Pack n play crib - do you provide sheets, extra mattress?

[Susan1188]

Hello all, 

Do you provide an additional mattress for your pack-n-play bed?  Or do you use just the mat that is provided to wrap the travel bed in?

Do you provide sheets?

I do not want to provide either, for hygiene reasons and for safety/liability reasons. 

I want guest to bring own sheets for the baby.  And I never even thought about providing an extra cushion.  Until today a guest was surprised that our pack and play bed was provided without an additional softer crib mattress.

Is a guest justified for getting furious,  because I did not have an extra cushion on hand?  He demanded I deliver one immediately. 

I'm a Mom of 2 grown kids and I remember it was not recommended as safe to add soft mattresses for babies to sleep on?

And when travelling, my kids always slept on the travel bed mat which is indeed quite hard but this never bothered them or any of my other guests.

What do you think?

[Patricia1375]

I provide the mattress that comes with the pack-n-play.  I have a double set of sheets, blankets, and washable infant toys.  All can be washed in hot water and (high heat) dryer so I am not concerned about sanitizing the linens.  If you choose to not provide linens for the baby bed, I would suggest saying that in the listing.  In general, babies come with lots of padding and don't voice complaints about the thickness of a mattress.  If a host were to have a soft plush mattress, it would not be usable twice, as the soft material really can't be sanitized.  I would explain that to the guests. 

Babies wet the beds.  We have to have plastic, bleach-able surfaces to clean between guests.  If folks like these guests expect a different kind of mattress than the one that comes standard with a pack-n-play they should inquire about this "special need" in advance, or bring their desired mattress similar to how some people come and bring their own special pillows. 

[Susan1188]

@Patricia1375 

You mean the "mattress" that wraps around the folded up crib and doubles as a holder?

Of course that comes with it and is part of setting it up.  That's what I always provided and nobody complained until this week.

I say in *multiple* areas of the listing + house guide that I don't provide sheets.

This guest booked last minute 24 hours before arrival.

In my experience dealing with this kind of last minute booking,  usually the guest hastily booked, usually can't be bothered with your rules or explanations, did not read anything in your listing, that communication needs to be super succinct because you can't give or get all the info you need for even basic check in before they stop responding.   So anything you put in your listing, photos, "other things to note", rules, is irrelevant.

[Helen744]

Helen @744 . No that it is a base board not a mattres. Look up the manufacturer I think you have missed a part of the bed that should be there.

[Sarah977]

@Susan1188  If you cater to families, I would say it would be nice to have a mattress for it. **

If all your guests arrive by car, there's no reason they couldn't bring baby bedding, but if they are flying, it's not normally the sort of thing people would pack. 

I don't understand your "hygeine" issue- you wash the baby bedding just like you wash the adult bedding. 

Regarding this particular guest, though, his behavior towards you is unacceptable, entitled and rude.

**[Comment edited due to potential safety concerns - Community Center Guidelines]

[Pat271]

A perfect example of “the more you provide, the more they have to b*tch about”.

That said, in Hawaii we have companies from which a guest can rent baby furniture at a nominal fee, like $7 a day for a pack-n-play. The furniture rental company brings the furniture before the guests arrive, and picks it up after they leave. My guests absolutely love this service. I don’t know how common these companies are elsewhere; they may only be popular in places that cater to tourists.

[Sarah977]

@Pat271  Yes, there's a woman who has a baby equipment rental in my town as well, but I also live in a major tourist town. My daughter made use of the service when she came down and her babe was 4 months old. They were so loaded with stuff for the 2 of them and the baby for their flight, there was no way they could also bring a pack'n' play. If the baby had been older at the time, she probably would have also rented a high chair, but she was still fully nursing at that point and the baby couldn't sit up on her own yet.

[Susan1188]

This was a last minute 24 hour before arrival booking, I got the booking because I had the pack n play.  Otherwise he would have gone elsewhere, he wouldn't have rented equipment. 

Not like someone who plans months ahead.

I'm learning, I just wish more people would answer.

From the 3 or 4 answers here it seems about half and half, some people do in fact provide a crib mattress.

[Debra300]

@Susan1188,

I provide an extra play 'n pack crib mattress, and a couple of sets of bed linens, because I think they need to be changed frequently with babies/toddlers.  However, if a guest were to become demanding I may be inclined to remind them that the child is staying for free, and any supplied bedding is complimentary.  

[Susan1188]

Good point!  
My issue with hosting children and infants in general - it takes more time, energy, and worries, more risk of accidents and liability, make more problems mess and damage, and people expect it to be free.

[Helen744]

Helen @744 Little babies who use these beds also wear nappies all the time. they are not messy at all H.

[Susan1188]

 @Sarah977 

Yes thanks for all that, a child mattress is not expensive that’s not the problem.

I don’t cater to families, I have switched the „children accepted“ to „no“.  For both infants and older children.  I have written "this property is not toddler safe or equipped for children".

I have put in my other things to note and house rules that we are not set up for child safety and do not provide special child amenities 

This does not stop airbnb from showing my listing to people with children and infants and i regularly get trip requests for families with children  like this one did.  My policy is to discourage inquiries but if a trip request with kids comes thru to not refuse it.

Do you know that even if you click "no children", people can book with infants up to 2 years old!!  Try it as a guest on your own listing!

I know parenting is different in every country and every family but Sarah I’m relatively sure is is not recommended to put a piece of foam or anything else home made into a crib due to the risk of the child rolling over  and suffocating just imagine. SIDS exists, my two kids has sleep apnea for years and slept with machines so I am well educated about this. just imagine if something happened in an airbnb with a crib and a home made foam mattress.

If you are giving a guest with a baby anything to put in their crib it should be something that was manufactured especially for that purpose with all the safety guidelines respected!

My question was more about is it even safe or recommended to add any kind of store bought mattress on top of the pack n play.

What are other hosts doing, am I the only one that wasn’t providing an extra mattress.

[Colleen253]

@Susan1188 Your listing is contradictory. You have it listed as not child friendly yet have “Family: pack n play” listed under amenities. Why do you even provide one in the first place?

Do make it abundantly clear before accepting a booking that your listing isn’t child friendly and that you do not provide any gear. Guests must bring their own gear if they insist on booking with children anyway. That may be enough to dissuade them. Get rid of any child items.

[Susan1188]

@Colleen38 Thanks Colleen for taking time to provide personal feedback and confirming that my listing is abundantly clear we don't take kids. 

Are you looking at the right listing, Sunny Corner?

This does not stop people from finding me and asking if they can bring kids NOR people booking with "infants".

It's not contradictory - I do not encourage or target children.

By clicking "no children", people can't instant book and my listing does not show up when they include children in the group.

This does not stop guests with children from finding me and sending trip requests.  It allows me to give them my liability text before accepting them:  this place is not toddler proofed and don't expect special child amenities beyond the pack n play.

This also does not stop guests from instant booking with "infants" up to 2 years old!!! Did you know that?  No children allowed but Airbnb lets people with 2 year old book.

So yes we have a pack-n-play for selected bookings, like this one, who get through the system.

[Colleen253]

@Susan1188 Yes, I was looking at Sunny Corner, and went to look at it, based on what you explained in your previous comment about actually listing as not child friendly. Your OP made it sound like you were family friendly so I was puzzled.

“It's not contradictory - I do not encourage or target children”.

It is contradictory, the fact that you list as not child friendly but advertise a pack n play in your amenities, under the heading ‘Family’. 

Yes, I understand Airbnb’s stance regarding children and infants. Airbnb contributes to the problem. So, as always when it comes to Airbnb, we need to work smarter, not harder.

This particular guest was putting out all sorts of red flags. I would have flat out declined, after reiterating the listing is advertised as ‘not suitable’.  It can be helpful to use a reason to drive the point home, and to close the door on backlash from guest/Airbnb. i.e. “So sorry, but our insurance prohibits us from hosting infants and children as our space is not safe for them. Best of luck finding a more suitable accommodation!”

Better to avoid a problematic guest completely than let them in the door. Once they’re in, you’re the one at a disadvantage. Always. The payout?  Rarely worth it. 

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/433/travelling-with-children