When are infants overcapacity allowed in a reservation?

Understanding infant overcapacity policies is essential for property hosts and guests booking accommodations. An infant is defined as a child younger than 2 years old. If your property allows children, most booking channels will automatically permit at least one infant to stay beyond your property's maximum capacity at no additional charge.

Infant overcapacity policies by booking channel

Different booking platforms have varying policies regarding how many infants can exceed your property's stated capacity. Below is a comprehensive guide to help you understand the specific rules for each major channel:

Airbnb infant policy

• Infants are defined as children under 2 years old
• Infants stay completely free if your property allows children
• Children aged 2-12 are priced the same as adults
• Guests can bring up to 5 infants over your maximum capacity

Booking.com infant policy

• Guests can bring 1 infant (under 2 years old) over your stated capacity
• Infants stay at no additional cost

Holidu infant policy

• Infants under 2 years old stay completely free
• Everyone else is counted as an adult occupant
• There are no restrictions on the number of infants allowed over maximum capacity

VRBO infant policy

• Infants and children are counted as adults
• No infants are automatically allowed over capacity

Important considerations for hosts

As a property owner, there are several crucial points to keep in mind regarding infant overcapacity policies:

Policies cannot be modified

These infant overcapacity settings are fixed and cannot be changed. They are part of the terms and conditions you agreed to when listing your property on each booking channel. The platforms enforce these policies automatically across all reservations.

No description restrictions available

It is not possible to add restrictions or special notes to your property description regarding infant overcapacity policies. The channel policies override any property-specific instructions you might want to add.

Disallowing infants entirely

If you do not want infants exceeding your property's capacity, the only available option is to set your property to "children not allowed" in your amenities settings. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Go to Configuration on the top-left side of your property management dashboard
2. Navigate to 'Amenities'
3. Navigate to 'Children'
4. Select 'Children Not Allowed'

Keep in mind that disallowing children entirely will significantly reduce your potential booking inquiries.

Cancellation penalties

If you choose to cancel a booking because an infant will exceed your property's capacity, this action will be recorded as a host cancellation. Host cancellations can result in penalties from the booking channel, including potential impacts to your search ranking, response rate, and account standing. It is advisable to accept infant overcapacity bookings in accordance with your channel's policy to maintain your hosting reputation.

Summary table of infant overcapacity policies

Booking Channel	Infants Under 2 Stay Free	Maximum Infants Over Capacity	Notes
Airbnb	Yes	Up to 5	Children 2-12 charged as adults
Booking.com	Yes	1	Most restrictive policy
Holidu	Yes	Unlimited	Most flexible policy
VRBO	No	0	Infants count as guests

Key takeaways

Understanding these policies helps you manage guest expectations and maintain compliance with each platform's rules. Remember that infant overcapacity allowances are automatic benefits that enhance your property's attractiveness to families with young children. Rather than cancelling bookings due to infant overcapacity, embrace these policies as they represent a competitive advantage in the vacation rental market.