What do guests expect of a "suitable for children" house?

[Sara10285]

I have not listed our house as suitable for children because there are steep stairs to two of the bedrooms, we have not child proofed anything and there are not a lot of toys to play with. Would you say that's correct? 

On the other hand we do provide 1 baby chair for eating, there is a large garden, 1 football, and the house is on a quiet cul-de-sac in the countryside. 

We are definitely open for guests with infants, toddlers and babies. But what would it take to call a house suitable for children?

/Sara

[Karen4131]

Hi @Sara10285 

I just noticed that, like me, you're from Malmö. I'll continue in English, even though my native language is Danish 🙂

I have a house near Ronneby where I also warmly welcome families with children. So far, I’ve equipped it with a high chair and baby bath, which guests can request if needed. I’ve also put thought into safety, so I’ve mentioned in a few places that using the hot tub, for example, is at the guest's own risk. I recently came across this article that offers great insights on how to create a family-friendly Airbnb listing: https://www.vacasa.com/homeowner-guides/family-friendly-amenities-airbnb

Good luck with your listing 🙂

Best regards,
Karen

[Sara10285]

Hi Karen, fellow Malmö-resident.

Thanks for your reply. I think I have something that can be used as a baby bath actually. Great advice! Thank you.

Sara

[Paula]

Hello @Sara10285, welcome to our community 😊

There are many great suggestions from our Hosts in this thread ✌️. If you find any of their answers particularly useful, please don't hesitate to mark it as the best answer. You can do this by clicking the button below the comment as shown in the following image:

This will help future Hosts with similar questions easily find this conversation.

All the best.

[Elena4354]

Hi @Sara10285, @Karen4131 has some great tips for hosting families with children. You can provide a high chair, a baby bath, a cot, toys, board games, children's channels on TV.

When hosting families with children, safety precautions are extremely important.

You can see some great tips for hosting children (especially safety information) in this article:

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/1348

Kind regards.

Elena 

[Sara10285]

Hi Elena,

Thanks for the link that you sent, it was great. 

Sara

[Alicia753]

Hi Sara,

To determine if your house can be considered suitable for children, it's important to focus on safety, convenience, and providing family-friendly amenities, as these are the primary concerns for guests traveling with children. Given your description of the house, there are several positive aspects like the baby chair and large garden that are already appealing to families.

However, since you have steep stairs leading to the bedrooms and the house isn’t fully childproofed, you’d need to take some steps to meet the safety expectations of families.

Installing safety gates at the top and bottom of your stairs would be essential to prevent accidents, which is crucial when young children are involved.

You might also consider securing heavy furniture to walls and covering sharp edges to enhance safety throughout the house. While you mentioned not having many toys, that's less of a concern.

Ensuring that there are basic conveniences like a portable crib or even some outdoor play equipment could significantly boost the appeal of your listing to families.

Providing a safe and secure environment is key. If you can manage these modifications, you’d be well-positioned to advertise your home as "suitable for children." This not only helps in attracting families but also gives them peace of mind knowing that their children are in a safe space, enhancing their overall experience at your property.

You may also check this Airbnb article for additional information:

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1348

I hope this helps.

All the best,

** 

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[Sara10285]

Hi

Thanks a lot for your advice. I will add bits and pieces to improve it, but it will take a while till I can honestly call it child proofed.

Sara

[Marie8425]

@Sara10285 

to me as a guest would be can my children safely access bedrooms for them?  Because "steep stairs' is relevant to your judgment.  Maybe if you could get .the opinion of a first or second grade teacher?  They might have ideas you are not aware of possible changes?

[Sara10285]

Hi Marie

Thanks for your advice. Yes, it's the steep stairs things that I think would put a parent off, and it's not something I can change, I think I will keep improving the house to make it welcoming for families but without categorizing it as suitable for children. That's the most correct solution. 

Sara

[Marie8425]

@Sara10285 

Get an elementary school teacher ton stop by for an opinion and ideas.  Just call the school offer a gift card for the classroom if a teacher will volunteer  A gift card at a office store is easily written off as a business expense.  They win and you might win because they know a solution we don't know.

[Sara10285]

That's a clever idea @Marie8425 ! Thank you so much.