Hosting guests with children

[Muslim4]

I had an inquiry from a couple with an infant. They only specified 2 guests which is maximum allowed to stay at my property. I've also never hosted children or infants before.

With this changes of Airbnb listing panel webpage interface, I couldn't find that option there. Only checkboxes with: whether pets | events are allowed:

What would you recommend? To host or not to host, what's the question?

[Joelle43 · Accepted solution]

Hello @Muslim4 

If you're looking for the section on your listing where you specify that you do not accept babies and/or children, you have to go to the "Guest safety" section and explain to parents why your listing is not suitable for them.  It's not under the House rules anymore.

However, if a parent still wants to bring an infant or a child, it is difficult to refuse as this can be considered as discrimination.  However, if there are security issues then communicate these via message to the parents and explain that your place is not suitable and that they would be better finding a more suitable listing.  Do you provide a cot? Hight chair?  If you don't provide child friendly facilites, make sure these are unticked in the amenities section.

Luckily it looks like the parents have sent you an inquiry rather than a request to book but you should change your listing to reflect that you don't accept kids if this is what you want but your listing is still offered up as a choice to parents searching with kids. 

Joëlle

[Muslim4]

Yes, thanks that's correct. I also asked the support team. No, unfortunately, not providing child-friendly amenities. The apartment is pretty small, in fact, I have 2 guests maximum, and ask for extra fee for each one if there are more. As far as I know, infants below 2 years old are the exception from this rule. Not sure about older children though. Anyway, I was hesitating whether to allow them to stay or not. The fact that they have very good reviews and excellent rating made me confirm their stay. Thank you!

[Joelle43]

Good to hear @Muslim4 !

For safety issues, I welcome children aged 12 years and upwards and I also had a similar situation with a couple who wanted to stay with their baby of 2 months who assured me that the fact that I had no amenities wasn't a problem for them at this young age as the baby would be sleeping with them and wasn't even crawling so I felt reassured that the infant wouldn't be in any danger.

They were great guests😊

[John5097]

@Muslim4 

About 3 years ago I changed my listing settings to just two adult guest. I only had a few guest message and ask if they could bring infants or children. I was ok with that as long as they brought everything they needed. 

Recently though I'm getting a lot of booking with infants, as they changed the settings to allow guest to book and add an infant.

So I included this in my listing space. 

"* Ideal for solo traveler or couple. One bedroom, queen size bed, for no more than two adults and one car. (not set up for infants or babies)"

I just don't know much about childproofing a place. I happened to ask one guest how they set things up and they said they put a pack and play in the corner of the bedroom. I looked and that was beneath a calk board that had push pins in it so one of the push pins could have fallen into the child's pack and play.

I didn't mind a few here and there but just don't know enough about child safety. I haven't had any more request bookings for infants since adding its not set up for them. I still won't decline a reservation right now but don't want too many either. 

[Muslim4]

Now I am thinking about adding something similar to the listing description. Since the apartment in itself is small, it is ideal for 2 people, however in theory it can take up to 4 people, because I have two unfolding sofas. When it comes to children I don't think the place is suitable for infants and kids under 6 y.o., but it's up to their parents, if they are disciplined, leave it clean, I don't want to decline their requests. At the same time, I think it is reasonable to explicitly let potential guests know that I can host children from 12 years old for the same extra fee as adults (if there are more than two people). Thanks for your comment! 

[John5097]

@Muslim4 The bedroom in mine is very small. I put lamps mounted to the wall and a sliding door because there ins't enough room for a door to swing open without hitting the bed. There is just enough room for luggage racks in the corner so that's where the pack and play would go. 

I used to have a pull out sleeper sofa and allowed 4 guest without any restrictions in the first year, but guest broke the frame of sofa bed twice by trying to stow it when headrest was up. I liked having families but sometimes would be too messy, and it's still small. I recently let grandparents bring their grandkids who had their own bedding and in the review said it was really best for 2 guest. 

The booking settings were moved over to the safety part as @Joelle43  mentioned. My settings were still the same not suitable for infants or children, with explanation, but Airbnb now allows them to add infants with two guest max. 

I seem to book up fine with just two guest. I like travelers who are just in town for a short trip and rates are priced accordingly. If I needed more bookings I would be more flexible, but haven't even been able to find a sofa bed that would hold up and as mentioned its rather small anyway and really don't know enough about what's child proof. 

With the settings change guest will start expecting more baby friendly stuff or more room. 

I also had one guest who brought their granddaughter I think. I had no idea and thought it was just two adult guest, but later read that she marked me down for accuracy and warned other parents that the apartment was attached to the house and that could be an issue if they have children. But my lising is so clear and states in first discription that it's attached to the house, and has pictures, so don't even want them. No one else has ever had a concern like that. Mine is a legal one also so don't even want to deal with that. 

But I agree if they reach out and ask, I'm not going to decline a booking, however  I've also started saying no to guest who ask to bring more people and I just follow my intuition. Mine is really best for couples or solo travelers. There are so many other listings, like 30k in my area, and I often suggest other ones if they need more room, more amenities, or want to invite more people over such as getting ready for a wedding. Mine is just a one bedroom.  

Good luck with yours! 

ETA: Also in the reviews if a guest stayed with an infant, it will say "Children stayed on trip." or something so future guest will think it's set up for all children. Thats the reason I added not set up for babies or infants. Mine is only one bedroom. 

[Muslim4]

I checked those guests with an infant out a few days ago. I must say, this stay was probably the worst ever I had on Airbnb. I didn't expect they appear so disrespectful to me and my property. I had no other choice, but to start a reimbursement request, because the guest tore the duvet cover right in front of me! That's unbelievable.

Here's my report I've also sent to the Airbnb support:

Alex and his wife Lyuba first seemed to be nice, friendly, polite couple. Alex asked me for a special offer for their stay. I was very glad that they decided to stay in my apartment, so I personally provided them with a discount even despite the price for my property was already pretty humble. They arrived on time and promised to leave the apartment "even cleaner that it was". They also asked me to arrive earlier, but I barely had time after my previous guest to clean the apartment, but because I am always very polite and trying my best to my guests. In fact, I tried very hard to move them in as early as possible, given the fact that they were with a small child. I spent less than two hours washing and cleaning the apartment! So, I check them in earlier than the official check-in interval. They came and everything seemed to be normal, they again and again promised me they would leave the apartment in better condition that it was before. I was very happy and didn’t even suspect what would happen when they left

When I came back to check them out Alex started showing me one of the duvet cover and in a very arrogant way told me that it was torn, but at the same time he was just tearing it in my eyes, in real time. I honestly told him that it might be a bit damaged before, but it wasn't my fault, but he kept on tearing the duvet cover and then he just threw it away to the floor as if it was not another people property, but something that belonged to him. He suddenly behaved himself in a very disrespectful way, talked to me arrogantly trying to give me his "recommendations" and blaming me that the apartment, according to his opinion, was dirty. I communicated with him respectfully and politely told him that even if he was right, it doesn't mean that he should speak to me in a very disrespectful, rude way. I also hadn't asked him for any opinion or advice about my property, it was his initiative. I was just casually wondering how he and his wife were doing. I honestly thought that they are decent, respectful people, but I was wrong. They also blamed me that there was "not enough kitchenware for them and the frying pan was without a lid", which of course is nonsense: I provided the kitchenware that I had for the money they paid, I always try my best for the guests and my property has a perfect price-value balance. Even if those things are old, or insufficient, it doesn't mean that they can anything that they want with them, they don't belong to them, and most importantly it is not a subject to discuss when they leave, this is just an exaggeration. So, they were just provoking me to start the conflict. After I got a bit emotional, they started blaming me that I am shouting at them. At the same time, Alex started offering me money for the duvet cover, trying to show me that he is generous, kind person (which is definitely not true), but I disagreed, because it was not only about the property damage that they made, but also about the moral damage they inflicted on me by skillfully provoking the conflict and after that they behaved as if nothing had happened.

Even after they left I thought that reporting the incident and decreasing their rating from my side would be unreasonable, that perhaps they are better than I thought, and they regret what they did and it wasn't actually done on purpose. I just asked for reimbursement for the torn duvet cover ($10), I didn't report their inadequate, violent, rude behavior. I only briefly described that the duvet cover was torn by Alex right in front of me. But alas, I was wrong again. After declining my reimbursement request, they just simply decided to ask me for compensation ($74) for the things I'd never done. Their request is full of lies, they distort the facts, hiding the fact that they deliberately provoked me into conflict, perhaps wanting to get moral and financial compensation for that.

Now I am really sorry I was so wrong about them, providing them with a discount for their stay, and letting them stay in my property. That's obvious that those people don't value kind attitude, their ostentatious courtesy is worthless. I am a SuperHost, and I know that's it is not easy to always match that high status level. Now I know they don't deserve my generous hospitality that I always offer to my guests! These guests are definitely not adequate. They don't respect other people's property. They behave really arrogant, impolite, rude. I insist on blocking them.