Recently a woman contacted me to make a reservaTimon for her 17 yr old and two friends. She was deceptive in her communications with me, and continued to use the pronoun “I” as in, “I will be arriving at 6 pm,” etc. It wasn’t until I asked her to clarify the number of guests coming that she admitted that the reservation was for her 17 yr old and two friends (both 18). I spoke with two different Airbnb counselors and got two very different sets of advice about this issue.
If Airbnb does not have a bonafide policy, about teenagers traveling with other barely legal, non-related, non-guardian, companions, they should. The 18 yr olds are not likely suitable as supervisors, and I doubt they will have a letter giving them permission to seek medical care, for the minor etc. It will probably be fine, but it could be just the opposite.
I was told by one Airbnb counselor to refuse the reservation and another stated I cannot discriminate based on age. It’s likely this situation has already occurred under my roof without my being made aware of the ages of each of my guests. But when it come to young, young women traveling alone I’m always concerned about a Natalie Holloway situation arising.
These young women are not my responsibility, I know but as a mom of a young woman, I can’t help but be concerned.
In closing this is not to be confused with a situation such as an 18yr old with her own baby. She legal right and control over the baby, whereas the 18 yr olds in this situation do not.