How do you stop children being added to a booking?

Answered!
Pauline750
Level 1
Toward, United Kingdom

How do you stop children being added to a booking?

When specifying the number of guests I have noticed on some listings that children and infants are greyed out. Cannot discovery how to set this, can anybody help?

1 Best Answer
Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Pauline750 

 

I can't see 'parameters' anywhere, but I have these options under 'policies and rules'. 

 

Perhaps it is worded differently in different countries...

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11 Replies 11
Annie1372
Level 10
Montreal, Canada

@Pauline750 

 

On your listing

1. go to ‘parameters’

2 then on the ´reservation section’, sélect ‘inside rules’

3. Then you have 5 YES/NO selections do; baby, kids, pet, smoking, party.

 

 

.
Annie
Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Pauline750 

 

I can't see 'parameters' anywhere, but I have these options under 'policies and rules'. 

 

Perhaps it is worded differently in different countries...

Pauline750
Level 1
Toward, United Kingdom

Hi thanks to you both for your replies, we cannot find parameters either, but have already said that our wagon isn't suitable for children and infants or pets under policies and rules, but we still have people trying to book and then getting quite angry, with us when we have to refuse.  I have added a line at the end of our description saying no children or infants.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Pauline750 

 

Yes, I have found this too. I don't have the problem anymore because I only host long term guests and solo travellers but, when I did host short term stays, I often got guests wanting to bring children. It does say quite clearly in my listing 'no children' and not just in the house rules but Airbnb has a tendency to bury the important information.

 

Like you, I found that some people got very angry. Usually, they would try to convince me to make an exception for their child, who was by all accounts an absolute angel. Some would get irate when I continued to say no. It's like they feel you have made some sort of personal insult to their child. One lady told me I must be a terrible person if I didn't like children. I never said I didn't like kids, just that my listing was not suitable for them.

 

Another lady tried to get devious about it. When I explained the reason she couldn't instant book my listing was because she had entered 1 x adult and 1 x child, she changed the booking to 2 x adults. It didn't matter that I had told her I didn't accept children nor that she was actually bringing two kids and my listing had a maximum occupancy of 2 guests. When I explained that my other guests have booked on the assumption that there would be no children, she said they won't notice because the kids are tall!! Honestly, some people really can't take no for an answer.

 

Eventually, I had to change the wording to:

 

I do not host under 18s UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

 

I feel like that did the trick, because I don't remember getting more requests like that afterwards.

Hi many thanks, but we don't seem to have 'parameters' on our site, but thanks for trying  to help.

Ruth413
Level 10
Moreton, United Kingdom

@Pauline750   Unfortunately some guests don't read policies and rules through properly.  We too don't allow children or infants because of various hazards i.e. pond, hot tub etc.  But lately we have had a few requests to bring them. 

 

We don't have instant booking on so we don't have a problem with guests just booking and turning up with children, so normally we ask the guests to withdraw their request as we can't accept children due to various hazards and also our insurance company won't cover us if any accidents happen. 

 

I have also just been back into my listings and noticed that the explain why part of the not accepting children had been deleted it.  So I have updated it again with the reasons why.  Not sure whether this makes a difference or not.  

Debra300
Level 10
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

I learned last year Airbnb will return search results based upon the number of guests entered in the search request, and doesn't distinguish between guest type.  They put the onus on the hosts to point out to prospective guest that their properties do not accept children.  This is devious on Airbnb's part and unfair to both the guest and host, because guests believe that they are seeing search results of properties that accept children, and puts hosts in unnecessary situations of having to inform guests that they cannot stay at their properties.  Airbnb does this because all they care about is getting the booking, and knows that hosts will be reluctant to cancel a reservation for a variety of reasons.

 

So, if you get a booking request or instant booking from a guest with children it's not all their fault.  Sure they should have read all the way to the bottom of the listing page to see the house rules, but we all know that happens infrequently.

Susan4535
Level 2
Silver City, NM

I was having this problem until I put “Regrettably, the property is not appropriate for children” In the initial description of the listing. I don’t think people read beyond the initial description, and they certainly don’t read the house rules…if the can even find them in the listing.

Gayle148
Level 3
Sound Beach, NY

Is there a way to kindly state “ No children allowed!?” Does ARBNB have a policy on this? Two times recently I rented to guests with kids and unfortunately they aren’t very good at parenting because the kids wrecked a lot of stuff plus extra cleaning fees, etc., they ruin it for the respectful well behaved kids. I just don’t want to rent to guests with children anymore! Suggestions?

@Gayle148  even if you say "no kids" somehow they will still book for kids. one of my listings has the infants and kids bit blocked out and still someone booked last week with a 4yo! She didn't even ask if it was ok, even though i have kids & infants blocked off, the option to add them is still included in my listing. unless there's a second place i have to check to remove this. For me it's under Policies and Rules. 

My couples only guest suite (2ppl max) will actually accept a booking of 1A, 1Kid, 5 infants! (at least, the app allows me to input that, i'm not sure if it would get through IB, i've had a few couples add a baby before so I assume so)

Gayle148
Level 3
Sound Beach, NY

Ugh! I don’t want to be prejudiced towards kids because really, it’s the adults who are at fault! If I rented with kids, I would go around and clean up after them before I left! It’s the right and courteous thing to do! But you do get all kinds of people I’ve learned.. I thought about writing “ this home is inappropriate for children. We have a large pond in the backyard and lost one in there last year”,  maybe that would horrify and discourage…JUST KIDDING!!😂🤣😂