Are children considered an extra guest ? Should they be charged at a lower rate ?

[Ken87]

does a couple count as 2 guests

[Patrick252]

Yes, a couple is indeed 2 people after all.

[Charlie50]

I host and am a traveller with airbnb and have used the site from when my son was 8 months. He is now 2 1/2 and I always put in 2 guests for booking and then message the host to ask about my son and what we would need to do. When he was small he didnt have a bed and used a cot which we brought and every host replied in a lovely way. Sometimes they didnt charge or they did half price as we brought our own bedding etc

As a host, I would like a function where I could charge for extra adults but not children as our house is already set up for families and the one thing I loved about my travels with airbnb were family kind homes where they knew we were having a holiday or stay on a tight budget and wanted to support this. Thats what I want to do for other families.  

I think its important the host and traveller communicates. It would be great for hosts to adapt prices for their own expectations even if they are different from mine. I look at the number of beds and now he can use a bed I would search for 3 guests.

ps. I would always tidy the home at the end of our stay and when its our whole family even the 13 and 16 year old helps to make sure it remains how it looked before we enter it!

[Lindsey51]

I completely agree with Charlie and would like to be able to charge for extra adults but not children. 

Only one couple and small child left me any mess last year and I've always appreciated free child places over the years. I do however think that 80 a night for four adults is very cheap.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

My listing accomodates only one single guest at a time. But if I did have more room, my rule would be if it lives and breathes, you pay for it. I don't care if it's a day old baby or a miniature toy poodle. No. of warm bodies x rate, no exceptions. 

[Diana-and-Ryan0]

This discussion makes me sad. Sounds like a lot of bad apples ruining it for responsible parents. No different then pet owners having their cat or dog pee everywhere and not being accountable.

My husband and I travel with our son and have AirBNBd with him from 9 months forward. We leave our rentals clean as a whistle. I have even washed all linens and made the beds prior to checkout notifying the hosts of such. I'm the mom that keeps crayons in high shelves when not in use and reminds my son to hold his drink with two hands every...time. Personally I'm going through this now trying to book a place and am ticked to be generalized with parents that don't respect other peoples property.

[Richard-and-Emily0]

I agree with this, Diana!  We travel with our four children and are fastidious about leaving both AirBNBs and hotel rooms very clean. If anyone here was generalizing behavior by race or nationality, people (and AirBNB) would come down like a hammer!  And rightly so. 

It's fine to charge for children, but I draw the line at using policies to exclude families. And I wish people were more open-minded to welcoming children. Many families are governed by very responsible and conscientious parents.  

[Letti0]

I am family designed. You would be more than welcome at our place. It was our intent when we opened to be family friendly and we are.

[Kathryn-and-Paul0]

I am happy to accomodate a family up to our limit of 4 persons, however I also expect to be able to charge for each person. A genuine bab in arms, Im happy to give a generous discount however at the same time I point out that there are costs involved even for the babies.

[Elizabeth472]

Where do I find the option to charge for a child as an extra person? 

[Joy15]

How does a person charge for children under 2?  I do not see any options on my listing site allowing me to charge for children under 2 years of age.  Thanks in advance.

[Jennifer893]

It's my understanding that you can't charge for children under 2 any more, and airbnb doesn't count them in the total guest count. I was surprised when a family of 5 showed up to stay in my apartment, which has a maximum of 4 guests. They were fine, and I provided a crib for the baby and an extra mattress for the 8 y/o so he wouldn't have to sleep with grandpa. But since then I have marked the apartment as not suitable for infants. In reality it is suitable, and I have written in the description that guests are welcome to bring infants if they list them as children when they book, so they pay the per-person fee. Unforturnately, this probably means that the listing doesn't show up when people search for a place to stay with an infant. 😞  

But it's on instant book, so it's the only way I can charge for each guest.

[Wendy117]

I also charge for infants.  When Airbnb introduced FREE infants they advised us to put in our house rules that they must be booked in as children if we do not agree they be free.  I have a crib, a portacot, a toddler bed and a mid size bed that must be set up depending on the age, and that includes linen that fits that has to be supplied as well. If a guest with an infant books i send them an amendment of guest numbers to accept and advise there is a 24hour period where they can cancel for free if they do not agree.  Also i advise that my maximum guests includes toddlers.  I have a family friendly listing with child facilities but sadly i have had very few guests with children under 6 years that have not caused issues - excessive noise, mess, damage etc. It does seem that parents feel the kids are on holiday and should be allowed to run wild.  My poor neighbours! So my best apartment is now for adults only and i just keep the one as child friendly.  We all have to make the decision that best suits our business but it must make it difficult for reasonable families to find accommodation.

[Fred13]

I make no distinction between adult or child, above 5 years old. Below 5 years old I treat the reservation on a case by case basis.

[Diana-and-Ryan0]

Truly a disheartening thread. I guess I don't see the point in a review system if host's are just going to generalize. No reason to prioritize using AirBNB with this mentality when all hotels don't charge for kids. I guess I would expect more forward thinking from hosts. Case by case factoring, refundable damage deposits etc.

Oh, and I happen to be a nanny myself as well as an accountable parent / guest / host. Not spoiled, and sure as heck don't let my charge "run wild".