Things Parents Look For in Family-Friendly Airbnbs
BY MIKEL HUBBARD
FORMER HGTV PRODUCER | CO-FOUNDER, THE HOST CO |
OWNER, TIMES EIGHT PROPERTY & DESIGN
Travel, and kids: often a stressful combination. Parents are always looking for rentals that include features to help keep their kids safe and provide the things they don’t want to have to pack!
Families traveling is a big trend upcoming in Airbnb circles – so much so that Airbnb itself has added its own set of guidelines for family-friendly listings.
Finding and implementing easy fixes to your Airbnb’s kitchen, dining room and living areas will help you increase bookings, give parents a sense of calm – and protect your things!
Here are our top items we’d suggest adding to your listing that will make it more kid-friendly and accessible for families traveling. Click here to visit our Instagram for a full list of our suggestions!
READ MORE: SHOULD I LIST ON AIRBNB VS. VRBO?
Pack’N’Play
An essential for most traveling parents, the Pack’n’Play provides the convenience of a play crib, bassinet, and changing station – all in one portable form!! Providing one of these takes up very little space and is key for travelers with young kids. And will almost definitely increase your 5-star reviews from over-tired parents when they see it in your listing after a long day of traveling!
Safety-First Features
Worried about table corners, staircases and other sharp objects? Not to worry! There are many ways to make normal, essential household items kid-friendly:
Safety latches on cabinets. These are great to protect kids from dangerous kitchenware and cleaning products!
Rubber corners. Protect little heads from colliding with that vintage coffee table!
Safety gates for staircases. So nobody takes a tumble
Cordless window blinds. Take it from us – kids will pull at anything they can! Nobody wants their blinds coming down on top of their child or worse, so keep window blinds cordless and out of reach.
No open water sources for kids to damage your property or hurt themselves.
TV mounted on the wall so nobody knocks anything off!
READ MORE: OUR FALL TARGET DECOR PICKS FOR YOUR AIRBNB
Kid-Friendly Snacks, Coloring Books & Movies
Parents are often desperate for engaging activities so that they can have some down time. Kids’ movies, streaming services with kid-friendly content and DVDs are all ways to provide families with things to do. But as a host, you might not want to stock unique coloring books and snacks for every single family that comes through – and the kids may want to take the coloring books home.
One option to keep markers and coloring books in your listing is to sell them to parents to keep through your Host Co store. That way their kids can stay entertained, and you won’t take a loss every time a child or parent wants to take the coloring book home to use more.
READ MORE: OUR TOP TIPS FOR ONLINE RUG SHOPPING
Other Ideas
There are lots of other evolving products to make homes kid friendly: outlet covers, strollers, toys, but don’t be afraid to sell guests additional items like diapers or pacifiers in your Host Co store that can’t be shared. Plus, every Host Co store automatically comes with baby equipment rental that guests can pre-order from BabyQuip. The best part? You don’t have to lift a finger, and you can make a cut from each time a guest orders in advance.
All in all, parents will appreciate your efforts, kids will be safer, and you will protect your listing from damages.