I´m just saying this because today I saw a wild change in my browser in the way you define who is travelling with you. Now you are prompt to detail how many adults, how many kids and how many babies (under 2yr) travels within your party. I have tested this with my own listing (which is IB and not family friendly ) and the system doesn´t block the possibility for you to add children to your party. Moreover children under 2 don´t count as guests and don´t pay either.
1 Like
Hmm. Interesting. Let’s look at the worst case scenario. A couple with a young child want to book with me. I point out that the place isn’t suitable for kids - and indeed could be dangerous for them. But they insist because Airbnb insists.
Then the worst happens and the parent take their eyes off the child for a moment and it falls into the water. I have details on my listing saying that the place isn’t suitable for children. I can prove that I told them this in the Airbnb message system.
Yet Airbnb insisted because of their rules that I should accept the child. Both me and the parents are going to lay the blame firmly on Airbnb. Which is the last thing Airbnb wants. Surely?
2 Likes
Another thought. There are several hosts near me who offer accommodation on yachts and houseboats. Surely they wouldn’t be suitable for a lively four year old? I think that if Airbnb did insist that all hosts accept children, they would be creating problems for themselves.
However, I do wonder about the hosts who specify over 21, over 25 or over 30. If I’m right, guests need to be 18 to have an account. So people who specify a minimum age might have to take younger guests. This doesn’t worry me because I’m happy to have guests as young as 18 but I’m sure some hosts would object.
My listing cleary states it’s not suitable for children. Yet when I configure it under the new settings, for 2 adult and 5 infants, it will let someone book as if the infants don’t count at all.
Sorry, but if you show up with infants at my house, they’ll be fed to the coyotes.
4 Likes
Florbone is in Italy where all kinds of crazy things are being tested. Free and unlimited kids may be one of them.
Yet again, Air is meddling around with stuff they just need to leave alone. Many locales have codes with a strict guest count as to how many “guests” are allowed to stay in a specific space. And they don’t differentiate between ages. It’s against the law in their area to just pile people in.
And all of a sudden every 2 year old toddler is all of a sudden going to be under the age of 2!
3 Likes
@jaquo When you use the word ‘insist’, do you mean forced to accept?
Here in Belize, when you go on any tour, or stay in most places you have to sign a ‘liability disclaimer’, to protect businesses, especially against guests coming from ‘sue-crazy societies’ ,which of course the one between the countries of Mexico and Canada comes immediately to mind.
Yep. But what I don’t understand is that there are many places where kids aren’t allowed. Places selling alcohol, for example. Strip joints and sex shops. 
Most pubs in the UK etc.
Kids aren’t allowed to drive go karts or skydive, drive cars or fly planes - all for good reasons. Hosts have good reasons too.
why Couchsurfing? isnt it free?
Yes, I was just looking at a listing in Italy and this was right at the top below the main photograph:
I’m in Buenos Aires (not Italy) but I believe this is just a test though I wouldn’t surprise if stays as an effective change.
Airbnb isn’t always clear in the way he communicates new changes. The new email that clearly says that I can’t discriminate by age seems to collide with the house rules where you define that your place isn’t suitable for kids or when you mark your listing as not Family Friendly .
If I dig deeper on this by saying that your place isn’t suitable for kids doesn’t literally mean that you don’t allow kids. So, in the end, it is up to the guest to decide whether he wants to bring kids to your home and if one them just falls down from the balcony (no safe net) then Airbnb and I can move on without running into any issue because the guest was warned (not suitable for kids!). Am I right? It is better to have an injured kid than a responsible host rejecting him because the place isn’t well prepared to host children.
3 Likes
Arrggghhhhh! Dislike!
This would be a huge change for Airbnb globally. I wonder if they are really going to try it. Awful awful thing to do, to disempower the hosts sooooo hard.
2 Likes
And look at this one:
100% refundable
Cancel up to 30 days before your trip and get a full refund, including service fees.
So 99% of listings are going to say 100% refundable, and then guests won’t read anything past that.
1 Like
Yes. The sex offenders I have personally been acquainted with have been employed, married family men, male from birth.
2 Likes
It is free. It’s envisioned more as a cultural exchange.
But why did you suggested it then? only because of shared facilities? Most hosts on AIrbnb have shared facilities, but they do it for extra income or sole income. Couchsurfing is a totally different field
1 Like
I didn’t suggest it. I assume that whoever did, didn’t realize it was free
Yep, heterosexual men are the offenders.
Oh wow!!! I don’t know if this is a coincidence but after writing my letter of concern to Airbnb my listing is no longer viewable on Airbnb when doing a search in my area.
I checked my settings to make sure that “listed” is checked off… everything checks out on my end, but it has still disappeared.
My guess would be it is likely a coincidence. I have had issues showing in certain search results. I have been on the phone almost every day for a week. I spent over an hour on the phone today. The rep. today was able to re-create my issue and then said he could send it to someone but isn’t sure when they will get back. I have asked repeatedly what my next steps should be, which escalation/tech dept. I can speak with, etc. - and am told there is no one else they can put me in touch with. I have contacted twitter - no response.
So…I asked today’s rep. what happens when I don’t hear back from this “mysterious” dept. And he said I should call back. I asked what will be done differently that hasn’t been done in over a week. He didn’t have an answer. Then he finally hung up on me.