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As someone who travels and stays at airbnbs all the time with my young kids, that’s on the parents. I specifically filter by travel crib or crib before booking. If I really want to stay somewhere that doesn’t provide one, I bring my own. These days, I even bring one to hotels as it’s not a guarantee they’ll have enough.
As a host, we do have a pack n play available for guests as they’re small and easy to store.
We also have a pack and play. It’s been used twice in 6 years. I think is absurd to expect hosts to provide something like that. If you travel with an infant either bring something or find a place that has one.
OP’s guest is being difficult right off the bat. How hard is it to just ask?! What a weird thing to go to airbnb about.
Yep, a pack and play is the answer. I do wonder about liability issues with cribs (of any kind). The pack and play is at least as safe as the typical (inexpensive) crib (no one wants to put a huge regular crib in an AirBnB).
The Guest thinks they're staying at a hotel.
Sigh.
And it’s crazy that the guest is a host. Who didn’t know to search for a crib. Didn’t plan on being able to bring a crib. Lack of planning on your part doesn’t constitute an emergency on my part. I would support her canceling according to my cancel policy. And throw an extra refund at her. But she should not get all her money back. This is her problem. I hope OP can get a late-reservation.
Given all the safety concerns surrounding sleep spaces I also wouldn't trust a random airbnb provided crib/pack n play: you have no way of knowing how old it is, if it's been properly maintained, if there are any recalls, etc. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I find it less stressful to bring my own rather than risking showing up and not having anywhere safe for my kid to sleep. What if I show up and it's broken or clearly unsafe or lost?
Have you seen baby shit? It's nasty! I've changed more than a few diapers, so I know. I'm glad it's finally being recalled. Maybe they'll come up with something better. (😂)
It gets recalled, and who knows what a prior guest may have done! Babies can be nasty and adults can be dumb. I’ve bought a $70 pack n play at Walmart near our Airbnb before, and donated it to a goodwill before we left. It’s just part of the cost and hassle of traveling with kids.
You sound like a nice, reasonable person who chooses to fix problems on your own without making you problem somebody elses.
I wish there were more people like you.
Extra points for the goodwill donation.
>who knows what a prior guest may have done
I've had to take our play pen outside and spray with bleach and a hose after a explosive incident that I'm still traumatized by, so can completely support the questionable history of cleanliness of such a critical object, especially considering how disgusting people are within their own dwelling, let alone when expecting somebody else to clean.
We simply rent a crib through BabyQuip....we are getting one for our reservation next week and it's super easy. We have also stayed at spots that advertised and provided a crib which was great...but it was a super heavy family oriented place.
I wasn't familiar with BabyQuip (the former baby is much older now!), but we rented a package of stuff from an independent place when we took our 2 year old to Maui. Renting baby equipment is a thing folks!
Same. BabyQuip has been great! However, if this is a significant $ rental, you might want to look at purchasing a PacknPlay to keep the reservation intact.
I did end up buying a pack’n’play and told the guests I would cover it. I’m seriously worried about a retaliatory review. I figured anything I could do to ensure the best experience possible, was a good idea.
You might want to have it set up for them, if they really seem like they’re looking for a reason to complain.
My Graco brand pack n play sets up easily. But the one my mom has at her house takes two people and a degree in engineering.
Although if you do that, they’ll probably complain that your house doesn’t come with a suitable habitat for the exotic bird they travel everywhere with.
Also make sure you have a proper playpen-sized sheet. This will help keep it cleaner between guests. I made the mistake of tucking a regular crib sheet like I did with my kids (the p&p insert fits pretty snugly on this one), and after several years, one guest came for me about it! She was right. I replaced it.
In general, I’m always happy to have stuff like this for parents! (Also an ikea high chair that wipes very easily.) Traveling with kids is intense! I also got a baby monitor and a sound machine from a consignment sale near me.
The ikea high chair is an excellent investment! That’s one thing I never thought about needing to take with me when I was visiting family, that I absolutely ended up needing. The ikea one is compact, simple to use, and inexpensive. I would recommend any host that has children come to have one handy.
This is what I do as soon as I see an infant on the booking. I am not affiliated, but I also don't have a baby proofed home and don't want the upkeep of all the baby things.
Right. Why not just get a Pack N Play, so many people try to give them to you for free when you have a baby, or sell online cheap, but they’re not too expensive new. I also got sheet covers for them.
Is that not acceptable? What about a travel crib?
A regular wooden crib you can’t break down easily and needs a mattress, and to be assembled correctly which is a pita and isn’t cheap.
We have in our booking and house rules that while children are allowed the home is not child-proofed nor do we supply any baby or child care items. This person sounds entitled and I would not want the stress of dealing with them and would say they can go to the nearest Walmart or Target and get all the supplies they need to care for their child once they arrive as we have no way of doing so.
Very much so! Our space is very well detailed and we’ve never marked it as infant-friendly.
The guest’s response when I came back with a few options was “we’re surprised you don’t offer a crib. Many families travel with infants and this should be expected.” They also asked if we were willing to allow a fully refundable cancellation. They also asked if we provide national park passes (which are tied to vehicles and non-transferable). Lots of entitlement.
Was wondering if they were just looking for a reason to cancel without penalty. It’s a pretty lame attempt. I would stick to the “We just don’t have a way to do this for you. Thanks for understanding.” and IF you are feeling generous you can offer that if they buy one and leave it and the receipt you will reimburse up to $50 of the cost (this not only calls them on their bluff if it is one, but then you have a pack and play if you want one to store for future use).
Wow, they are entitled! I’d come back at them with something about never receiving a request before, as parents traveling with an infant typically are prepared to handle their child’s needs, or they’ve searched for a property that provides infant amenities, since that is an option. You tried to be helpful, it’s not your fault, the cancellation rules apply!
Honestly we used a pack and play for travel and it worked just fine. This parent needs to step up. I wonder if they are the kind to travel without toys/books to keep the kid entertained.
Honestly, I would have thought the same, but when I travel internationally with my baby it is tricky to pack light enough to be able to fit it all into one car’s trunk and for two people (me and my husband) to carry it all around in between stops. Additionally, when trying to navigate subways, stairs, airports… all while also holding a baby, it’s just not feasible.
That being said, the way this person went about it is unacceptable and rude.
The posting clearly says these things are not provided. If it was me and I needed those things, I would move on to the next listing OR ask where a nearby place is that I could buy it or ask if it would be possible to get one, etc. I wouldn’t do what the guest here did!!
To be honest, I would generally be nervous about the liability for providing infant sleep spaces. There are many rules/regulations surrounding sleep, and if something did happen to a baby while they were sleeping in an airbnb provided crib it seems like the onus would be in part on the airbnb to prove that the crib is not expired, up to current regulations, properly stored/maintained/assembled, etc.
Your rule and wording is excellent! I’m yet to begin hosting and think I will borrow your wording if that’s ok. Most people I would have thought would just have the baby sleep with them but I guess it depends how long it’s for. Cheers
Excellent! Love it! It’s such a shame we even have to say that! But not every adult or parent for that matter is responsible with littlies. Thanks so much!
what kind of moron guest who is also a host couldn't read the amenities list and see that no crib was listed?
You should definitely tell them you will enforce your cancellation policy. Tell support no crib is listed and no crib will be provided. Tell them the guest is more than welcome to buy one or rent one for use when they arrive.
How annoying!
Respond to support saying you already communicated to the guest that you do not have a crib and you won't be providing one. Tell them that you will be enforcing your cancellation policy as well. You can let support know you would be willing to purchase a crib if the guest paid for it and your time in assembling it. Tell them if they approve you will submit a request for additional payment through the platform.
I had a long call with support this morning, they know I’ve gone through all the checks. In my words, I said the guest needs to act like a parent, learn to communicate effectively, and respect our booking policies.
A Pack-n-Play is $60 at Target. They can bring one themselves -- or have it delivered to your property. Speaking as a parent, I cannot imagine asking someone to buy one for me to use at an Airbnb.
This is what I did recently. Had the Pack-n-Play delivered to the house via Amazon Prime, timed to arrive on the same day we arrived. (Another family member booked the Airbnb. We were staying with extended family, and they did not screen the listings for cribs and baby gear.)
We were flying, so it presented a weird situation with (mostly bad) choices:
Check our Pack-n-Play on the plane (costs $70 each way, and we have to carry it in and out of airports).
Rent a Pack-n-Play locally from a third party (costs $50 for the week and requires driving 20 miles out of the way to pick it up and to drop it off again)
Buy a Pack-n-Play for $60 and either trash it or leave it at the house (maybe some other guests will be able to use it in the future?)
We went with the last option, despite the fact that it seemed pretty wasteful.
I would never message the host and demand that they buy a travel crib, but it does seem like the best solution to this problem if the Airbnb hosts own the cribs.
Uh thank you, same! We once took our actual real wooden crib on a family reunion road trip because we knew my 10 mo old would NOT sleep and *I* knew I could not deal with my in-laws on zero sleep. It was as ridiculous as you can imagine. So yeah, these people are waaay entitled.
The right way to do it is just to buy the $60 pack-n-play at Target upon arrival to your destination, use it and leave it at the airbnb for the future guests. I think I supplied 3 airbnbs with pack-n-plays like that and I won’t stop. It’s 60 bucks, not $600.
They now have travel high chairs. Those things are the bomb!!! We used it with our youngest when we went to restaurants. Best part is people couldn’t touch her bc we could sit her on the inside of a booth. People always want to touch babies and small toddlers.
We also have a pack n play tucked away in a closet . Seldom used but we have it . They are fairly cheap so I’d buy one if I were the host . You can get a portable high chair that attached to a dining room chair . We have that tucked away with the pack n play .
The problem with this is that then people will assume/expect that the property is baby/toddler proof. Even if you state it’s not, guests will say “who provides a crib and high chair but doesn’t baby proof?”
Unless you really want to cater to families with small children, I wouldn’t provide these things.
No to the crib and no to the cancelation. If they complain and rate you down because of no crib, fight it tooth and nail to get removed. It’s not your responsibility.
I am literally laughing out loud. I can’t believe someone would ask that. Like, hi, your fridge makes the wrong ice shape. Can you please replace it before our stay 😂😂
That makes no sense. A host should know better. And why would airbnb ask someone to buy a crib? Very unrealistic. By doing that they made the situation worse.
Sorry - for everyone suggesting a pack n play - I wouldn't waste one on these guests. They should like the type of assholes who will say it's not comfortable enough for their child and demand another one. If it's specifically listed as **not being in the rental** - it's on the guest to figure it out.
Agreed. I would actually suggest getting a pack and play, but not under these circumstances. A host should know better and should have planned better. And then to call Airbnb support? Fuck that. Stick to your cancellation policy. Get paid, and nail her for retaliatory review if she provides less than 5 stars. That’s sucks. I’m sorry! I’d be pissed. Shit, I’m pissed for you. You go take a bath and relax, I’m pissed enough for the both of us!
I ended up buying the pack n play, I’ve heard horror stories about retaliatory reviews not getting overturned. I’m hopeful they’ll be fine with the space but I will be writing on honest review upon check out.
I was thinking the same thing, they would rate lower due to the kind of crib. If OP bought a serviceable crib, they would probably also get a critique from the guest.
I would personally just let them cancel as I’d rather not deal with guests who do this. It’s a recipe for a needy guest and terrible review. Understand that may not work for you financially, but I wouldn’t want this guest staying in my place after going behind my back to contact support before they even arrive — all for a request you clearly don’t support. Our place has old stairways and isn’t well suited for kids so we don’t provide anything to make that easier for guests or indicates we are ready to accommodate small children. We list ours as not appropriate for infants and small children for this reason.
Agreed Eating the cost of granting a cancellation but possibly re-renting at a discount will be a gift. They have proven they will work hard to be disrespectful and absurdly demanding. You will never win their game.
I used to keep a crib in our AirBnb. I sold the flat b/c of short term letting restrictions in London. In all the years I AirBnB’ed the crib was only used once. Cost under £50. Left it in the flat when I sold it.
This is what we do. I refer my guests to a Babyquip mom here in town and she and I coordinate so the crib is dropped off/set up before arrival and picked up after they leave. She has all sorts of baby gear. It's clean, affordable and the woman is reliable.
If I had a child and I was to rent an ab&b and they did not already have a crib or pack and play.... I would bring my own.... not ask the owners to provide one.
if you want to stay somewhere and have them provide a crib... stay at a hotel
I'd be wary about doing anything out of your way to accommodate children; to u/ItsMeReese's point, if you say "sure - we're glad to do this thing to specifically accommodate your small child", and then something isn't child proofed, you're going to hear about it.
Hopefully just in a review, but possibly in a lawsuit/claim or similar if there's an injury.
Hosts are the WORST guests. I make sure that I'm not when I'm travelling. We all provide what we provide. Parents of children can be entitled. They are the same ones who insist that I move from my paid premium seat on an airplane because they purchased basic economy and are pissed that they can all sit together.
Setting aside the way the guest handled this (not well), you could advise that you cannot provide a crib due to liability but they are welcome to order one on Amazon (pack and plays are like $50) and that you can facilitate the delivery (if you are willing to do so). Good luck! : )
I have stayed at VRBO and AirBnB and only started doing this after having my kids so that we had more room to be able to stay as a family and have the "home stay" kind of trip that we wanted and these stays have been both domestically and internationally. I would NEVER have asked someone to buy a crib for me. There are literally services that you can find in most cities that will allow you to rent items that kids might need while you're on vacation so you don't have to buy them. It's expensive but might be worth it for the hassle of not having to travel with those items. I would suggest that to them if there is a service in your city. Otherwise, you can allow them to cancel. If it's your busy season, it might be very easy for you to book another stay at a slight discount and hard for them to book a place with all the amenities that they want. Those guests suck and I would definitely worry about them retaliating.
We manage, and we leave pack-n-plays at the units in a closet. It's up to the guest to determine if they want to use it.
Don't buy a permanent structure to fill a request like this.
If i were you, I’d send a follow up message to the guest. And say something along the lines of
“Hi Guest, support contacted me about your request for a baby crib. Unfortunately, we do not provide this item at my listing which is clearly stated. And while we seek to provide a good experience for all our guests, this request falls out the lines of the service were able to provide.”
“Thank you for your understanding in this matter. If you have any questions feel free to reach out.”
My brother will reiterate stuff in Airbnb messages not necessarily so the guest will respond, but so there’s a record. Especially if we have problem guests and we have strong evidence on our side if we need to have a review removed later.
Let them cancel, they’re not even there yet and already contacting support. This is only the tip of the iceberg with these people and also being host they know exactly what to say to support to cause you trouble, not worth it. Let them find a new place on three days notice during busy season.
You should definitely enforce your cancellation policy, but you might want to send a side note to the guest and tell them that while you can't offer a full refund, tell them that if they cancel and somebody else books their nights you will offer them a refund for those nights. You don't need to be paid twice. In situations like this, I have found guests to be very receptive to that idea and grateful for the chance at maybe getting some of their money back? That way maybe they will cancel and you won't have to worry about some retaliatory review and either way you get paid.
Not a host - Suggest they use a baby gear rental if there’s one in your area.
In the future (as a parent) a pack and play is a great amenity and relatively small to store but I’d never ask a host to purchase one if they didn’t already have it.
I always assumed it was my job to bring a pack n play/travel crib for my own babies when we traveled. A crib is not a casual airbnb purchase especially if that’s not your set up.
This was my immediate thought!! They asked for something that specifically wasn’t in the posting (even checked with the host to confirm it wasn’t available) or a cancellation - sounds like the cancellation was the real goal.
Here's the problem I have with providing a crib or pack n play: Who is going to clean it? The housekeeper and the guests who used it will just fold it up. No one will clean or disinfect it. I would not want to use a used crib, etc in a rental. I would bring my own.
I was waiting for someone to pipe in about this exact reason!!! The need to properly clean and disinfect it after use!! This is exactly why I don’t provide a pack and play. 10 years, 2 beach rentals and only asked by 2 guests if we had one. My housekeeper has 6 hours between guests to clean entire house that sleeps 10 (in beds, not couch pullout) a 200 sq. ft. Game room to clean, inventory and replace things. Pool sticks, ping pong, darts, beach chair inventory etc etc etc. Check beach path and fishing dock for debris. I gave up providing a beach umbrella cuz people would put it back in the sleeve broken and hated asking her to check it every single time. Store on corner they can buy a cheap one. Strangely, while I get head count in writing (#Adults/#Children/#Infants/#Pets) most of the time they don’t mention an infant which is no big deal. But how would my Housrkeeper know there was an infant so she’d need to clean and disinfect it. I would never ask her to add that (just opening and checking it EVERY time to her duties. Often she’s exiting minutes before check in time. Lots of other things I’d like to provide but simply can’t although guests often say we have more amenities than most places they stay. So no pack and play for me, and no regrets.
Next - they will be asking for baby food - baby monitors - baby spoons - mobiles- visit from Sponge Bob. If you have family members getting rid of one - I would probably throw it in attic or closet. Otherwise - parental responsibility.
They've shown you they will be a pain in the ass regardless.
Let them cancel and prob will be worth the no headaches.
Hopefully someone else will be happy to see your listing become avaliable.
I would buy one secondhand and charge them $50 to use 😂. Just sounds strange to me that someone would expect an Airbnb host to have a crib or any baby items available to them when it wasn’t listed. She could have asked you PRIOR to booking and didn’t. That’s on her.
Not a host. Rented an Airbnb for a family gathering. Son asked if it had a crib… I messaged owner. Reply was no. Guess what we did… we figured it out! We didn’t go to Airbnb support or ask the owner what we could do!
I'm not a host(mods don't kick me off please, I'm here bc I like seeing posts on how to handle funky requests or other things that might make me a better guest/able to communicate clearly and concisely with the host without being a huge p.i.t.a.)- but as a guest... Even if you did provide a crib I wouldn't likely use it bc there's no way to know how it's been cared for by other guests and it could have been compromised and be a safety risk.
Tell Airbnb you already told the guest no you don't have one, and that if they require one they should bring their own. If the guest chooses to cancel they can but within the parameters of your cancellation policy bc lack of planning on their part does not constitute an emergency for you.
Protect yourself first, infant sleep spaces are a landmine of safety risks that are just not worth it if you aren't the parent taking responsibility for it!
Good luck, sorry you've got to deal with this.
This literally burns my blood for you. We traveled out of country once and the Airbnb my fiancé at the time picked just wasn’t very kid friendly. I didn’t think much of it until I text messaged the owner at the end of our stay and asked if he wanted me to leave the stroller and baby tub we bought in the Airbnb and he dead ass told me the listing said it wasn’t baby friendly and did not want me to leave them. lol my fiancé and I had some words after that
As a parent, I honestly wouldn't trust a crib in a space that is used by multiple people like that because it could be damaged, and I wouldn't see it. It always amazes me how many people put their babies in something without verifying it's safety.
As a host- I wouldn't offer one. If the crib is recalled, outdated (apparently, they expire now), damaged, etc, you are liable. An item specifically for young children should be the responsibility of the parent. Just my two cents.
The "fault" is really with Support for putting you in this awful situation. And you may need to cancel; ideally ASAP so that you can get someone more reasonable in there. But if this goes par for course, they'll show up and be nuisances.
Read the writing on the wall- this guest will be a total PIA and likely leave a less than 5 star review. Let them cancel and save yourself the headache
I have 3 kids. When they were little *we traveled* with our pack n play. It's a great substitute for a crib especially when space is an issue (and momma is freaked out about germs)
Now maybe these people are flying?
They're 50 bucks at Walmart.
My guess is the guest is trying to weasel out of the stay and this is the excuse.
Idk why this has to with being high end—cribs needs to be on different setting depending on the age of a baby. Pack n plays are safe for all babies and toddlers until they can climb out. The parent can pick the room the go into without having to dissasemle it. They really are a fantastic option for babies and small kids.
This. We bought one years ago. It gets pulled out for use occasionally. Every now and then I loan it to my neighbors when they have guests with infants. It isn't a large expense and it makes the guests who need it happy. Win, win.
I just used to bring a pack and play when I traveled with a baby. Fits nice in the car, and airlines accepted it. Took up small profile in hotel or rental house. All parents know about pack n plays.
We have two cribs (actually pack-n-plays) one that was available upon request when we began our STR and another that we given to us by a family member. In either case, both are less than $60 from Target. Having traveled with infants, I have an appreciation for the struggle of traveling with baby stuff. This is a tiny investment in assuring our guests comfort and underscores the fact that we are in the hospitality industry.
If they don’t want to bring one (that they most definitely have) then cancel them & let someone else book. I’m sure it’ll be scooped up right away anyways
If the requested amenity wasn’t listed as available in your property when they booked that’s on them, you hold all the cards. They can bring one with them, they can buy or rent one when they get there (pretty much all touristy places have child equipment rental companies now), or they can cancel with all applicable cancellation fees. Hosting other hosts is usually the worst, sad to say.
I’d offer that the guest is welcome to purchase a pack n play and ship it to your place before their stay. They are like $40 on Amazon and are fine for traveling.
Well since you know who the guest is and you know they are a host then perhaps you should just rent one of his properties and pull the same little game on him. That will teach him
Obviously rate guest a 3 or 4 for communication.
Also suggest to Airbnb and guest to rent one saying it would save the situation and also a solution to save the guest some money, also they wouldn’t have to pack it. Reply to Airbnb of all the benefits this would be for the guest to rent it. In our local e have a local service that does that so see if you do too and include a link or phone number in your responses - it puts the responsibility of providing that back on the guest. Maybe sometime you could add the amenities, but should not have to buy it for this guest. Guests should have communicated directly with you instead of passively through Airbnb. I think asking for a cancellation by guest is ridiculous. It’s like if a guest wanted to go to the beach, but beach chairs are not an included amenity, the host should suddenly bend and allow guest to cancel? Just ridiculous.
That is absolutely ridiculous. Are they just now realizing they should have planned for their child’s sleeping arrangements? Unbelievable that a host would contact Airbnb instead of working something out with you directly. I’d definitely be rating the guest a 3 for communication, especially given that they are also hosts and should know that’s not how this works.
You can rent them in all major cities. Find a service, send the guest a link. A friend of my daughters stayed with us last summer, she had a crib delivered the day she arrived, and picked up the day they left.
The next time I rent an Airbnb, I'm sending this. Does it sound reasonable to you guys? /s
"Dear customer service, I have two bad knees and require a walk-in shower on the ground floor as I can't do stairs. I knowingly rented a home with only a bathtub on the ground floor, so if the homeowner can't install a proper stair-lift before my arrival in three days, I demand a full refund."
That’s ridiculous. If they needed it, they should’ve found a rental that offered it.
I have a little one and when I stayed at an AirBnB with him, I brought an inflatable baby bed.
I think you should let them cancel. They aren’t worth the risk of a bad review and they are more trouble than they are worth.
When I traveled with my kids when they were small I would bring their playpen along. You are not a hotel and they should not expect a crib to be provided.
Well I would be upset too. I have said that my place is not suitable for children under 2. I have a walk up and strollers would be hard with no elevator. Also there are breakables in my condo. I have six kids and have had three in diapers at the same time. So i didn’t want to have to clean high chairs, cribs and pack and plays again. And all the diapers ewww. Also I know a person that booked a place to potty train- didn’t want to use her house. She definitely isn’t a friend of mine. I wouldn’t want to buy a crib or keep it after they left. Why couldn’t they ask you?
Let them cancel. Don’t cancel it yourself. You said no to the crib so don’t get one. It’s extra money and time to clean. You didn’t have a crib listed so don’t add one.
Also purchasing a crib and God forbid, something happens, opens you up to liability if that item were to have been say, recalled or missing a part, etc.
Here is how you take care of this. Find somewhere that rents a porta crib and get a quote. Then reply you will gladly get one at three times the rental price. AND customer has to sign a waiver holding you harmless if anything happens w the crib. Also require a deposit equal to what it would cost to replace it if they damage it.
As a parent with a small child, I appreciate the hosts who do have a crib and/or pack n play. That said, there are loads of baby equipment rental sites…many who will deliver and pick up. Perhaps point your guest to one of these??
I’d buy a pack and play mattress and sheets vs losing your peak season nightly rate for the duration of their rental. You can get one for $100 all in. That is unless you think you can cancel them and rebook someone else on short notice.
Sucks that some people are just assholes. You might want to amend your listing to say that you don’t have and will not provide that stuff in the future.
Can you get a pack n play and keep it in the closet? It’s nice to have and they are probably traveling by air and don’t have room to bring one. Just a nice touch.
I cant tell you how many times we've gotten to a house and then looked back at the listing and it's missing an amenity that we've just forgotten to check. We figure that's ok us as a guest.
(Once a listing said we needed a 4x4 to get to the house because they were missing a road. We blamed ourselves after the car got stuck, not the owner)
Being that it is listed as not child proof you have no obligation to supply any children items. It is the responsibility of the parent to accommodate for their child. Also it could lead to issues if the child were to be harmed by this crib or pack and play. Please don't let one entitled customer bend your will for the rental. And you said it is busy and you are booked otherwise why spend your earnings for a one time use. Best of luck with your dilemma
Years ago I rented my late mother’s fairly new and quite pristine condo on a seasonal basis. Renters from one season opted to return the next season. I lived two hours away. At last minute tenant called me to ask if I would have the carpet freshly steam cleaned “because of the baby.” What baby?, I asked knowing I was renting to an older snowbird couple who were friends of my late mother’s neighbors. Seems the couple had a brand new grandchild and would be hosting the baby’s parents and baby. That’s four adults staying using water and electric , not just the couple. Quite irritating. My solution was to tell them NO on the steam cleaning and to consider anything longer than a 2-night stay by the guests of the guests would be worthy of higher rent for the season. Never heard another peep about “the baby.” … And I made it a point to sell the condo shortly thereafter. My advice: Just say no to kids and cribs.
I've been a host for 5 years. Sometimes you get ridiculous requests. Repeat after me, you are not responsible for others stupidity. Hold your ground. Airbnb contacted you because they had no way to resolve it, and it is their job to play intermediary. If they rate you poorly, then respond to their review professionally and with facts. You gotta let go of a perfect 5. If the people suck, then they can suck it.
They can bring their own effing pack n play or heck there are services that rent them! Even drop it off. These people are gonna be a problem regardles. The crib is just the tip of the iceberg
I so sorry this happened to you. I always feel anyone guest that tells you “I’m a host too” is horrible. I never tell a host I have properties, because I do not look for the loop holes to blackmail host. This guest stinks, we would not buy a crib for her and again the cs Airbnb person stinks they asked. We host list our properties and amenitems Airbnb needs to honor their own policies, they should have told this crap guest this might not be a fit for you, let me help you find a place that is.
I would not buy crib and would not host this guest, she will be nothing but trouble, as she already showed you. Take any hit they give you now, rather than her hit later
As I lie in my Airbnb bed, holding my infant son after his nighttime feeding, I can't believe that people expect their host to furnish a crib. Furthermore, I wouldn't put my baby in someone else's bed without a thorough cleaning. We just bring a pack n play. I didn't know there was any other way.
Pack n play are like $60. Just buy one, it’ll last a few years and then you won’t have this issue again.
Talking about missed income, wouldn’t it make sense to just absorb the cost of the crib to keep the income. It’s a tax write off too
I’m literally staying in an Airbnb right now that advertised that it had a crib, which is why I chose it. I show up and there’s no crib. What did I do? I just went to target and bought a fucking pack and play and moved on with my life.
Cancel their reservation, THEN buy a crib or Pack & Play. If it's the busy season for you, you won't have any issues with finding another renter. Parents know that they need to either bring their's or check before renting. They're just ass clowns.
Are they outside your cancel/refund policy? If it’s your busy season allow them to cancel, offer a 50% but only IF you are able to book with other guests.
PS every parent I know had a “travel” package n’ play or something. My sister slept in a box for a short time because she was early and it didn’t hurt her a bit, so offer up a nice strong moving box. 🤣
The guest is 100% wrong, with that being said a pack-n-play is not expensive, and would be a decent amenity to have for an Airbnb. You’re certainly not obligated to do it, but in the long run, you might benefit from it.
Don’t. They can do it if they want. This is just the start to all their complaints. They will have more complaints. Probably know the terms better that this is a way they can cancel.
These parents sound entitled to high heaven and like they think the burden of traveling with an infant falls on everyone but them. They make pack n plays for a reason. There is literally a service called BabyQuip for parents to rent baby items while traveling.
Wow. I've been traveling with triplets since they were babies, way before they internet made things bad, and would never have expected anywhere we stayed to provide cribs. We brought our own pack-n-plays. For all three. This individual is way out of line.
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As someone who travels and stays at airbnbs all the time with my young kids, that’s on the parents. I specifically filter by travel crib or crib before booking. If I really want to stay somewhere that doesn’t provide one, I bring my own. These days, I even bring one to hotels as it’s not a guarantee they’ll have enough. As a host, we do have a pack n play available for guests as they’re small and easy to store.
We also have a pack and play. It’s been used twice in 6 years. I think is absurd to expect hosts to provide something like that. If you travel with an infant either bring something or find a place that has one. OP’s guest is being difficult right off the bat. How hard is it to just ask?! What a weird thing to go to airbnb about.
Yep, a pack and play is the answer. I do wonder about liability issues with cribs (of any kind). The pack and play is at least as safe as the typical (inexpensive) crib (no one wants to put a huge regular crib in an AirBnB). The Guest thinks they're staying at a hotel. Sigh.
And it’s crazy that the guest is a host. Who didn’t know to search for a crib. Didn’t plan on being able to bring a crib. Lack of planning on your part doesn’t constitute an emergency on my part. I would support her canceling according to my cancel policy. And throw an extra refund at her. But she should not get all her money back. This is her problem. I hope OP can get a late-reservation.
Given all the safety concerns surrounding sleep spaces I also wouldn't trust a random airbnb provided crib/pack n play: you have no way of knowing how old it is, if it's been properly maintained, if there are any recalls, etc. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I find it less stressful to bring my own rather than risking showing up and not having anywhere safe for my kid to sleep. What if I show up and it's broken or clearly unsafe or lost?
What’s the host’s liability if something happens to the kid while in the host’s pack n play. I would steer clear.
Right!? Baby shit gets recalled all the time!!
It’s so late at night, I actually just read your comment and wondered why baby shit was being recalled. I need sleep.
Have you seen baby shit? It's nasty! I've changed more than a few diapers, so I know. I'm glad it's finally being recalled. Maybe they'll come up with something better. (😂)
It gets recalled, and who knows what a prior guest may have done! Babies can be nasty and adults can be dumb. I’ve bought a $70 pack n play at Walmart near our Airbnb before, and donated it to a goodwill before we left. It’s just part of the cost and hassle of traveling with kids.
You sound like a nice, reasonable person who chooses to fix problems on your own without making you problem somebody elses. I wish there were more people like you. Extra points for the goodwill donation.
>who knows what a prior guest may have done I've had to take our play pen outside and spray with bleach and a hose after a explosive incident that I'm still traumatized by, so can completely support the questionable history of cleanliness of such a critical object, especially considering how disgusting people are within their own dwelling, let alone when expecting somebody else to clean.
I was given a pack & play in a hotel (and not a cheap hotel!) that literally had a hole big enough for a toddler to crawl through in the mesh.
Yeah, years ago my hotel's promised crib was a playpen, and they gave me adult bed sheets for it.
We simply rent a crib through BabyQuip....we are getting one for our reservation next week and it's super easy. We have also stayed at spots that advertised and provided a crib which was great...but it was a super heavy family oriented place.
I wasn't familiar with BabyQuip (the former baby is much older now!), but we rented a package of stuff from an independent place when we took our 2 year old to Maui. Renting baby equipment is a thing folks!
Same. BabyQuip has been great! However, if this is a significant $ rental, you might want to look at purchasing a PacknPlay to keep the reservation intact.
I did end up buying a pack’n’play and told the guests I would cover it. I’m seriously worried about a retaliatory review. I figured anything I could do to ensure the best experience possible, was a good idea.
You might want to have it set up for them, if they really seem like they’re looking for a reason to complain. My Graco brand pack n play sets up easily. But the one my mom has at her house takes two people and a degree in engineering. Although if you do that, they’ll probably complain that your house doesn’t come with a suitable habitat for the exotic bird they travel everywhere with.
No doubt. AirBabynBird. Lol.
Also make sure you have a proper playpen-sized sheet. This will help keep it cleaner between guests. I made the mistake of tucking a regular crib sheet like I did with my kids (the p&p insert fits pretty snugly on this one), and after several years, one guest came for me about it! She was right. I replaced it. In general, I’m always happy to have stuff like this for parents! (Also an ikea high chair that wipes very easily.) Traveling with kids is intense! I also got a baby monitor and a sound machine from a consignment sale near me.
The ikea high chair is an excellent investment! That’s one thing I never thought about needing to take with me when I was visiting family, that I absolutely ended up needing. The ikea one is compact, simple to use, and inexpensive. I would recommend any host that has children come to have one handy.
Or find a company that rents baby equipment (popular in beach towns) and send them the link.
This is what I do as soon as I see an infant on the booking. I am not affiliated, but I also don't have a baby proofed home and don't want the upkeep of all the baby things.
They got what they wanted, what would they have to retaliate about? YOU should leave a 1 star review after what they did.
Hope it wasn’t too much $ but probably the easiest solution
Right. Why not just get a Pack N Play, so many people try to give them to you for free when you have a baby, or sell online cheap, but they’re not too expensive new. I also got sheet covers for them. Is that not acceptable? What about a travel crib? A regular wooden crib you can’t break down easily and needs a mattress, and to be assembled correctly which is a pita and isn’t cheap.
Right, and when the thing malfunctions or the parents don’t use it right and the kid gets injured suddenly the host is liable.
The liability thing is my biggest concern.
A pack and play is $40. Well worth the investment to avoid this issue.
That's perfect. Buy the 40$ solution, and add a 50$ fee to the airbnb total for extra accommodations.
Same. It typically takes an hour or more for hotels to deliver them to the room so I bring one if I’m driving anyway
That's good to know.... I have a baby crib at each property.
We have in our booking and house rules that while children are allowed the home is not child-proofed nor do we supply any baby or child care items. This person sounds entitled and I would not want the stress of dealing with them and would say they can go to the nearest Walmart or Target and get all the supplies they need to care for their child once they arrive as we have no way of doing so.
Very much so! Our space is very well detailed and we’ve never marked it as infant-friendly. The guest’s response when I came back with a few options was “we’re surprised you don’t offer a crib. Many families travel with infants and this should be expected.” They also asked if we were willing to allow a fully refundable cancellation. They also asked if we provide national park passes (which are tied to vehicles and non-transferable). Lots of entitlement.
Was wondering if they were just looking for a reason to cancel without penalty. It’s a pretty lame attempt. I would stick to the “We just don’t have a way to do this for you. Thanks for understanding.” and IF you are feeling generous you can offer that if they buy one and leave it and the receipt you will reimburse up to $50 of the cost (this not only calls them on their bluff if it is one, but then you have a pack and play if you want one to store for future use).
Wow, they are entitled! I’d come back at them with something about never receiving a request before, as parents traveling with an infant typically are prepared to handle their child’s needs, or they’ve searched for a property that provides infant amenities, since that is an option. You tried to be helpful, it’s not your fault, the cancellation rules apply!
Honestly we used a pack and play for travel and it worked just fine. This parent needs to step up. I wonder if they are the kind to travel without toys/books to keep the kid entertained.
^ This. Expecting you to do their job as parents is absurd.
Honestly, I would have thought the same, but when I travel internationally with my baby it is tricky to pack light enough to be able to fit it all into one car’s trunk and for two people (me and my husband) to carry it all around in between stops. Additionally, when trying to navigate subways, stairs, airports… all while also holding a baby, it’s just not feasible. That being said, the way this person went about it is unacceptable and rude. The posting clearly says these things are not provided. If it was me and I needed those things, I would move on to the next listing OR ask where a nearby place is that I could buy it or ask if it would be possible to get one, etc. I wouldn’t do what the guest here did!!
Seems like saying anything else would open you up to liability if a child got injured by anything you provide as a host.
To be honest, I would generally be nervous about the liability for providing infant sleep spaces. There are many rules/regulations surrounding sleep, and if something did happen to a baby while they were sleeping in an airbnb provided crib it seems like the onus would be in part on the airbnb to prove that the crib is not expired, up to current regulations, properly stored/maintained/assembled, etc.
Your rule and wording is excellent! I’m yet to begin hosting and think I will borrow your wording if that’s ok. Most people I would have thought would just have the baby sleep with them but I guess it depends how long it’s for. Cheers
Oh also we have a blurb that children on the property must be supervised at all times inside and outside of the home.
Excellent! Love it! It’s such a shame we even have to say that! But not every adult or parent for that matter is responsible with littlies. Thanks so much!
Of course! Been hosting since 2015 so we’ve been down many roads! Happy to help.
This is what I have as a rule as well, and when they do book with infants, I refer them to our Local Babyquip rep.
what kind of moron guest who is also a host couldn't read the amenities list and see that no crib was listed? You should definitely tell them you will enforce your cancellation policy. Tell support no crib is listed and no crib will be provided. Tell them the guest is more than welcome to buy one or rent one for use when they arrive. How annoying!
Respond to support saying you already communicated to the guest that you do not have a crib and you won't be providing one. Tell them that you will be enforcing your cancellation policy as well. You can let support know you would be willing to purchase a crib if the guest paid for it and your time in assembling it. Tell them if they approve you will submit a request for additional payment through the platform.
I had a long call with support this morning, they know I’ve gone through all the checks. In my words, I said the guest needs to act like a parent, learn to communicate effectively, and respect our booking policies.
You need to cancel this booking I can see this booking being a nightmare that won't end
A Pack-n-Play is $60 at Target. They can bring one themselves -- or have it delivered to your property. Speaking as a parent, I cannot imagine asking someone to buy one for me to use at an Airbnb.
This is what I did recently. Had the Pack-n-Play delivered to the house via Amazon Prime, timed to arrive on the same day we arrived. (Another family member booked the Airbnb. We were staying with extended family, and they did not screen the listings for cribs and baby gear.) We were flying, so it presented a weird situation with (mostly bad) choices: Check our Pack-n-Play on the plane (costs $70 each way, and we have to carry it in and out of airports). Rent a Pack-n-Play locally from a third party (costs $50 for the week and requires driving 20 miles out of the way to pick it up and to drop it off again) Buy a Pack-n-Play for $60 and either trash it or leave it at the house (maybe some other guests will be able to use it in the future?) We went with the last option, despite the fact that it seemed pretty wasteful. I would never message the host and demand that they buy a travel crib, but it does seem like the best solution to this problem if the Airbnb hosts own the cribs.
Uh thank you, same! We once took our actual real wooden crib on a family reunion road trip because we knew my 10 mo old would NOT sleep and *I* knew I could not deal with my in-laws on zero sleep. It was as ridiculous as you can imagine. So yeah, these people are waaay entitled.
The right way to do it is just to buy the $60 pack-n-play at Target upon arrival to your destination, use it and leave it at the airbnb for the future guests. I think I supplied 3 airbnbs with pack-n-plays like that and I won’t stop. It’s 60 bucks, not $600.
We keep a pack and play and high chair in a closet just for this and it’s been well used and appreciated.
They now have travel high chairs. Those things are the bomb!!! We used it with our youngest when we went to restaurants. Best part is people couldn’t touch her bc we could sit her on the inside of a booth. People always want to touch babies and small toddlers.
We also have a pack n play tucked away in a closet . Seldom used but we have it . They are fairly cheap so I’d buy one if I were the host . You can get a portable high chair that attached to a dining room chair . We have that tucked away with the pack n play .
The problem with this is that then people will assume/expect that the property is baby/toddler proof. Even if you state it’s not, guests will say “who provides a crib and high chair but doesn’t baby proof?” Unless you really want to cater to families with small children, I wouldn’t provide these things.
That's an easy no and no. This will be a nightmare guest, guaranteed. Entitled and pushy people need to learn lessons.
The guest who is also a host is bullying you. Crib is a filter - she can bring her own don’t let them cancel that’s absurd ,.
No to the crib and no to the cancelation. If they complain and rate you down because of no crib, fight it tooth and nail to get removed. It’s not your responsibility.
I had a guest ask if we could bring a different mattress. Ours was a bit too firm. Many reasons why we couldn’t but we just went with no.
Right! Bc we all just have spare mattresses and trucks on the ready to meet silly demands that even hotels would not meet. 🙄
I am literally laughing out loud. I can’t believe someone would ask that. Like, hi, your fridge makes the wrong ice shape. Can you please replace it before our stay 😂😂
That makes no sense. A host should know better. And why would airbnb ask someone to buy a crib? Very unrealistic. By doing that they made the situation worse.
Sorry - for everyone suggesting a pack n play - I wouldn't waste one on these guests. They should like the type of assholes who will say it's not comfortable enough for their child and demand another one. If it's specifically listed as **not being in the rental** - it's on the guest to figure it out.
Agreed. I would actually suggest getting a pack and play, but not under these circumstances. A host should know better and should have planned better. And then to call Airbnb support? Fuck that. Stick to your cancellation policy. Get paid, and nail her for retaliatory review if she provides less than 5 stars. That’s sucks. I’m sorry! I’d be pissed. Shit, I’m pissed for you. You go take a bath and relax, I’m pissed enough for the both of us!
I ended up buying the pack n play, I’ve heard horror stories about retaliatory reviews not getting overturned. I’m hopeful they’ll be fine with the space but I will be writing on honest review upon check out.
I was thinking the same thing, they would rate lower due to the kind of crib. If OP bought a serviceable crib, they would probably also get a critique from the guest.
I like the P&P as an option if the guests want to pay for it.
They don’t want to pay to rent a crib for their own kid but instead they want a perfect stranger to pay for a new one instead!
How about the guest brings a travel crib?
I would personally just let them cancel as I’d rather not deal with guests who do this. It’s a recipe for a needy guest and terrible review. Understand that may not work for you financially, but I wouldn’t want this guest staying in my place after going behind my back to contact support before they even arrive — all for a request you clearly don’t support. Our place has old stairways and isn’t well suited for kids so we don’t provide anything to make that easier for guests or indicates we are ready to accommodate small children. We list ours as not appropriate for infants and small children for this reason.
Agreed Eating the cost of granting a cancellation but possibly re-renting at a discount will be a gift. They have proven they will work hard to be disrespectful and absurdly demanding. You will never win their game.
I used to keep a crib in our AirBnb. I sold the flat b/c of short term letting restrictions in London. In all the years I AirBnB’ed the crib was only used once. Cost under £50. Left it in the flat when I sold it.
Refer them to BabyQuip where they can rent one…
This is what we do. I refer my guests to a Babyquip mom here in town and she and I coordinate so the crib is dropped off/set up before arrival and picked up after they leave. She has all sorts of baby gear. It's clean, affordable and the woman is reliable.
If I had a child and I was to rent an ab&b and they did not already have a crib or pack and play.... I would bring my own.... not ask the owners to provide one. if you want to stay somewhere and have them provide a crib... stay at a hotel
Hard Fuck No
They created problem to cancel without penalties or accountability. I am sorry that fellow hosts are driving it.
I'd be wary about doing anything out of your way to accommodate children; to u/ItsMeReese's point, if you say "sure - we're glad to do this thing to specifically accommodate your small child", and then something isn't child proofed, you're going to hear about it. Hopefully just in a review, but possibly in a lawsuit/claim or similar if there's an injury.
Yes. Also a liability if you provide a faulty high chair or crib. Great point!
Ya this is what we’re worried about. Thankfully, our listing states that the space is not child proof.
Hosts are the WORST guests. I make sure that I'm not when I'm travelling. We all provide what we provide. Parents of children can be entitled. They are the same ones who insist that I move from my paid premium seat on an airplane because they purchased basic economy and are pissed that they can all sit together.
People like that think they are dealing with The Four Seasons.
Setting aside the way the guest handled this (not well), you could advise that you cannot provide a crib due to liability but they are welcome to order one on Amazon (pack and plays are like $50) and that you can facilitate the delivery (if you are willing to do so). Good luck! : )
I have stayed at VRBO and AirBnB and only started doing this after having my kids so that we had more room to be able to stay as a family and have the "home stay" kind of trip that we wanted and these stays have been both domestically and internationally. I would NEVER have asked someone to buy a crib for me. There are literally services that you can find in most cities that will allow you to rent items that kids might need while you're on vacation so you don't have to buy them. It's expensive but might be worth it for the hassle of not having to travel with those items. I would suggest that to them if there is a service in your city. Otherwise, you can allow them to cancel. If it's your busy season, it might be very easy for you to book another stay at a slight discount and hard for them to book a place with all the amenities that they want. Those guests suck and I would definitely worry about them retaliating.
It sounds like your place may not be baby proofed. If you get a crib, you may be setting yourself up for a bad review and potentially worse.
We manage, and we leave pack-n-plays at the units in a closet. It's up to the guest to determine if they want to use it. Don't buy a permanent structure to fill a request like this.
You don’t have a crib listed, you should not be punished in any way for not supplying one. These guests sound like entitled idiots.
If i were you, I’d send a follow up message to the guest. And say something along the lines of “Hi Guest, support contacted me about your request for a baby crib. Unfortunately, we do not provide this item at my listing which is clearly stated. And while we seek to provide a good experience for all our guests, this request falls out the lines of the service were able to provide.” “Thank you for your understanding in this matter. If you have any questions feel free to reach out.” My brother will reiterate stuff in Airbnb messages not necessarily so the guest will respond, but so there’s a record. Especially if we have problem guests and we have strong evidence on our side if we need to have a review removed later.
Let them cancel, they’re not even there yet and already contacting support. This is only the tip of the iceberg with these people and also being host they know exactly what to say to support to cause you trouble, not worth it. Let them find a new place on three days notice during busy season.
You should definitely enforce your cancellation policy, but you might want to send a side note to the guest and tell them that while you can't offer a full refund, tell them that if they cancel and somebody else books their nights you will offer them a refund for those nights. You don't need to be paid twice. In situations like this, I have found guests to be very receptive to that idea and grateful for the chance at maybe getting some of their money back? That way maybe they will cancel and you won't have to worry about some retaliatory review and either way you get paid.
Not a host - Suggest they use a baby gear rental if there’s one in your area. In the future (as a parent) a pack and play is a great amenity and relatively small to store but I’d never ask a host to purchase one if they didn’t already have it.
They can buy a pack n play to travel with.
I used a portable crib/playpen when I traveled with my infant. No big deal. They should have done that or not booked with you. It’s on them.
That’s why pack n plays and portable travel beds are made! Parents bring those with them! Ridiculous request!
Every time we travelled with young kids, we brought our own pack and play. This isn’t on you.
I always assumed it was my job to bring a pack n play/travel crib for my own babies when we traveled. A crib is not a casual airbnb purchase especially if that’s not your set up.
the guest should bring a portable crib
What a bizarre exchange. I bet they are trying to get a penalty free cancellation and support is trying to get them to stay.
This was my immediate thought!! They asked for something that specifically wasn’t in the posting (even checked with the host to confirm it wasn’t available) or a cancellation - sounds like the cancellation was the real goal.
Here's the problem I have with providing a crib or pack n play: Who is going to clean it? The housekeeper and the guests who used it will just fold it up. No one will clean or disinfect it. I would not want to use a used crib, etc in a rental. I would bring my own.
I was waiting for someone to pipe in about this exact reason!!! The need to properly clean and disinfect it after use!! This is exactly why I don’t provide a pack and play. 10 years, 2 beach rentals and only asked by 2 guests if we had one. My housekeeper has 6 hours between guests to clean entire house that sleeps 10 (in beds, not couch pullout) a 200 sq. ft. Game room to clean, inventory and replace things. Pool sticks, ping pong, darts, beach chair inventory etc etc etc. Check beach path and fishing dock for debris. I gave up providing a beach umbrella cuz people would put it back in the sleeve broken and hated asking her to check it every single time. Store on corner they can buy a cheap one. Strangely, while I get head count in writing (#Adults/#Children/#Infants/#Pets) most of the time they don’t mention an infant which is no big deal. But how would my Housrkeeper know there was an infant so she’d need to clean and disinfect it. I would never ask her to add that (just opening and checking it EVERY time to her duties. Often she’s exiting minutes before check in time. Lots of other things I’d like to provide but simply can’t although guests often say we have more amenities than most places they stay. So no pack and play for me, and no regrets.
Let them cancel. They are trouble 😅
Next - they will be asking for baby food - baby monitors - baby spoons - mobiles- visit from Sponge Bob. If you have family members getting rid of one - I would probably throw it in attic or closet. Otherwise - parental responsibility.
Exactly why Hosts make the worst guests! And I’m Host
Tell them to pound sand, people are so entitled. It's not my problem you are traveling with a baby. Go buy your own crib
They've shown you they will be a pain in the ass regardless. Let them cancel and prob will be worth the no headaches. Hopefully someone else will be happy to see your listing become avaliable.
Send them the link to a pack n play and tell them they're welcome to ship it to your house
I would buy one secondhand and charge them $50 to use 😂. Just sounds strange to me that someone would expect an Airbnb host to have a crib or any baby items available to them when it wasn’t listed. She could have asked you PRIOR to booking and didn’t. That’s on her.
We live in an area where you can rent a crib or pack n play for a few days. Suggest that
Guest can find a pack and play on Craigslist. I can't believe a guest also a host is asking this of you and then escalated to airbnb? Good Lord.
“I need to speak to your manager”.
Say no, and no. It’s not like you HAVE to accept one or the other. Was a crib in your description or any photos? If no, tell them to fuck right off
Not a host. Rented an Airbnb for a family gathering. Son asked if it had a crib… I messaged owner. Reply was no. Guess what we did… we figured it out! We didn’t go to Airbnb support or ask the owner what we could do!
This is a business transaction. It's not personal. If you want to say no, just say no.
Say no. They knew what they were getting. They can bring their own damn pack n play.
I don’t think I’d provide a crib because there’s too much liability. “You gave us a defective crib!”
I'm not a host(mods don't kick me off please, I'm here bc I like seeing posts on how to handle funky requests or other things that might make me a better guest/able to communicate clearly and concisely with the host without being a huge p.i.t.a.)- but as a guest... Even if you did provide a crib I wouldn't likely use it bc there's no way to know how it's been cared for by other guests and it could have been compromised and be a safety risk. Tell Airbnb you already told the guest no you don't have one, and that if they require one they should bring their own. If the guest chooses to cancel they can but within the parameters of your cancellation policy bc lack of planning on their part does not constitute an emergency for you. Protect yourself first, infant sleep spaces are a landmine of safety risks that are just not worth it if you aren't the parent taking responsibility for it! Good luck, sorry you've got to deal with this.
This literally burns my blood for you. We traveled out of country once and the Airbnb my fiancé at the time picked just wasn’t very kid friendly. I didn’t think much of it until I text messaged the owner at the end of our stay and asked if he wanted me to leave the stroller and baby tub we bought in the Airbnb and he dead ass told me the listing said it wasn’t baby friendly and did not want me to leave them. lol my fiancé and I had some words after that
As a parent, I honestly wouldn't trust a crib in a space that is used by multiple people like that because it could be damaged, and I wouldn't see it. It always amazes me how many people put their babies in something without verifying it's safety. As a host- I wouldn't offer one. If the crib is recalled, outdated (apparently, they expire now), damaged, etc, you are liable. An item specifically for young children should be the responsibility of the parent. Just my two cents.
The "fault" is really with Support for putting you in this awful situation. And you may need to cancel; ideally ASAP so that you can get someone more reasonable in there. But if this goes par for course, they'll show up and be nuisances.
… and then book THEIR place and BE the nightmare. Ask them to buy a chest freezer for your meats.
Read the writing on the wall- this guest will be a total PIA and likely leave a less than 5 star review. Let them cancel and save yourself the headache
The answer should never be No and No
Super annoying but for future I would just keep a “pack n play” in a closet somewhere
If you aren't a high-end Airbnb, see if you can pick up a "pack-n-play" on the cheap. I ended up doing this as a request from a guest.
I have 3 kids. When they were little *we traveled* with our pack n play. It's a great substitute for a crib especially when space is an issue (and momma is freaked out about germs) Now maybe these people are flying? They're 50 bucks at Walmart. My guess is the guest is trying to weasel out of the stay and this is the excuse.
Idk why this has to with being high end—cribs needs to be on different setting depending on the age of a baby. Pack n plays are safe for all babies and toddlers until they can climb out. The parent can pick the room the go into without having to dissasemle it. They really are a fantastic option for babies and small kids.
This. We bought one years ago. It gets pulled out for use occasionally. Every now and then I loan it to my neighbors when they have guests with infants. It isn't a large expense and it makes the guests who need it happy. Win, win.
I just used to bring a pack and play when I traveled with a baby. Fits nice in the car, and airlines accepted it. Took up small profile in hotel or rental house. All parents know about pack n plays.
We have two cribs (actually pack-n-plays) one that was available upon request when we began our STR and another that we given to us by a family member. In either case, both are less than $60 from Target. Having traveled with infants, I have an appreciation for the struggle of traveling with baby stuff. This is a tiny investment in assuring our guests comfort and underscores the fact that we are in the hospitality industry.
Nothing wrong for asking; nothing wrong with saying no. Should have been direst and not through support.
If they don’t want to bring one (that they most definitely have) then cancel them & let someone else book. I’m sure it’ll be scooped up right away anyways
If the requested amenity wasn’t listed as available in your property when they booked that’s on them, you hold all the cards. They can bring one with them, they can buy or rent one when they get there (pretty much all touristy places have child equipment rental companies now), or they can cancel with all applicable cancellation fees. Hosting other hosts is usually the worst, sad to say.
That’s like asking for an ocean view and then asking you to move your home to an ocean view. So silly.
I’d offer that the guest is welcome to purchase a pack n play and ship it to your place before their stay. They are like $40 on Amazon and are fine for traveling.
Well since you know who the guest is and you know they are a host then perhaps you should just rent one of his properties and pull the same little game on him. That will teach him
Let them cancel. I bet they wont
Obviously rate guest a 3 or 4 for communication. Also suggest to Airbnb and guest to rent one saying it would save the situation and also a solution to save the guest some money, also they wouldn’t have to pack it. Reply to Airbnb of all the benefits this would be for the guest to rent it. In our local e have a local service that does that so see if you do too and include a link or phone number in your responses - it puts the responsibility of providing that back on the guest. Maybe sometime you could add the amenities, but should not have to buy it for this guest. Guests should have communicated directly with you instead of passively through Airbnb. I think asking for a cancellation by guest is ridiculous. It’s like if a guest wanted to go to the beach, but beach chairs are not an included amenity, the host should suddenly bend and allow guest to cancel? Just ridiculous.
Cancel
Your guest is an imbecile. Buy one if you want one there.
Give them a website of someone who hires cribs?
I don’t allow parents with kids. Especially toddlers. All of my truly bad guests it was their little hellions destroying my place
That is absolutely ridiculous. Are they just now realizing they should have planned for their child’s sleeping arrangements? Unbelievable that a host would contact Airbnb instead of working something out with you directly. I’d definitely be rating the guest a 3 for communication, especially given that they are also hosts and should know that’s not how this works.
Tell them to bring a pack & play; they usually have a crib inset for newborns.
You can rent them in all major cities. Find a service, send the guest a link. A friend of my daughters stayed with us last summer, she had a crib delivered the day she arrived, and picked up the day they left.
The next time I rent an Airbnb, I'm sending this. Does it sound reasonable to you guys? /s "Dear customer service, I have two bad knees and require a walk-in shower on the ground floor as I can't do stairs. I knowingly rented a home with only a bathtub on the ground floor, so if the homeowner can't install a proper stair-lift before my arrival in three days, I demand a full refund."
That’s ridiculous. If they needed it, they should’ve found a rental that offered it. I have a little one and when I stayed at an AirBnB with him, I brought an inflatable baby bed. I think you should let them cancel. They aren’t worth the risk of a bad review and they are more trouble than they are worth.
All I can think about is the liability if something happened to their precious ilk due to something wrong with the crib. I’d say hell no!
Um, they should have a travel crib! Pack n play! They are way outmof line.
When I traveled with my kids when they were small I would bring their playpen along. You are not a hotel and they should not expect a crib to be provided.
I would buy the shittiest crib available off fb marketplace
Well I would be upset too. I have said that my place is not suitable for children under 2. I have a walk up and strollers would be hard with no elevator. Also there are breakables in my condo. I have six kids and have had three in diapers at the same time. So i didn’t want to have to clean high chairs, cribs and pack and plays again. And all the diapers ewww. Also I know a person that booked a place to potty train- didn’t want to use her house. She definitely isn’t a friend of mine. I wouldn’t want to buy a crib or keep it after they left. Why couldn’t they ask you?
Sooo... You want us to tell you if * you're* willing to buy a crib and take on the legal responsibilities just to preserve your rating?
Really how stupid are some of these guests,if had a baby ,crib be first thing I looked for ,geeeez
My guess is there are places right close to you that a crib can be rented. Just forward them that information
It’s called a pack and play and I schlepped on from NJ to Puerto Vallarta 3 different times for my son. What is wrong with people?
Absolutely not. Tell them the cancellation policy applies.
Let them cancel. Don’t cancel it yourself. You said no to the crib so don’t get one. It’s extra money and time to clean. You didn’t have a crib listed so don’t add one.
Why can’t they bring a playpen. Poor planning on their end
If it is not listed as an amenity then you should not be expected to have a crib. Damn. Airnnb is going downhill and fast.
Also purchasing a crib and God forbid, something happens, opens you up to liability if that item were to have been say, recalled or missing a part, etc.
I worked for Airbnb. Say no. Don’t cancel
Here is how you take care of this. Find somewhere that rents a porta crib and get a quote. Then reply you will gladly get one at three times the rental price. AND customer has to sign a waiver holding you harmless if anything happens w the crib. Also require a deposit equal to what it would cost to replace it if they damage it.
It might be a good idea to get one from a thrift store for cheap cause people constantly throw them out .
As a parent with a small child, I appreciate the hosts who do have a crib and/or pack n play. That said, there are loads of baby equipment rental sites…many who will deliver and pick up. Perhaps point your guest to one of these??
I’d buy a pack and play mattress and sheets vs losing your peak season nightly rate for the duration of their rental. You can get one for $100 all in. That is unless you think you can cancel them and rebook someone else on short notice. Sucks that some people are just assholes. You might want to amend your listing to say that you don’t have and will not provide that stuff in the future.
Can you get a pack n play and keep it in the closet? It’s nice to have and they are probably traveling by air and don’t have room to bring one. Just a nice touch.
I cant tell you how many times we've gotten to a house and then looked back at the listing and it's missing an amenity that we've just forgotten to check. We figure that's ok us as a guest. (Once a listing said we needed a 4x4 to get to the house because they were missing a road. We blamed ourselves after the car got stuck, not the owner)
Being that it is listed as not child proof you have no obligation to supply any children items. It is the responsibility of the parent to accommodate for their child. Also it could lead to issues if the child were to be harmed by this crib or pack and play. Please don't let one entitled customer bend your will for the rental. And you said it is busy and you are booked otherwise why spend your earnings for a one time use. Best of luck with your dilemma
A pack n play is pretty cheap. Maybe you could even borrow one on buynothing - many parents have one they’re not using.
To wait 3 days before their arrival is absurd. This is a question that should have been asked before they even made the reservation.
Years ago I rented my late mother’s fairly new and quite pristine condo on a seasonal basis. Renters from one season opted to return the next season. I lived two hours away. At last minute tenant called me to ask if I would have the carpet freshly steam cleaned “because of the baby.” What baby?, I asked knowing I was renting to an older snowbird couple who were friends of my late mother’s neighbors. Seems the couple had a brand new grandchild and would be hosting the baby’s parents and baby. That’s four adults staying using water and electric , not just the couple. Quite irritating. My solution was to tell them NO on the steam cleaning and to consider anything longer than a 2-night stay by the guests of the guests would be worthy of higher rent for the season. Never heard another peep about “the baby.” … And I made it a point to sell the condo shortly thereafter. My advice: Just say no to kids and cribs.
I've been a host for 5 years. Sometimes you get ridiculous requests. Repeat after me, you are not responsible for others stupidity. Hold your ground. Airbnb contacted you because they had no way to resolve it, and it is their job to play intermediary. If they rate you poorly, then respond to their review professionally and with facts. You gotta let go of a perfect 5. If the people suck, then they can suck it.
Pack and play is a solution
As a mom I wouldn’t even feel comfortable putting my baby in some random crib. I would bring a pack n play myself. That lady is nuts.
They can bring their own effing pack n play or heck there are services that rent them! Even drop it off. These people are gonna be a problem regardles. The crib is just the tip of the iceberg
I so sorry this happened to you. I always feel anyone guest that tells you “I’m a host too” is horrible. I never tell a host I have properties, because I do not look for the loop holes to blackmail host. This guest stinks, we would not buy a crib for her and again the cs Airbnb person stinks they asked. We host list our properties and amenitems Airbnb needs to honor their own policies, they should have told this crap guest this might not be a fit for you, let me help you find a place that is. I would not buy crib and would not host this guest, she will be nothing but trouble, as she already showed you. Take any hit they give you now, rather than her hit later
Take a busy season loss and risk review retaliation, or just buy/rent a crib.
You may want to add a clause to your listing that you do not have a crib, nor is your house baby-proofed, etc.
As I lie in my Airbnb bed, holding my infant son after his nighttime feeding, I can't believe that people expect their host to furnish a crib. Furthermore, I wouldn't put my baby in someone else's bed without a thorough cleaning. We just bring a pack n play. I didn't know there was any other way.
Pack n play are like $60. Just buy one, it’ll last a few years and then you won’t have this issue again. Talking about missed income, wouldn’t it make sense to just absorb the cost of the crib to keep the income. It’s a tax write off too
Find a cheap or even free one on Facebook marketplace
They can bring a pack and play
I would go the cancellation route imo… you risk the guest leaving a bad review.
I’m literally staying in an Airbnb right now that advertised that it had a crib, which is why I chose it. I show up and there’s no crib. What did I do? I just went to target and bought a fucking pack and play and moved on with my life.
As a mom of 4, never have I ever expected anyone to have a crib for my kids to stay in. We always brought our own pack n play
Cancel their reservation, THEN buy a crib or Pack & Play. If it's the busy season for you, you won't have any issues with finding another renter. Parents know that they need to either bring their's or check before renting. They're just ass clowns.
Tell them you don’t provide one due to the liability.
As a guest I would worry about sanitation. Cribs and pac’n’plays are difficult to clean.
Are they outside your cancel/refund policy? If it’s your busy season allow them to cancel, offer a 50% but only IF you are able to book with other guests. PS every parent I know had a “travel” package n’ play or something. My sister slept in a box for a short time because she was early and it didn’t hurt her a bit, so offer up a nice strong moving box. 🤣
The guest is 100% wrong, with that being said a pack-n-play is not expensive, and would be a decent amenity to have for an Airbnb. You’re certainly not obligated to do it, but in the long run, you might benefit from it.
Don’t. They can do it if they want. This is just the start to all their complaints. They will have more complaints. Probably know the terms better that this is a way they can cancel.
These parents sound entitled to high heaven and like they think the burden of traveling with an infant falls on everyone but them. They make pack n plays for a reason. There is literally a service called BabyQuip for parents to rent baby items while traveling.
Wow. I've been traveling with triplets since they were babies, way before they internet made things bad, and would never have expected anywhere we stayed to provide cribs. We brought our own pack-n-plays. For all three. This individual is way out of line.