When are infants overcapacity allowed in a reservation?

An infant is considered a child younger than 2 years old. If your property allows children, most booking channels will automatically permit at least one infant to stay over your property's maximum capacity. However, policies vary significantly depending on which booking platform guests use to reserve your property.

Infant overcapacity policies by booking channel

Airbnb

Airbnb defines infants as children under 2 years old and children as those aged 2-12 years old. On Airbnb:

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

Booking.com

On Booking.com, guests can bring 1 infant (under 2 years old) over your property's maximum capacity.

Holidu

Holidu has the most flexible infant policy:

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

VRBO

VRBO has a different approach to infant capacity. On VRBO, both infants and children count as adults and do not receive overcapacity allowances.

Important policy details you should know

There are several critical points to understand about infant overcapacity policies:

These policies cannot be changed

Infant overcapacity settings are determined by each booking channel's terms and conditions. You agreed to these policies when you listed your property, and they cannot be modified or customized for your specific property.

You cannot add restrictions to your property description

It is not possible to add restrictions or notes to your property's description regarding infant overcapacity. These policies are standardized across the platform and apply to all listings.

The only alternative: disallow children entirely

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

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

Be aware that disallowing children may significantly reduce your potential booking volume.

Cancellation consequences

If you choose to cancel a booking because an infant is exceeding your property's capacity, this action will be recorded as a host cancellation. Host cancellations can result in penalties from the booking channel, including reduced visibility or account warnings. It is important to understand and accept the infant overcapacity policies before they become an issue with your guests.

Summary

Infant overcapacity policies are a standard feature of major booking channels and provide flexibility for families traveling with young children. These policies are channel-specific and cannot be modified at the property level. If your property allows children, expect guests to potentially bring infants over your maximum stated capacity—particularly on Airbnb and Holidu, where multiple infants are permitted. Plan your property operations accordingly, and consider your tolerance for this policy before listing your accommodation.