Discrimination against parents of infants 0 -4 months

[Desiree153]

AirBnB currently has an inadequate policy to allow hosts to claim they cannot accommodate children under 2 years old.  My assumption is that the host would need to baby-proof their place, but it is a fact that children cannot even roll over until they are at least 4 months old.  This policy needs to be revisited and in the mean time I will be filing a compliant with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing.

[Marissa160]

@Desiree153 as a parent, i would only book a place that is suited for small children or infants, not every listing is set up for their safety needs. In which case, I would continue looking for one that is.  Why would you want to force a host to accept that if they felt it wasn’t safe? I do agree some hosts may just be picky but in that case, you probably don’t want to book with them anyway. 

[Emilia42]

@Desiree153 Are you saying that there is a huge difference between a 4-month-old and a 23-month-old?? I would say the vast majority of hosts here agree. There have been many posts written about it. Unfortunately, Airbnb lumps all 2 and under into the same category.

Personally, I see no difference between a car seat with a 4-month-old in it and an extra piece of luggage. But crawling babies don't agree with my ruff uneven floorboards or the steep exposed stairs so I need to check the little box that says Not Suitable to Children under 2. Have you tried messaging the host and explaining the situation?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Desiree153  sure... and then you would book our place and complain bc there is no baby cot, no high chair, no laundry machine, the entrance is too narrow for baby carriage and there is no place to store it,   etc ... and you would cancel and demand a full refund because it is not suitable for babies.

[John5097]

@Desiree153 There is a search filter when searching for listings. Click the one that is safe for children 2 and under, and you will find thousands of options. 

What are host supposed to do, require ID of children to prove they can't crawl yet? Host have to charge more for kids and pets and address all kinds of safety issues. My listing is too compact and no storage or room for the things guest with kids would need. I think our society is regressing back towards not being safe for children with regards to other policy. 

[Cathie19]

Hi @Desiree153.

I totally agree with you regarding a big difference between a four month old and a 12 month old versus a two year old. But each listing has its peculiarities and risks to manage.

As @Emilia42  stated, floors might not suit and entrances like @Branka-and-Silvia0  may be too narrow for a pram.

The truth is, variables are endless, not to mention the people in the cohort.

A parent with a four month old may be perfectly fine in a listing, with the parent supervising at all times. But add a five year old who pulls that four month old out of the porta cot/cradle or high cot onto the floor, and then the risk matrix changes. What if no gate or barrier was needed before, but one is now required as the child is not within the bedding barrier? Yes the five year old may try to carry the infant down the stairs or outside to the parents only half listening to the baby monitor. Maybe the baby is a fast roller or crawler.....

Then let's consider the added cost of setting up costs to be family friendly and the extra linen cleaning. Some families travel with their own bedding and cot, most do not. Sanitising baby beds and bedding, providing extras for the milk, urine, poo or vomit can be never ending.

What about a slightly older child when families decide to toilet train when on holidays in the summer? 

So effectively, all ages can have higher cleaning and safety issues. The infant/ toddler or child that constantly rattles the pool gate because they want to have a swim, can bring wear and tear to the gate and lock. The older child that has monkey toes and climbs over the pool gate or reaches the top and opens it and then lets the non swimming younger child into the forbidden area (without a parent) - is now a double drowning incident waiting to happen......  😲  I'm sorry if this sounds dramatic. Parents are on holidays and their guards can be slightly lowered.

So every host of every listing can have the small child that puts sticky fingers from honey or peanut butter on every possible surface in the space. The higher risks with small children and infants of all ages can be endless. Not to mention no $ fee for providing a service for two years and under, for so much more preparation, stress and cleaning. The extra infants also take a space which may crowd out the bedrooms, also reducing how the adults feel in the space, when writing a review.

If you totally clean up after your infant or child, may I absolutely applaud you. Thank you. But many do not and when every piece of furniture, high chairs, glass mirrors, glass windows and sliding doors are finger marked, I understand why many hosts just put infants and children in the too hard basket. 

By the way, I am a very family friendly space, and commenting from experience.  🌻  🙂 So I think Airbnb should leave the decisions to the experts of the listings, the hosts. But they should also allow the opportunity to charge for infants and under twos, depending on the needs of the guest.

[Michelle53]

@Desiree153  To be honest, I'm not really sure what the Department of Fair Employment and Housing would be able to accomplish as a California State entity.   Airbnb is not a housing provider, just a listing service and payment processor.    The houses are owned by the hosts, and the vast percentage are out of California jurisdiction.

I wonder how  one would do the following : bath a baby with only a small bathroom sink to work with (no tub), dispose of diapers when the only trash receptacle is next to a refrigerator (and meant for food only), prepare formula (assuming the baby isn't being breast fed) with only a small microwave, no stove. 

That's before we even get to the issues of managing a crawling or toddling child: outlets, lamp cords, free standing book cases, tvs on stands - the list goes on. 

Do most parents of infants and small children come prepared with a Pack and Play and baby bath, for example, as well as suitable eating utensils and storage containers, or is the host expected to supply all this essentially free of charge, while also not increasing room rates ?

[Sarah977]

@Desiree153  I agree about the age delineations, and have sent feedback to Airbnb to that effect. Age for "infants" should be newborn to mobile on their own ( i.e. crawling). 

As for trying to force hosts to accept infants, even those who are still babes in arms, I definitely don't agree with that.  

For the hosts who answered here who are childless- your points are pretty clueless, sorry to say.

A 4 month old baby does not require anything special. They can sleep with the parents if they don't travel with a portable baby bed, they can be bathed in a sink, they are not able to sit up yet, so they don't use high chairs, they don't require dishes, because they do not yet eat solid food,  and there is no reason a stroller has to fit through a doorway- you fold a stroller up to take it in and out of the house. 

The only real issues in hosting guests with babies that age would be crying and so disturbing the neighbors, the parents being irresponsible as far as letting the baby pee on the bed, and disposing of dirty diapers in a way that they don't stink up the house.

[Debra300]

@Sarah977,

I believe that the host's comments were regarding children, especially infants to toddler age, and not just the OP's four month old.

[Sarah977]

@Debra300  I get that, but that wasn't what the OP's post was about- it was about lumping every child under the age of 2 into the "infant" category.

[Michelle53]

@Sarah977  Of course, it is true that I don't have kids.    That probably makes me the least qualified/prepared to host small children, particularly in terms of having a bunch of things in storage that could be repurposed.   

But I do try and think through the logistics of how to accomplish the most basic tasks, having grown up with two siblings. My brother, no matter how carefully one changed him, would always produce a "golden arch" when his diaper was removed.    That golden stream would either go onto a bed, or a surface used for eating, unless the baby was changed on the floor. 

Since I can't have diapers flushed, and the majority of folks can't be relied upon to properly dispose of food waste, how could I rely on a person to properly dispose of dirty diapers ?    I'm pretty sure most people wouldn't want to have to walk out of the front door, all the way around the block to the back of the house, to dispose of diapers in the trash cans. 

While I appreciate that a baby can be bathed in a sink, mine is 12" wide.  It's a small bathroom. The likelihood is pretty good that water would just go everywhere, necessitating providing mops, buckets and other cleanup supplies. 

I just don't know how a person would find that remotely pleasant. 

It has to be difficult enough travelling with infants and small children without having to deal with a destination that really isn't suitable for them. 

[Sarah977]

@Michelle53  You definitely make some good points. I didn't consider the "golden arch"- I only had daughters and have 5 granddaughters and only one grandson 🙂 And I travelled around Mexico many years ago with my one year old on my hip- no vehicle, no baby bed, no stroller, no special equipment.

But the urine issue, and the proper disposal of diapers, is again down to the parents acting responsibly and we know that even guests with no children can flush things they shouldn't, make big messes, and leave stinky garbage like fish.

No host should have to accept children of any age, even infants in arms, though, if it doesn't suit them or their listing- I was just pointing out that travelling with a 4 month old doesn't require any specialized set-up nor does it involve safety issues if the baby isn't even old enough to sit up on its own, let alone crawl around.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Sarah977  as far as I remember I do have a child 😄

[Sarah977]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  Yeah, you were the exception:-)

[John5097]

While I don't have a child, I have hosted families with children of all ages of all ages for the first year of my listing so have some experience. 

First host only have the option of checking a box, "Is this space suitable for children under two." 

Some of the host claiming infants can just sleep in the bed with the parents. 

Quick Google search results. 

https://sleepbaby.org/sleeping-with-baby/

The bed in my listing is higher than normal for extra clearance under the bed for storage. There is only one closet for the entire rental unit. There is no place to store any kind of bed or chairs for children. The idea that infants can be bathed in a sink is also not my idea of "Suitable for children under 2" 

There can also be bodies of water, like mine, "Waterfront" is is the title. Its one of the leading causes of death for children. Maybe questionable dogs next door and host can't predict how they might react to small child.

A guest should at least check with a host to see if its safe before bringing their child or infant. If they don't at least the host won't risk as much liability risk or negligence for misrepresenting their listing.  

Do your own research with it comes to your listing and your child's safety. The internet is full of kooks.