5 Tips on Hosting a Kid-Friendly Airbnb

The following is a sponsored post by Turno, the online platform that helps vacation rental hosts with turnovers with free software to schedule cleaning. In addition, Turno allows hosts to find local cleaners for their short-term rental cleaning.

Airbnb Host Tips for Running a Child-Friendly Property

Is your vacation rental property ready for families with children? No matter the size or location of your property, providing kid-friendly touches and amenities will increase your booking potential. Follow these 5 tips from Turno to ensure you’re ready for travelers of all ages.

Why Have a Kid-Friendly Property?

Having a child-friendly Airbnb opens your door to more guests, increasing your chance of maintaining a stable and predictable rental income. Families are one of the fastest growing segments in the travel industry and often require longer stays to accommodate their travel needs, so by offering a family-friendly environment, you make it easy for a wide range of guests to find and enjoy your vacation rental.

5 Tips to Create A Child-Friendly STR Paradise

For many families, travel is a tradition, so a few details today can help you secure an annual booking for years to come.  No matter the size of your property, these 5 Turno tips can help you attract and delight adults and children alike.

1) Promote Local Attractions

As any parent will tell you, getting out of the house with your kid(s) is a must! The easiest way to make your Airbnb kid-friendly is to promote local venues or events so that everyone stays entertained and well-fed. Playgrounds, libraries, arcades, movie theaters, pizza parlors, and parks are great places to encourage your guests to take their children while they’re in town.

Create a guest experience guidebook to highlight nearby attractions, events, and venues, especially if you are located near an aquarium, zoo, and/or theme park. Incorporate schedules for local sports teams, and be sure to include the average costs of tickets and ride-share apps so guests can determine if it falls within their budget.

2) Include Child Amenities

To better prepare your property for a wide range of children, offer amenities targeted to varying age groups. For guests with newborns and toddlers, be sure to provide: 

• A high chair and stroller and/or foldable wagon
• A portable crib, such as a Pack ‘n Play
• Baby monitors and batteries to help parents keep an eye on their children 
• Baby gates to protect children from falling down stairs, if applicable 
• A changing station in the child’s bedroom with wipes.
• Children’s books, toys, chalk, and bubbles
• A step stool for the bathroom so everyone can reach the sink
  

For the remaining age groups, include general sporting activities and equipment such as a badminton set, bikes, and a soccer ball, plus:

• Toys, board games, puzzles, legos, and playing cards (UNO, anyone?)
• Hula hoops and jump rope
• Fishing gear and equipment, if applicable to location 
• Movie projector with a range of G and PG-rated movies 
• Books and magazines
• A keyboard or karaoke machine 
• Art and crafts supplies
• Swing set, treehouse, or mini play cabin 
• Sprinkler hose attachments 

When considering which child amenities to offer for your kid-themed Airbnb, remember that you are providing guests with an on-the-go at-home experience. Put yourselves in their shoes and think about what you might feel is missing to make the atmosphere feel more comfortable and welcoming.

3) Allow Parental Controls on TV

If your property has a television, set up parental controls to protect young eyes from mature content. For streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, or HBO Max, create a kid profile and lock the profile made for adults. Give the four-digit code to the parents in their welcome message to ensure the code is not easily accessible to the children. 

Consider internet filtering as well, which allows the parents to have complete control over their kids’ access to the internet and what they can search for on your smart TV.

4) Childproof Common Hazards

Childproofing an Airbnb is crucial to ensure the safety and well-being of young guests. To keep them out of harm’s way and limit risk, pay special attention to:

• Choking Hazards: Remove or secure items like curtain cords, blind pulls, and small decorative items. Other choking hazards can include small toys like Legos, loose nails, and refrigerator magnets. 
• Electrical Outlets: Cover electrical outlets to prevent children from inserting objects or their fingers. 
• Windows: Install window guards or locks to prevent falls. 
• Kitchen Hazards: Provide covers for knives and stovetops to prevent accidental cuts and/or burns. Keep all sharp or heavy objects at a higher level and install cabinet door latches. 
• Fireplace and Heaters: Use safety gates to keep children away from fireplaces and heaters.
• Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Ensure detectors are functional and have fresh batteries.
• Cleaning Supplies: Have a locked owner’s closet of hazardous cleaning supplies. Cleaning solutions left available to guests should be organized, labeled, and placed out of reach of children. 
• Pool and Water Features: Ensure pool areas are securely fenced with self-closing gates and install alarms for pool access.
  

5) Provide a First-Aid Kit

No matter how much attention you’ve paid to childproofing your airbnb for families, cuts and scrapes can happen to guests of any age. When accidents do occur, it’s best to always be prepared, so provide guests with a first-aid kit that includes:

• Adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
• Sterile gauze pads
• Adhesive tape
• Antiseptic wipes
• Eyewash or saline solution
• Elastic bandages (Ace bandages) 
• Cotton balls/swabs
• Scissors 
• Tweezers 
• First aid manual or guide
• Emergency contact numbers

When building your first-aid kit, the specific contents should consider individual needs and sizes, the number of people it will serve, and the activities being undertaken.

Quick Ways to Make Your Airbnb Kid-Friendly

Kitchens are a common factor in all kid-friendly Airbnbs as the place that provides an at-home experience for your guests while they’re on vacation. Update your kitchen with appliances like a french press, tea kettle, or a matcha kit to elevate the space and keep the adults caffeinated and content.

If you have a spacious backyard or patio, include high-end patio furniture for the parents to lounge in as they supervise their playing kids. Ensure there is plenty of sunlight coverage both in the backyard and around lounging areas for adults and children. In your listing, highlight safety features such as a property fence or locked gates that will ensure your guests’ children are safe. Bonus: Pet-friendly travelers also love fences!

Lastly, most families will look for a property with a washer and dryer on-site. Messes and spills often occur, especially with young children, so it’s helpful to provide your guests with an opportunity to do laundry mid-stay. If your property doesn’t have facilities on-site, simply let your guests know if there’s a laundromat nearby, and consider leaving a stash of quarters or singles for them to use. 

How to Position Your Airbnb as Kid-Friendly

Promoting that your Airbnb is ideal for families and kids is simple: highlight the key family-friendly features your property has to offer and make sure that your listing photos showcase any features mentioned in the description. 

Still wondering how to market your property as family-friendly? Take a look at other family  Airbnb listings that are targeted at parents traveling with kids to get some ideas. Seeing how other hosts promote their business can be a great source of inspiration.  

Turnovers With Families in Mind

By hosting larger groups and families with children, larger messes are bound to happen. To have a consistently clean Airbnb property, it pays to hire a professional vacation rental cleaner! Airbnb cleaners are specialized in handling tough messes – even ones left behind by children. Build photo checklists with your cleaners to make sure that all kid supplies like cribs and highchairs are sanitized properly. 

Find a reliable and affordable Airbnb cleaner on Turno’s cleaner marketplace today!