House rule settings for children/infants are broken

House rule settings for children/infants are broken

Under the House Rules settings, if a host selects NO to either or both of the settings concerning suitabilty for children (one for ages 2-12 and the other for ages 0-2), that clearly indicates that the property is NOT suitable for those ages. However, on the listing page itself, which guests see, the rule reads "MAY not be suitable..." (emphasis mine). This is 100% incorrect and is highly misleading.

 

The fix for this is incredibly simple, not involving the underlying code logic. Simply delete the word "May", change the first letter of "not" to uppercase, and delete the word "be". Done! Of course, I suppose the identical fix might have to be made in three separate locations, which is still not all that hard.

 

Please have someone edit that text, AirBnB.

 

By the way, when I reported this bug via @AirbnbHelp, the response I received made it clear that the support person didn't even understand the issue. Or didn't read past the first sentence of my brief message.

 

By the way #2, someone else had posted this same issue here a couple of months ago. That post received only 16 Thumbs-Up, so it got archived instead of being forwarded to AirBnB. If this issue matters to you, please click the thumb! Thanks.

 

8 Comments
Mary-Ann0
Level 10

Yes this infant thing was slipped in under our noses and now a potential guest thinks it is okay to bring an infant because they are now free of charge for age 0 - 2 yrs.

 

So that is another reason I would not use instant-book settings - my place would not be toddler proof for a crawling little one of age 6 months or more.  A tiny little one well okay yes but not older than 6 months old please.

Junko3
Level 2

I have just started hosting and my first request booking was a couple with 1.5year old  even my house rule was no children under 12 and 0-2 infants, so I was wondering why they tried to book with mine,,  and sadly I had to decline it,,,.   so next time I will change MAY to NOT, Thank you for this advise

 

and I cant find the way how I can contact to airbnb help dest to talk to or emai to.....   

Dede0
Level 10

@Junko3 The point of my post is that we *can't* change MAY to NOT. We select the NO option on suitability for 0-2 and 2-12, but then AirBnB inserts the text "May not be suitable..." in the House Rules section.

 

In a continued conversation with @AirbnbHelp, they eventually understood what the issue is, but said "At the moment we don't have the opportunity to change the wording." I think the support person was simply saying that the support group itself can't change the wording (which I wouldn't expect them to do). They further asked me to submit the issue at airbnb.com/help/feedback , which I did. They also suggested that I include our rule disallowing children 0-2 and 2-12 in the text portion of our description or supplemental house rules, which we'd already done. Of course, experience has shown that people rarely read the entire listing before or after booking.

Dede0
Level 10

I'm finding it hard to believe that many hosts aren't affected/bothered by the inaccurate wording from AirBnB. Please read the original suggestion -- just skim it and you'll get the gist -- and then click the Thumbs-Up button.

The point is that if we SAY that our listing is NOT appropriate for children, then AirBnB shouldn't indicate that our listing "MAY not be appropriate..." We say "NOT", they say "MAY not", and people bring their toddlers and kids. Putting both sides at risk, with the fault being neither side's, but AirBnB's.

Please click on the Thumb!

Murtaza0
Level 2
Status changed to: Archived
 
Dede0
Level 10

People -- please click the thumb, or this request for a bug-fix will die w/o being forwarded to AirBnB. The way that the Host Voice forum works is that our suggestions must get at leats 20 up-votes within a fairly short amount of time (2-4 weeks?) or else they get "archived" (deleted w/o consideration).

CLICK THE THUMB. PLEASE. 

Robin-and-Mami0
Level 5

 

Dear Airbnb. Please add to the guest count maximum algorithm the option for children under 2 years to count toward total guest count or not.

 

The "new" 0-2 infants don't count as a guest algorithm will cost us and Airbnb business.  Our AOAO house rules say 4 people maximum (infants count toward the maximum).  Airbnb suggested we

A. go to Manage Listing > Booking > Suitable for infants (Under 2 years) > No

B.  Write in the Manage Listing > Description > "Please book infants from 0 -2 years as 2 - 12 years so Airbnb system will count each 0 - 2 year child as 1 guest."

I'm sure 95% of my prospects won't understand this and will not book with me if they have any under 2 years infants.  Guests look quickly. When it says Not Suitable for Infants - that's what it means to them.  They aren't going to drill around for ways to work around this problem.  And so, we will lose bookings and Airbnb will lose bookings because of this dysfunctional change to the booking algorithm.  And so will lose all other hosts that have a people maximum which love to have infants of all ages included in the guest count.

 

This new procedure already caused 3 bookings that had to be cancelled.  When the first 2 were canceled Airbnb said it was a bug.  This week we got our 3rd and upon contacting Airbnb we were told about the algorithm update about a year ago that made infants less than 2 year not counting as a guest.

Susan285
Level 4

I just cancelled a booking with an infant because my home is not suitable for small children including infants. I have to admit I aproved them first because I wanted to give it a try. So it's my fault and I am now losing superhost status for one year. But second thoughts told me it is against my house rules and I feel uncomfortable.

 

Another guest in another apartment booked 5 adults. And when I asked further (I already approved) about the age of their children it turns out they are 2, 6 and 9. Again against my houserules! They asked me (after having booked): what makes you think your apartment is not safe? - Why do I have to discuss my houserules??

 

It would be so much easier if Airbnb would take our host's houserules "NOT suitable for small children / infants" serious. But airbnb does not bother. The only positive thing is that guest cannot instant book due to the setting and you need to make a decision case by case and turn nice people down.

 

But I also do not bother any longer. Airbnb's lates inquiry asked again how much money I make and I was happy again to tell them LESS THAN 50 %. It is even less than 30% but this is a figure they cannot imagine. The community of trust is no more. Unfortunately. I suspect I will feel more free without that constant super host pressure and can decline here and there for the coming 12 months.  

 

So happy hosting to all. And do not give in with airbnb!