Short-term apartment rental for guests with children or pets

When you own an apartment and offer it for short-term rental, you can set your own rental terms. Some owners aim to rent exclusively to people over 18 and to customers on business trips. This is completely understandable and fine – it's someone's property, so it's their rules. To avoid misleading potential customers, when publishing rental listings you should state in a visible place that stays with children or pets are not accepted. Keep in mind, however, that this greatly narrows the target group of guests who will be able to rent our apartment. When making such a decision, you need to be sure that the chosen target group will allow the apartment to be fully booked.

Good road infrastructure, well-developed public transport and good financial standing mean that we love traveling around Poland. We love trips to the seaside, a lake or the mountains, or to large, beautiful cities. A very large group of people travel with children. In addition, many families and couples have pets that there is no one to look after while the owners are away. Refusing to accept guests with children or pets will unfortunately exclude a very large group of guests. The apartment owner has to consider whether they can afford to narrow down such a large group of potential customers.

Many people are afraid of renting their apartment to guests with small children or pets, because it can lead to damage or faster wear and tear of the furniture and items in the apartment. There are, however, ways to protect yourself against the possible negative effects of stays with children and pets.

Why can children be a problem for an apartment owner?

Small children are often unpredictable – you never know how they will behave. A parent looks away and in an instant the child can suddenly do something. You have to reckon with a situation in which a child scribbles on the wall with crayons or on the sofa with markers. A drink may also get spilled, or the sofa, bed and bedding may get stained with food. In addition, glasses, plates or decorations in the apartment may get broken. While a broken decoration or glass is a minor problem, a drawn-on wall can generate considerable costs.

How can you protect yourself against damage caused by children?

• When furnishing the apartment, it is worth investing in stain-resistant paints. For floors, laminate panels are the best choice – carpeting can easily get stained when children are around. It is also worth buying napkins, tablecloths and bedding made of easy-to-wash fabrics. You should also buy spare bedding for the apartment.
• When buying furnishings for the apartment, it is worth avoiding knick-knacks and glass decorations that are easy to knock over and break.
• It is worth buying a few toys or games for children so they have something to keep them busy during their stay in the apartment.
• You should set clear rules with the guests, i.e. specify the maximum number of children with whom the apartment can be rented.
• You can protect yourself by having guests pay a refundable security deposit. If damage occurs, e.g. a drawn-on wall, it will be possible to cover the cost of repainting from the security deposit.

Why can pets be a problem for an apartment owner?

Dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs all go on trips with their owners. Most often these are dogs, because it is hard to find someone who will take our pet for a walk 3 times a day. Other animals are taken on vacation much less often, because during the owner's absence of a few days they only need food to be poured out and their water changed once a day.

When welcoming guests with dogs or other pets, you have to reckon with scratched walls, doors and furniture. In addition, carpets or floors may get soiled, and the sofa or bedding may get dirty. Another downside may be complaints from neighbors about a dog howling or whining if its owners go out for half a day and leave it alone in an unfamiliar place.

Nowadays we often meet people with allergies, including allergies to pet hair. This makes even more thorough cleaning necessary after a stay by guests with pets. However, it is hard to completely get rid of pet hair and allergens from an apartment, so every apartment rental listing should include information that pets are accepted. Thanks to this, people with severe allergies will be able to choose not to stay – this is a better solution than providing no information and then getting negative reviews from a guest who struggled with the effects of an allergy throughout their stay.

How can you protect yourself against damage caused by pets?

• Just as when preparing the apartment for stays with children, in the case of dogs it is worth investing in stain-resistant materials and paints. The fewer decorations that can be broken, the better.
• Setting clear rules with Guests:
• Collecting a security deposit to cover any damage.

Is it worth accepting guests with pets and children?

Definitely yes, because it significantly expands the target group of potential customers. The more people who are satisfied with your services, the greater the chance of positive online reviews, recommendations, growth and higher earnings. When renting out an apartment, there is always some risk. It's not only children and pets that can damage something. Adults, who are in theory responsible and mature, can also behave inappropriately and cause major damage.

The most important thing in the short-term rental of an apartment is to set clear rules and stick to them without any exceptions:

• specifying the maximum number of children allowed in the apartment and, possibly, the preferred age of the children, if this matters to the owner;
• specifying which children's behaviors are not acceptable, e.g. children may not draw on the walls, table or sofa;
• indicating which pets are accepted in the apartment and the maximum number of pets that can be brought along;
• specifying which situations are unacceptable, e.g. leaving a dog alone in the apartment all day or letting rodents out of their cage;
• a refundable security deposit is collected, from which any costs of repairing damage will be deducted;
• if the guest leaves the apartment without the owner present (remote check-in) and leaves major damage behind, photo documentation confirming the damage will be made – the guest will be asked to cover the necessary costs.