Free infants, up to 5 free infants? In a listing that is set to a total of 4 guests?!!!!! OUTRAGEOUS

[DragonflyHill-Collective0]

This is really messed up. Now when hosts indicate that our listing is suitable for up to X guests, it's really X guests + 5 free children under 2 years old, and there's no way to adjust for this. This is outrageous. 1. We should have a say in who comes in our homes for free, 2. We should determine the total number of guests. 3. FIVE FREE INFANTS? REALLY? FIVE? THAT'S A WHOLE PRESCHOOL CLASS. EVEN PRESCHOOL CLASSES HAVE A COST AND THOSE KIDS GO HOME AT THE END OF THE DAY.

WE want our home to be comfortable for children and welcoming, but when we said we could only accommodate up to 4 people, that didn't mean up to 9 people if 5 of them were under 2 years old. It didn't mean free lodging for ANYONE.

You could allow hosts to offer free passage to children, in a discount setting. You could allow guests to search for "chlldren are free" or "infants are free" in a search feature.

You absolutely have to allow hosts to determine how many people they can comfortably, affordably and safely lodge.

We've added the following statement to our listing:

"While we are children friendly, we cannot provide free accommodations for children OF ANY AGE.  We welcome your children into our home but all fees and total number of guest limits apply.  We love and welcome children but at the prices we are offering, we cannot afford to have extra people of any age here, without compensation for our labor and resources. "

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Response from Airbnb

The decision not to count infants toward the number of guests was based on hospitality industry standards. The goal for this policy is to support a positive guest experience, specifically for families booking on Airbnb. Although the majority of hosts are comfortable with this policy, some aren’t, and we are interested in figuring out how this tool can be improved to work better for more hosts.

If you don’t want to accept bookings from families traveling with infants, or want to include them as part of the total guest count, there are a few controls you can currently take advantage of:

1. Clearly indicate in your house rules whether your place is suitable for infants. If you must charge for infants, note that guests are to include infants in the adult guest count rather than in the infant guest count. Remember, avoiding discrimination based on factors like familial status is part of the Airbnb commitment you signed. Hosts should welcome families unless a place is clearly not suitable for infants and children, something often best left up to the family to decide.
2. If you’re using the request-to-book option instead of Instant Book, then you can discuss with potential guests whether you’re able to accommodate them.
3. You can indicate in your settings that your place is not suitable for infants. If you have instant book turned on, guests who indicate they’re traveling with infants will not be able to book your home instantly. They can still request to book your space, just as they would any non-Instant Book listing.
4. If you’re using Instant Book, then you can always cancel a booking penalty-free if a guest breaks your house rules.

[DragonflyHill-Collective0]

This is really messed up. Now when hosts indicate that our listing is suitable for up to X guests, it's really X guests + 5 free children under 2 years old, and there's no way to adjust for this. This is outrageous. 1. We should have a say in who comes in our homes for free, 2. We should determine the total number of guests. 3. FIVE FREE INFANTS? REALLY? FIVE? THAT'S A WHOLE PRESCHOOL CLASS. EVEN PRESCHOOL CLASSES HAVE A COST AND THOSE KIDS GO HOME AT THE END OF THE DAY.

WE want our home to be comfortable for children and welcoming, but when we said we could only accommodate up to 4 people, that didn't mean up to 9 people if 5 of them were under 2 years old. It didn't mean free lodging for ANYONE.

You could allow hosts to offer free passage to children, in a discount setting. You could allow guests to search for "chlldren are free" or "infants are free" in a search feature.

You absolutely have to allow hosts to determine how many people they can comfortably, affordably and safely lodge.

We've added the following statement to our listing:

"While we are children friendly, we cannot provide free accommodations for children OF ANY AGE.  We welcome your children into our home but all fees and total number of guest limits apply.  We love and welcome children but at the prices we are offering, we cannot afford to have extra people of any age here, without compensation for our labor and resources. "

[Gina32]

I tested this with one of my properties and I don't get the "infants free" option at all.....has this now been fixed?

Is the option only applicable in some parts of the world?

I certainly would not allow infants free for all the reasons you have cited.

Thanks for the discussion.

[DragonflyHill-Collective0]

Gina, I'm in L.A. and the option is still available for my listing. I am listed as suitable for children and for infants, but not for anyone staying for free, and certainly not for 5 infants.

Where are you located? Can you provide the link to your listing?

[Gina32]

Hi drangonfly.

thank you for replying here is a link to one of my properties.

https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/16206611?

[Queenie0]

Gina,

This feature certainly has NOT been fixed. I went to you listing and for 1 adult, could add FIVE free infants. I used the dates 26-28 September.

Also, for 1 adult, I could have 5 children (that pay and count as guests) plus the 5 infants. 

[Gina32]

You ae right Queenie....how outrageous.....my house will only fit 6 guests I don't want any infants on top of that and they certainly will not be free!

I think when I checked I didn't go far enough and only added children ...ooops.

Airbnb better fix this immediately.

How do we get them to take notice? I'll try to contact them in the help centre....I know that is difficult.

[BettyandStathis0]

Dear All,

we have just received a booking for 4 infants!

and we are helpless! 

we have written in our house rules that we do not accept more than 2 infants per booking, we spoke with the tenants and told them this, but they booked!

what can we do now?

[Kristine18]

Call Airbnb immediately and explain to them why they need to cancel the reservation and refund the guest in full. They will if you call immediately and explain the situation. 1-855-424-7262

[BettyandStathis0]

Thanks

[Gina32]

@BettyandStathis0 yes you must stop this preposterous nonsense immediately. Airbnb have no right to offer for anyone stay for free. I cannot find anywhere in the nformation where we agreed to this condition on our normal listings.

Why is it we hosts are having our say and we hear nothing from Airbnb?

[Dawn50]

I am so disgusted I have banned children now. The work/costs are much more for a child. What gives Airbnb the right to make this decision for us? It was bad enough before, with inconsiderate parents letting their children have free reign including my private spaces. I thought tolerated it when they were paying, but not anymore. 

[Dawn50]

I am so disgusted I have banned children now. The work/costs are much more for a child. What gives Airbnb the right to make this decision for us? It was bad enough before, with inconsiderate parents letting their children have free reign, including my private spaces. I tolerated it when they were paying, but not anymore. 

[Meighan1]

Wow. What will airbnb do next? We have always allowed free infants, but that would be under the age of 1, not 2, and certainly not an unlimited amout of infants. This is troubling. We book to a lot of families and I cannot block infants. Do you wonder if the staff at airbnb has any children? Do they realize the chaos an 18-month old can create?

[Kelly149]

My listing is marked Not Suitable for Infants, but I just declined a booking that was indeed for 2 adults & 5 infants. Best part is that there were not 5 infants but guest hoped that we could just call the extra guests infants so as to avoid the additional guest fee. 

[Nikki4]

All this discussion is well and good, and I agree that the free infant policy is ridiculous.  

The question is, what are we going to do about it?  Can we petition Airbnb to change their free infants policy?

[Elena331]

I'd like to add, 5 infants NOT PAYING. That sounds soooo great when you have to pay your cleaning lady extra money in order to clean up all the mess and dirty dipers left everywhere. This happened several times at our places. ;(