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. "

[Leslie0]

You can't charge for infants 0-2 anymore under Airbnb's policy so your only alternative is to check off "not suitable."

[Pamela11]

I have had infants and it has resulted in more work as their parents move everything around, change the decor and furniture and move low items that kids could break to other places....and they don't put it back like it was! 

[Lynette30]

Wow! I disagree with this too, for all the reasons stated above. We've had guests bring small children who they don't properly supervise and won't discipline, winding up with food thrown on the floors, food stuck to the bed/comforters & rugs, instruments dumped on the lawn, broken artifacts/knick-knacks, billiard balls chucked across the room, almost breaking a window (twice), and heavily harassing our cat (resulting in getting swiped back at). And yes, usually extra trash & energy-usage too. We have never charged guests to bring their infants, but we would if they indicated more than two at a time, for more than just a few days, or we would have to tell them it's simply not appropriate place for them (our place is pushing it with even one child - way too many low-lying things in our 'art space' to get into!).

[Fiona1]

We used to accept infants, but now we have a no infant policy since the rule began. Problem is, guests can still put in up to 5 infants in the booking and don't get charged, which goes way over our stated maximum guest numbers. Our maximum guest numbers are 6 and that would mean a total of 11 guests!!! And, I might add, it goes over our maximum council regulations of 6. Even if we have it stated in our house rules that infants will be charged, to go through the resolution center to collect the money owing, is a hassle and takes forever! 

[Barbara0]

My listing at home is not child freindly, never has been and never will be.  Airbnb need to stop ditating to hosts, their most valuable asset, what they can and can't do in their own homes.  Maybe non-hosted apartments/hotels can accommodate children free bu home hsots cannot.  Stop fixing something that is not broken.

[Alison108]

The site has deteriorated radically since I started hosting with them. They have not secured any guests for me yet this winter tourist season and keep sending me harassing notices asking me to reduce my prices... Give the listing "Instant Book" status etc etc...Disgruntled host!!

[Alison108]

The site has deteriorated radically since I started hosting with them. They have not secured any guests for me yet this winter tourist season and keep sending me harassing notices asking me to reduce my prices... Give the listing "Instant Book" status etc etc...Disgruntled host!!

I have changed my settings to "no infants" since reading this.

[DragonflyHill-Collective0]

Airbnb doesn't secure guests for you. Airbnb provides you with a listing platorm. That they've suggested ways for you to get more bookings and you find that a nuisance is something you may want to look at. We have close to 100% occupancy, but we have had to adjust our prices to correspond to market saturation. We have put incredible attention to detail in our listing and in our photographs. If you're not getting guests you need to consider how you're presenting yourself.

[ChuckandCarole0]

Gee, i'm afraid the next step is that Airbnb will be telling us what we have to charge for our guests....oops guess they just did that!

[James-and-In-Ja0]

Pricing policy should be set by the hosts, not by Airbnb. It doesn't matter if we are hosting young children, the aged, handicapped, or regular folks, any discounts or exemptions

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

So, if a free baby cries in the night and I have a "quiet hours" policy, how many of the free babies can I put out on the street at 3am for a House Rules violation - all of them or just the one?  LOL 

[Kristine18]

Parents are less focused on cleaning and putting things away before they leave when they are worried about an infant/any kids at all so I automatically know it's more work for me when I have a family book. And while the family is here, the adults are worried about the baby, not the kids, so the kids get into more trouble. I had a group leave that had sticky coke on all my kitchen cabinet doors and even some inside the cabinets, TWO EXTRA HOURS TO CLEAN and condition the wood! Kids are messy! I don't mind hosting families but there is definitely an extra cost and they won't be hosted for free!

Additionally, I provide a crib with sheets I need to wash, the whole thing needs to be wiped down and disinfected, the high chair needs the same wipe down and disinfection, and there's a baby bathtub provided plus other baby things that cost money to obtain and clean after they are used! I don't have any of that cost with an extra adult! All I have is one set of extra sheets to throw in the wash on one extra mattress. Babies should get the same extra person cost!

I don't want to host babies for free, this is not acceptable. If an adult was solely bringing their pack and play and it was of no consequence to me because it was six adults and one newborn and nothing really changed, fine. I'll bend. I get that a newborn with parents who bought a pack and play are of little consequence considering they just lay there, drink mom's milk, and have their own bed which requires no washing on my part. But this is NOT the case in my house! And it's not just newborns, it's up to 2 years old! Toddlers can get into a lot of trouble! AT LEAST LET ME CHOOSE WHETHER OR NOT THE INFANT CAN STAY FOR FREE!

[Kristine18]

I am not happy about this at all, I just had a guest book and didn't notice and now I'd look foolish reaching out for extra money to cover it! And to tell any guest who RSVPs now that "Oh hey, extra cost"! That's embarrassing, that takes away from me welcoming my guests to list an extra price I'm billing them for separately. SHAME ON AIRBNB FOR NOT LETTING US CHARGE EXTRA AUTOMATICALLY! It would just be two more options in the pricing tab for extra guests!! So three options, extra charge for adults, extra charge for children, extra charge for infants. People can CHOOSE to make it free for infants, and that can be a selling perk for other hosts. But it certainly won't be the case in my home.

[Kristine18]

When hosts go above and beyond to make sure their guests who are traveling parents have a good stay, and AirBNB pulls THIS sort of thing! What incentive do I have to even bother with extra stuff for infants?! It's space I could be using for myself to store it all! Money I could have used for adult guests instead, or for myself! All this extra work, just for free?! When I can just say "No, I only allow groups of adults" and not worry about any of it?!

COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE.

[DragonflyHill-Collective0]

I just had a wonderful family stay with me--- 3 adults and 18 month old. We did adjust their reservation to cover the cost of the 4th person, AS STATED IN OUR LISTING! (If you state something in your listing that contradicts AIRBNB policy, they do honor it. For example, we require a registration form and govt I.D. for all adult guests. If we don't state that in our listing, we can't require it. But we do, so we can. Same with the infant policy-- We do not let infants stay for free and we maintain the number of guest limit for all rooms, so a room that can accommodate 4 people cannot accommodate 4 people plus uncounted infants.). 

They were great guests. They did report that they were having trouble finding housing on airbnb traveling with an infant. This policy doesn't encourage hosts to accept families with small children, who are already more work. Airbnb really needs to revisit this.