Airbnb: The Family-friendly Edition

You may buy into the stereotype that Airbnb is a crush of Millenials who wish to experience a stay as a local at an affordable price, but this can be actually appealing to many traveling families as well. Both parties look for the comforts of a home, more space and a stay away from the standard tourist trail. Vacationing on Airbnb for a family gets usually translated to access to more amenities, a kitchen that can accommodate an entire meal preparation and common spaces that will allow family members to enjoy together (like gardens or private swimming pools). We know you question yourself whether this is cost efficient? Well, according to Airbnb’s stats 96% of family travelers choose Airbnb to save money. They furthermore report that cooking and dining “in-house” instead of out allows them to spend on various other activities that tend to create more memorable experiences.

Since Airbnb is not a hotel group that provides you with staff to take care of various matters, we have proactively gathered a checklist of essential points that parents look for when planning their stay with their kids at your property. This is so you can ensure your home is kid-friendly and covers all safety concerns that a traveler with children might have when booking accommodation through Airbnb.

  1. Safety comes first

From safety guards for your staircases to latches on your low-lying cupboards, measures to protect a kid from injury come as a number one priority. Try to assess your property for such dangers and minimize the risks by installing the according security equipment. Last but not least, arrange all cleaning supplies and household chemicals to be kept locked and out of kids reach.

  1. Kitchen essentials

Kids want to get involved into cooking and they will definitely wish to explore the kitchen area when around. Families will make use of this room a lot, so apart from the equipment needed for meal preparation, you will also need a fire safety system installed to make the kitchen remains a room safe for children. Touch screen appliances should also be considered, whilst a high chair will save the day for parents with toddlers while dining.

  1. Laundry facilities

Families tend to travel slower, but prefer to stay at a place for longer periods when on vacation, thus laundry appliances remain one of the crucial amenities for them. Since kids love messy play and go through clothes faster than adults, giving access to both a washer and a dryer will definitely save parents from desperate moments of dealing with dirt.

  1. A good night’s sleep

Extra beds are always welcome to families that travel with additional family members apart from their children. Equipping your house with a rollaway bed, a baby cot and bunk beds will accommodate additional sleeping options as needed even for guests that join the trip at the last minute. On top of this, it’s inevitable that young children will wet the bed, so be proactive and give parents the peace of mind by providing mattress protectors on top of the former’s beds.

  1. Fragile items

Items that could easily get broken put kids curiosity under risk. Back to safety, start by assessing your house for breakability and remove all unsecured objects from their reach. Parents don’t want to feel their kids are near fragile items as it causes them stress, whilst they seek the path to peace of mind. On the contrary, if you feel that there are items that you wish to keep as decoration to attract the rest of age groups, you might request from the cleaner or your Airbnb management company to put it away prior to kids checking-in.

  1. Outdoors

Hooray for outdoor swimming pools! Everyone loves them and we do too, but parents don’t want to be constantly alert when kids are in your property’s backyard. Installing a fence around it and constraining your little guests’ access could be an ideal solution that both parties would utilize during their stay. If playground equipment is provided, even if it comes within a fenced-in area, unsuspected hazards can be present, so always recommend to parents to supervise their kid closely whilst it gets in the playground.

  1.  House Rules and Manual

If your target audience is families, displaying that your property is Kid-Friendly or Safe for Children is a way to attract parents’ eye when searching on Airbnb. Add these phrases on your listing so that your guests know what to expect specifically when it comes to accommodating their needs. Going the extra mile, you can also update your Manual accordingly and include handy information along with child-friendly spots in the area. Last but not least, in case of emergency, parents will need to have all contact numbers easily accessible so make sure you provide them both in digital and print form to them.

In Sum, parents will spend vast time into searching between hotel and Airbnb options that will accommodate their needs prior to arriving at a destination. Airbnb rentals are an excellent family accommodation choice and on the rise globally due to the larger space provided along to the amenities at a less price.

Interested to start hosting families? For a wider list of guidelines on making your home infant and child-friendly, please visit Safe Kids Worldwide’s website, Airbnb’s dedicated partner for awareness on preventing child injuries.

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