Should your Airbnb have a travel cot and high chair?

If your place sleeps four or more, families are probably a big part of your potential guests. Many of them filter search results for a cot or high chair before they look at anything else. If you don't have them, you're not in the results at all.

Why they're worth it

A decent travel cot and a simple high chair cost less than a single night's booking at most listings. In return:

• Your listing appears when parents filter for those amenities.
• Families tend to book further ahead and stay longer than couples on a weekend away.
• Parents travelling with a baby will often choose a slightly more expensive place that has the gear, rather than bring their own.

It's one of the cheapest amenities to add that actually changes who can book. Our post on amenities that move bookings covers others in the same category.

What to buy

Keep it simple and sturdy:

• Travel cot. A standard folding cot with a firm, well-fitting mattress. Avoid very cheap ones where the mattress is a thin board.
• Fitted sheets. At least two, sized for the cot mattress, so one can be in the wash.
• High chair. A simple, wipe-clean one, or a booster seat that straps to a dining chair if space is tight.
• Optional extras. A stair gate, socket covers, a plastic plate and cup set. Nice to have, not essential.

Don't buy second-hand cots or mattresses, and follow the manufacturer's instructions on mattress fit. Parents notice a cot that looks worn, and baby equipment is not the place to save a few pounds.

List it honestly

Only tick the amenities if they're always there. A parent who books because of the cot and arrives to find it missing has a real problem, not a minor inconvenience, and that's the kind of thing that ends in a refund request and a bad review.

Mention them in your description too, with the practical detail parents want:

We have a travel cot with a fitted sheet and a high chair. Just let us know you'll need them and they'll be set up when you arrive.

Asking guests to tell you means you can set the cot up in the right room, rather than leaving it folded in a cupboard.

Keep them clean and checked

Add both items to your cleaning checklist so they don't get forgotten:

• Wipe the high chair tray, seat and straps, including underneath.
• Change the cot sheet after every use, even if it looks clean.
• Check the cot folds and locks properly, and the mattress has no tears.
• Return both to their storage spot if the next guests don't need them.

Our post on mattress and pillow protectors is worth reading too. A waterproof protector under the cot sheet extends the life of the cot mattress considerably.

Tell guests where to find them

If they're stored away, say where in your house manual. Parents arriving late with a sleeping child don't want to search cupboards. Our house manual template has a section where this kind of detail fits, along with anything else guests need to find without messaging you.

Should you charge for them?

Most hosts don't. A cot and high chair are a one-off cost spread across many stays, and charging a few pounds for them feels petty to parents who are already paying for a whole property. Treat them as part of what makes the listing family-friendly, and let the extra bookings pay for them.

When not to bother

If your place is a studio, a top-floor flat with no lift, or somewhere with obvious hazards like an open balcony or steep stairs, families with babies may not be your guests anyway. In that case, it's better to say "not suitable for infants" in your listing than to add a cot and attract bookings that won't work.