have stairs. I do not think hotels do a lot either. 

Overall, any space is safe for a supervised child and any space is unsafe for the one that is unsupervised.

[Mariann4]

I allow, and dearly welcome, children @Alexandra199 . That doesn't mean I cater to them. I have a fold-up crib with bedding, a few toys I inherrited from my grandmother that she kept for her grandchildren and a chair for them at the table. Also a few Norwegian children's books.

The bedroom is right next to the stairs. No gate. I have a fireplace. No gate. 

So. By welcoming children I mean that they are welcome. I expect their parents to watch them. If parents are worried about the childrens safety an need a gate to feel safe I expect them to ask about this upfront. 

I have had several families stay. This have been discussed between us almost every time. They all agree with me. Most have brought small items that they think would be missing such as plastic utensils. And the children have been very happy with the few toys since they are different from the ones they have at home. Still, they often bring a few toys themselves.

For a few guests running after their child to keep them away from the stairs I've taken a dining chair and tilted it in front of the stairs to act like a gate. Ooooh! That's a great solution! has been the response and they have calmed down. 

So I don't follow any list. Parents know what they need and bring it.

[Susan1188]

Sadly you have to think of your liability now in case of any accident involving children that might be at your property.  Even if you love children and want to welcome them!

The general tendency in mentality has been to hold Airbnb or the host responsible for any domestic accident that can happen during your stay.  Accidents with toddlers and young children are more frequent and have more dramatic consequences than what might happen if just adults are staying.

I'm a Mom of 2 and never did I have in my own home the water thermostat, never did I attach all furniture to the wall, never did I have a CO2 monitor etc.  We supervised our kids and we took responsability for ourselves.  Sadly times have changed and I don't want the risk of having anything happen, such as an object falling off a shelf or a maintenance product left lying around, that could hurt someone's child and then I would be held responsible for it.

New parents often underestimate the work of child-proofing an environment, thinking they can just go on holiday like they used to before the baby arrived.  Maybe they book before their baby is walking, and when they arrive at your place they have new and special needs of a toddler who puts everything she finds on the floor, in her mouth.

Look at the terrible story of what just happened in Palm Beach, a 19 month old baby came into contact with opioids during their holiday and tragically died.  No drugs were found at the property! But the parents are suing the airbnb platform and the host.  Maybe a prior guest left half a pill that fell under the bed, and the baby somehow ingested it.  Could have been anything!  Maybe it happened in the rental car, outside the home, whatever.  But they are suing the host. Tragic accident but with huge repercussion.

I discourage guests with children from staying with me, I state that my property is not suitable for children and does not have the safety features Airbnb recommends for children, and do my best to avoid toddler-aged guests.

[Caroline2665]

Hi Alexandra,

I’m not an Airbnb host, but I came across your post because of an accident I experienced as an Airbnb guest this past summer. Our 1.5 year old daughter almost drowned in of a pond in the corner of the backyard that we could not see from the house and that the owner did not tell us about — not in the listing, photos, house manual, or in person when we arrived with our two toddlers. I of course felt horribly guilty for not examining the (fenced in) yard more closely, but I was also very upset with the host for not mentioning the pond ANYWHERE, even after 10 years of hosting and advertising his home as baby and child friendly. He also has not taken any of my suggestions to make it safer since we left (sign, fence, etc.) It was nearly a horribly tragic event for us and he would have had significant liability. I have obviously not fully recovered from this experience. Just food for thought about the risks of undisclosed hazards. Thank you for being concerned about your guests’ safety.
Best wishes,

Caroline