I wouldn’t want to be bothered with children with that view wow @gypsy. Looks amazing 
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Curious small children are the worst in a home.
The last scathing review I left was for a couple who brought their child without saying it. I was shocked when I opened the door to find both child and a pram but it was late and the actually had been robbed in the train station in Paris, so I let them in.
The kid had moved everything around and my magnets and friendly postcards I had received from previous guests were scattered all over the place and were taken from the fridge.
Dirty diapers in the KITCHEN garbage bin! WTF! Broken glass, a mess all over the place. I was furious.
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We are unsuitable for children under the age of 12 and unsuitable for infants. I think if all guests behaved the way I did when I travelled with my two daughters when they were little, we would be happy to have kids about the place.
Unfortunately, every time we’ve had infants/toddlers it has created a considerably larger amount of cleaning, and on one occasion having to clean toddler shit from a wall.
Are we being discriminatory? Yes we are, but it is a policy that has been shaped by the guests who have brought children into our apartments.
JF
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Oy! Who except someone with a screw loose would cause that much damage? Lesson well learned, eh? I avoid reprisals by telling Catholic lies in a friendly manner: e.g. Them: “Would we be able to bring a (insert unwanted item here: small hot plate/exercise equipment/bicycles/mine drilling equipment) into the suite?” Me: “Yes, we used to allow that, but we had some unfortunate and expensive outcomes, so, unfortunately, it’s not done anymore.”
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I mention in my listing that it’s not suitable for children because home is not childproof; no baby gate at staircase, no locking mechanisms on cabinets or windows.
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Odd…I state no children under 12 because it’s a farm environment. Have not had one issue from Airbnb or anyone else over it. Altho a few prospective guests who ask for an exception to which I say sorry, no can do…in a much more politically correct way, lol
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Breakable decoratioms, unsecured chests of drawers, electrical appliance cords within reach (hot water pot), high bath water temperature (scalding), no suitable bedding, glass furniture.
Non-ambulatory infants aren’t a problem for me, but toddlers have done damage, thrown gravel at my chickens, and I do seriously worry about their safety in a non “childproofed” space.
The thing with unsecured chests of drawers is real. IKEA recalled their most popular drawer chests after a couple children were killed when trying to climb them and crushed when they tipped over. The solution is to install ugly wall anchors on any tipable furniture.
The electrical cord issue is with a large wire shelving unit where I have dishes, a microwave, coffee maker and a hot water pot (there is no kitchen). The pot is near the outer end and the cord is within reach. There are knives and utensils in a basket at a low level too.
I spell it all out in the appropriate spot in the listing software.
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Has anyone in the Ivory Tower ever thought through being all things to all people?
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I had an awful debate last month with a guest who IB’d for herself, her husband, her dog, and her six-month-old. I wrote back instantly to repeat all the reasons given on the listing that an infant would be unsafe (too small a space for the carrier cot she told me she was bringing, as it would block the only exit and touch the woodstove, 10-ft drop from the porch into the river swollen from spring rains, etc.).
She quoted Airbnb’s infants-are-not-people policy, told me she wouldn’t bring the dog, which hadn’t been an issue at all with me, told me to cancel if I didn’t like women and children, and ended with “I am looking forward to writing your review!”
I wrote that I would call Airbnb to give me a hand, and I did. They were understanding of the safety issues, cancelled the booking penalty-free, and alluded to a credit given to the guest to keep her happy.
So I’m very sorry for the rest of you, because it looks like she has been rewarded for not reading and being a bit of a bully. Bet you are looking forward to that stay.
What saved me was having the reasons for no children clearly listed. Get it down in writing. Don’t assume parents will be reasonable and not wish their infants to be trapped, burned up, or fall into raging rivers.
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Her clone was busy quarreling here too. Claimed I wouldn’t take her because she is female. Air suspended me for a few hours while they investigated. Had a female the week prior, and one currently…
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That’s terrible, @justMandi. I don’t think I was suspended (did you get a notice?) but I don’t know because I was dealing with it all while on the road, the GO train, and in between stints of having to have my phone off for work. It did take many hours.
Mine was a lawyer from the States, and signed off with a string of women-power emojis. Yours too, or are there really more than one of these? Gah.
She was actually accurate. I did prefer males over females. Because if one male starts acting out, the others tend to act as a deterrent. Shot that idea all to heck. Mea culpa.
A
But i scrapped the idea about a month ago. That’s why we now have both. She found a piece of text that I had overlooked.
What really happened was that the young lady was a newbie. She wanted a room for the night and wasn’t prepared to answer any questions. And she got rather quarrelsome.
Tempest in a teapot.
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Here’s another possibility: because it’s your property and your listing and you don’t want them.
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Simply saying “I don’t want them because it’s my property” is exactly like saying “I don’t want gays or blacks.” So they want reasons why it’s “unsuitable.”
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You are best placed to know who your property is suited (and not suited to). As others have said you point out any obvious (and less obvious) features that makes your rental non-child friendly. Steep stairs should be enough to rule out safety-conscious families! You mentioned low-lying artwork - another good no-no. Do you have other low-lying breakables?
Delicate objects can stand out as an issue e.g. a glass table. You can also mention things such as an open fire or lack of fireguard, a balcony, tiled floors etc. Your outside space might also make your property less attractive to families e.g un-fenced garden, pond nearby etc.
You could make your place into a real grown up bolthole (not every guest wants to take the kids along)!
Happy Hosting!
I don’t think so – they don’t count towards the total number (you could sleep 6 and someone could bring 6 adults and 2 infants) but they are still supposed to tick the box for Infants 0-2.
We don’t allow children in one of our listings because we have steep hills on the sides of our house and a pool which isn’t fenced once you walk outside. My sister was visiting last week with my 2 and 5 year old nieces and she was like “yep, good decision!” because of how quickly a kid darts for the pool. We explain this in our listing and so far haven’t had any issues. The thought of a child (or anyone for that matter) drowning at my house is my absolute worst nightmare!
I think what people recommended above seems sufficient to me - open outlets, open cabinets, maybe your home isn’t fenced and near a busy road. Crazy to me that we have to defend something like that…
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<<Simply saying “I don’t want them because it’s my property” is exactly like saying “I don’t want gays or blacks.” So they want reasons why it’s “unsuitable.” >>
I wasn’t aware that having children is a protected class of people. Gays and blacks are a protected class of people which means laws addressing them get “strict scrutiny” in the parlance of the supreme court.
People choose to have children. They don’t choose to be black or gay. Who else would you like to make a protected class? How about musicians? Comics? People with dogs? People that own loud sports cars? People who like to draw on walls because it relieves their anxiety?
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Well now you know.
I’m surprised that you are ignorant of Airbnb policy as well as state and federal law considering the many thousands of words posted here on the forum about it.
There is no “state or federal law” that makes children a protected class in short term lodging just like there is no US or state Supreme Court decision that equates them to be being gay or black or establishes the same level of scrutiny to laws or policies that address them.
An Airbnb social justice “policy” is not the same thing as a “law.” And laws that apply to long term housing are not laws that govern hotels. I think it’s better for everyone concerned if you stop conflating things that are separate.
I think it’s better for everyone concerned if you stop conflating what you think I’ve said with what I’ve actually said.
If you read the thread title, then what my answer was about why Airbnb asks you’ll see why it’s just like saying I don’t want gays or blacks at my listing.
Now once you’ve tried to make it about something else you said
you are just off the mark. Having children is a protected class under the Fair Housing Act. Gays aren’t a protected class under any federal statutory or case law. (yet…we’ll see which way all this is going to go). Then there’s all the state laws and I don’t know which states protect children and which don’t.
Now you’ve clarified with the addition of “short term lodging” to your statement about protected classes…good. But that brings us back to the OPs question and why Airbnb asks and why you can’t simply say “I don’t want children on my property” if you want to host on Airbnb.
I really do understand the law and Airbnb policy and I know the difference between them. I know what Airbnb says they will do if someone complains that I am discriminating against them because they have children. My posts on this forum have made that clear but if you don’t think they have value, just scroll on by.
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