“Infants” exceeding max occupancy - time for an AirBnB chance of definition

[Enri1804]

I just got an IB for 8 guests (my max occupancy) and then noticed it was 6 adults, 2 kids and 2 infants. 1) Was very surprised that AirBnB let this considering their terms say guests cannot exceed max occupancy. 2) If the guests babies = true medical definition of “infant” - under one year old, don’t take up a bed, will be carried up and down the stairs, etc, I’m not too concerned. However, if they are walking, taking up a bed and capable of mess - this under 2 year thing has to change to the medical or legal definition. Can we petition them to change this? 

[Gillian166]

Pretty sure every agrees. And why not let us set different pricing for kids and babies?  

[Pat271]

I don’t know if we can petition airbnb to change this, but having a more detailed definition of “infant” probably won’t help, as the rules for infant vs. toddler vs. older child are almost impossible to enforce, unless a host happens to catch older children on a Ring device or similar.

The rule should be eliminated completely, IMO. It only came into existence a couple of years ago; before that, a human was a human in the count. Now, you can have a max of 4 and bring 20 infants. No bueno. Not to mention that infants are just as high-maintenance as their older versions, if not more so. 

[John2406]

@Enri1804 I very much doubt any petitioning will make any difference to Airbnb's stance re their classification re infants/babies, but as we - these days - rarely have families with "babies" (and as a recent booking where we did accept a 2yr old baby still using a cot, and as several items and areas were left not as we'd ever experienced previously (ie Bedding; soiled.  Walls; crayoned on. Floors and just about everywhere; covered in crumbs) we have taken a step we'd never expected, and have changed our listing to no babies!

TBH I'm more concerned about the ages that Airbnb perceive to be "children" (3-18) as whilst in one way that age range is encompassed by the word "children", in another way Hosts' are not being prepared for what might await them or their Cleaners when the Guests' leave.

Of course, there's always the case that not all children are the same, in the same way that not all of us adults are, so I understand that Airbnb might be loathe to create - shall we say - a 3-5yr age group; a 6-10yr age group; an 11 - 15yr age group; or a 16-18yr age group, although I think that Guests' would have more than a idea of what the children from those age groups would not only be like, but also Hosts' would have more of an idea as to what facilities to provide for each age group.

Except for acknowledging that not all Guests' read everything us Hosts' put on our listings, I would make certain that somewhere "prominent" in your property's details, you categorically state that the MAXIMUM of 8 (EIGHT) Guests INCLUDES any children AND/OR babies/infants -  otherwise it's highly possible your maximum will be misinterpreted time after time yet again!

If you find that such wording doesn't make any difference, then the only way around the "problem" I could suggest is to use the wording I suggested above, but to include an extra charge for numbers in excess of the 8 (EIGHT), of a very exhorbitant amount!

[Colette203]

I also dislike this policy as I cannot afford to host young children and infants.

I've had to replace two Queen beds because parents who sleep with their babies let them piss on it (right through two mattress covers) and then pretended it didn't happen. One couple admitted to using the blow dryer to hide it. (The room reeked like urine!) Both times the cleaner I'd booked for a very generous three hours did not have time to disinfect and dry a new mattress before my incoming guests arrived. And then there was the family with two young kids that had a frickin food fight in the house. There were watermelon seeds stuck to the ceiling. Crayon marks on the walls. **bleep** smeared on the tub taps. I wanted a hazmat suit to go in the place.

And how do you prove a piss smell to Airbnb? Is there an app for that? And, of course, if you bring it up with the parents you are risking a crap review because their "lil angels" can do no wrong in this era of permissive parenting.  

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

In my experience there is a large difference between an infant (not walking) and a toddler. As soon as a baby can walk and hold a marking device in their hand, they are no longer a baby, or an infant. A toddler's job it to explore, and once they get to that point, it cannot work for us as hosts. For us, when a baby is crawling and using items to haul themselves up to a standing position, our entire house is toast. 

[Helen744]

@Helen744 And ..... Shss.... I think , just quietly, that some of them are even making these dog gone babies in my house  Shsss........would you believe it?

[Pat271]

@Helen744 😂

[Enri1804]

I just find it so funny that AirBnB can always calculate it’s fee properly, but counting single digit numbers, nope, can’t do that ; ) This just looks like it doesn’t know basic math. Clearly it doesn’t try to learn occupancy laws anywhere, but I thought it understood addition. 

[Werner170]

True, an "infant" is up to one year old.  At the very least, the site should change the age ranges.

One can add up to 5 infants to a request with no additional charge.

[Gillian166]

really just adding my support. my last 2 bookings with kids/infants resulted in stains that had to be specially washed, the infant one quite gross and super annoying because that little creature defacated on my cot sheets, FOR FREE.  

[Lorna170]

@Gillian166   Totally agree.  A recent guest with a free infant washed the reusable diapers in my washer and dryer without first removing the excrement by dipping in the toilet.  OMG. Fortunately I had ample time before the next guest to scrub out the washer, removing the back so I could wash the exterior of the drum, and then running multiple washes on the sanitize setting with a cleaning product.  The dryer was a whole other story of dried clumps.  Uggh.  And I like babies.  But I don’t care for clueless careless unmentionable parents.

[Gillian166]

@Lorna170  what's truly annoying is that you know they don't do that at home. and mums know how to clean up baby poop!  (just like women know how to clean up blood)  I marked the last group down on cleanliness for it. normally i wouldn't, spills happen, breakages happen, but to willfully ignore a very gross and large poo stain is out of line.