Member/Guest Age Rule Violations

Member/Guest Age Rule Violations

I received three inquiries in the last 24 hours from new Airbnb  members asking if an 18 year old could book my listing.  With over four years of experience as a host, I have never had anyone ask this question before.  I responded to the inquiries and let the members know our Condominium Association had an age 21 minimum for renters.   I also declined the members.  I prompltly updated my listing notes for the age requirement.  As I have Instabook on, I decided to reach out to Airbnb Support for more information.  I was told that if an underage guest booked my listing and caused a disturbance, Airbnb would uphold a cancellation.  That is helpful but it's always better to prevent a rules violation if possible.  I was also informed members must be age 18.  I think most hosts would be concerned about guests who rent and are below the drinking age in every state.  I  understand members (like hosts) provide a government ID which includes date of birth.  This is part of the Airbnb verification process. So, Airbnb should have the age of  members before a booking is made.  It would require some coding but if an option was provided for hosts to "check off" they have an age 21 requirement for renters,  and the members date of birth was recorded, an Instabook could "instantly" be rejected if the guest did not meet the listing's age requirement.  While I don't think this will get much attention from Airbnb, I thought it would be helpful to share with other hosts who may have had or could have an underage guest rule violation, the same concerns, and needs.

2 Replies 2
Rebecca
Community Manager
Community Manager
Suffolk Coastal District, United Kingdom

Hello @Donald368 👋


Thank you so much for taking the time to share this feedback with a great explanation. Airbnb have a space where you can share your feedback,  where they accept ideas and issues. They do mention that they can’t respond individually, but they’ll pass it on to the teams who are working to help make Airbnb better for everyone.

 

I wonder if some of our experienced hosts from the US have also experienced this issue: @Greg2406, @Greystone0 and @Helen56, have you had people under the age of 21 booking your properties previously? If so, have you accepted the bookings? 

 

Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

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Please follow the Community Guidelines

@Rebecca @Donald368 

We do not accept bookings for anyone under the age of 27.    Also, in the HR's, no one under this minimum age is allowed alone in the residence without either the Guest responsible for the booking or another individual meeting the minimum age requirement.   Early on, we learned lessons the hard way.   The hundreds of photos and videos of damages resulting in thousands in repairs and literally days of extra cleaning speak volumes as to why setting the minimum age higher is advisable.