Family-Friendly Short Term Rentals

Should you allow kids in your short term rental? Before we had kids of our own, we rented out our house on weekends that we were traveling. We did not allow kids at that time because we didn’t have any baby proofing in place, and there were personal breakable items everywhere. The thought of having kids in my house gave me a panic attack.

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When we got our short term rental Lodi Landing in Lodi, CA, we had to rethink the “no kids allowed” approach. Because our short term rental comfortably sleeps 10, about 75% of our bookings include children. Our calendar would be in sad shape if we didn’t allow kids.

When we traveled to Hawaii for the remainder of my husband’s maternity leave for 2 weeks, it was our first time traveling with our baby, and it was an eye-opening experience. We stayed in 2 Airbnbs while in Hawaii - both allowed children, but only one had baby “stuff” available for guests.

The first vacation rental was in O'ahu was a one-bedroom with no basic baby-friendly amenities available! We had to go to Walmart to buy a Pack ‘n Play, and fed our baby sitting on the floor because there was no highchair. Napping and sleeping were rough because there were no room darkening shades and no A/C in the bedroom.

The second Airbnb we stayed at was in Kona, Hi and had a Pack n’ Play and highchair available, which made our lives much easier. We also got a two-bedroom rental so the baby had his own space to snooze. The room also had blackout shades, so nap times were much more successful.

Moral of the story: the house with family amenities was way better for us as guests.

Should you allow kids in your rental?

The answer is definitely yes unless you feel like they would ruin the space or put themselves in danger. If you decide to welcome little ones into your short term rental, start simply and work your way through the checklist below of amenities you should have on hand.

Search for used baby items on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Amazon, yard sales and ask your friends with kids if you can take any of their old stuff off their hands. I have provided Amazon links below for each item as well and you can shop the open box versions of bigger items to save money if you want to buy new items. People cycle through baby gear very quickly and some of it never gets used. Make sure to check recall lists for used items, you don’t want to put anything unsafe in your rental.

Start small with the basics, like a Pack ‘n Play, a mattress protector, sheets, a highchair, outlet covers and cabinet locks (especially if there are cleaning products stored in the rental). Make sure guests know that it’s their responsibility to wipe down items with Clorox wipes before and after they use them. Use a label maker to leave a note on each item that says: “Please wipe down with Clorox wipes before and after each use.'' If there are fabric covers on anything (like the highchair, or the sheets on the Pack n’ Play) instruct guests to remove these items and place them in the laundry room before check out.

Below is a list of short term rental baby and kid-friendly amenities that I recommend:

Children’s books and toys - Get these from friends Facebook marketplace or choose from these great items available on Amazon:

1) Baby's First Blocks Bundle // 2) Goodnight Moon - Board book // 3) Chicka Chicka Boom Boom - Board Book

Children’s Dinnerware:

1) Spill-Proof Sippy Cups // 2) Spill-Proof Straw Cups // 3) Plastic Toddler Utensil Set // 4) 3-Compartment Divided Plastic Kids Tray // 5) Highchair

Amenities:

Safety & monitoring:

If you really want to go the extra mile, you can leave a list of reliable babysitters that you know in the area. Make sure the sitters are comfortable with you giving out their contact information first. Also, be cautious about who you recommend, as you could be held liable for any issues that arise. Make sure all of your recommended sitters have been vetted by you personally, or recommend them through a professional childcare service.

If you want to learn more about setting up your space as a short term rental check out this guide Turning your spare room into a short term rental.

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How to Make your Short Term Rental Kid-Friendly