I set house rules as not suitable for children but somebody just booked with a two year old child.

[John400]

I have just started hosting and am expecting my first guest on Monday but someone else just auto-booked the double room for December with their wife and 2 year old child.  

I'm not really sure whether the apartment is suitable for young children but I would prefer to avoid accepting children, at least for a while until I get used to hosting.  

Is it not against the rules for them to book with a child when I have stated no children in the house rules section?  If I cancel will it negatively effect me in some way?

Many thanks in advance for any help and advice.

[Kelly65 · Accepted solution]

If you have household rules that state you do not accommodate children, then the booking is invalid. Contact Airbnb and request them to cancel the reservation and it would be done with no penalty to you. Word of caution.... any guest who would agree to rules they've clearly either not read or don't respect, is not a guest you want in your home. If you are not already aware, any setting you have that limits guests to those over 12yrs is ignored by Airbnb, who will show your property to potential guests in search results, when they are searching for properties that accommodate children. Further... Airbnb have now removed this setting with no notification whatsoever to hosts... no consultation or written advice. As far as I am concerned this is unethical, dishonest and disrespectful. The only way you can get around this disregard for your rules and expectations is to turn of instant book and require potential guests to advise the purpose of their stay, number of guests and ages. No doubt Airbnb will find that discriminatory in some manner, but at the end of the day, it is your property, NOT Airbnb's.

[Eric6410]

Airbnb's policy is to follow local laws regarding age discrimination. It's not Airbnb but your local government that sets these rules.

[Preston84]

The problem often times is people with children will try to 'force' their way into a rental.    Then place the impitess on the landlord to try and do something about it.      If confronted the tenant will 'hide' behind the child..... making the landlord look like the bad guy.     The old rule about human behavior is :  people will always do what they can get away with.  

[Ellie550]

I wanted to list my property as no children allowed as most times we have had children stay with us there has been damage. Texter on the floors, messy finger prints all over glass doors, food squashed into the floor and damaged fly screens. It creates so much more work!