Making Your Short-Term Rental Property Family-Friendly

Of all the demographics to choose to target in Airbnb guests, families aren’t always every hosts go-to first choice. While there is significantly more to think about when appealing to those with children, there is also a substantial amount of positives that come with these bookings. Family travel is a growing sector that Airbnb itself has recognised in its search function and advice pages. More and more people are choosing this platform over traditional short-term rentals for its affordability, diversity in accommodation style and flexibility with expectations. Creating a family-friendly Airbnb can boost host revenue by adding a new sector of guests booking stays regularly. 

Families choose Airbnb properties for a unique variety of reasons in comparison to other travellers. For one, those in larger groups tend to stay for longer periods, choosing not to jump from rental to rental but look for comfort and a slower pace. Long-term Airbnb stays offer several benefits over single night bookings, allowing hosts to save on time and effort in turn-overs and other processes. This more reliable source of income is one of the major benefits for hosts and as such, can make targeting families on Airbnb immensely worthwhile.

Creating a family-friendly short-term rental can be a great way of boosting Airbnb income, especially for those seeking full-time booking capacity. To appeal to families, there are a number of steps that must be taken to provide the safe and comfortable space this demographic is searching for. 

What Families are Searching for

Many people make the mistake of assuming that families are always searching for spacious, freestanding properties, but in actuality, this is not always the case. Not all families are the same, with this group coming in varying sizes with differing needs, the most important thing is that you are providing access to a kitchen, a bathroom and a safe property. While some families will choose to go with larger properties, there is no reason why apartments or smaller homes won’t be booked as long as you have the right features. The essential part of appealing to families is providing a livable space where they can stay for some time. 

Creating a Family-Friendly Airbnb Property

The major steps to achieving family-friendly status for your Airbnb property revolve around child-proofing and providing amenities that make living straightforward and simple. Guests should be able to turn up to your property with just their suitcases and experience a space with all the comforts of their own home. Making life easier for parents and their children will go a long way in ensuring you are receiving five-star reviews and referrals. 

Safety

Establishing a safe Airbnb property requires a thorough assessment of the entire property. By carefully reviewing your space, you’ll be able to cover all the bases and put in place precautions to protect guests and visitors. While this should always be done when hosting on Airbnb, child-proofing requires on to go further, understanding how kids may interact with a home and what could be dangerous to them. For the most part, in addition to regular safety checks, child-safety Airbnbs can be achieved through the following steps:

• Removing breakable, sharp and heavy items from reach
• Installing cabinet locks and latches
• Protecting any interior and exterior stairs with child-gates and railings
• Installing plug protectors and hiding wiring
• Locking away all cleaning products and anything that could be potentially toxic

Going the Extra Mile

While the basics can be enough to get guests to book with you, to get them to come back and become regulars, going the extra mile to delight and make them feel comfortable should always be the goal. Families will generally value things a little differently than your typical guest, so it’s important to keep this in mind when considering what extras to offer. While a young couple may really love that bottle of wine you have left them, a family might think it’s more thoughtful if you have gifted them with a family-pass to a local attraction. Tailoring your efforts to let the guests know you have thought about their needs will let them know how much you value their business. 

Here’s how Airbnb hosts can wow guest families:

• Supplying a high chair for dining
• Offering access to laundry amenities
• Providing a box of toys, a selection kids’ movies or other forms of entertainment
• Providing mattress protectors
• Offering information about family-friendly activities in your area in your guidebook

Show Off What You Have

The final step of the process of creating your family-friendly Airbnb is to promote what you have to guests. This means, taking great listing photos, tailoring your title and description to make it clear to people that your place is ideal for children, and updating your amenities list on your profile. By making these changes you are letting everyone know that your rental is a great place for a family holiday, attracting guests right from the search results pages.