When are infants overcapacity allowed in a reservation?

If your property allows children, most booking channels will automatically permit at least one infant over your maximum capacity. However, the specific policies vary significantly depending on which platform your reservation comes through. Understanding these differences is essential for managing guest expectations and avoiding potential penalties.

What is considered an infant?

An infant is defined as a child younger than 2 years old. Infants have different pricing and capacity policies compared to older children, depending on your listing's platform.

Overcapacity policies by booking channel

Airbnb

Airbnb offers the most flexible infant policy among major platforms. Guests can bring up to 5 infants over your maximum capacity at no additional charge. Infants are children under 2 years old and stay for free if your property allows children. However, children aged 2-12 years old are priced the same as adults on this platform.

Booking.com

Booking.com allows guests to bring 1 infant (under 2 years old) over your property's maximum capacity. This is a more restrictive policy compared to Airbnb, so you should be aware that only one infant can exceed your listed guest limit.

Holidu

Holidu has the most permissive infant overcapacity policy. There are no restrictions on the number of infants allowed over your maximum capacity. Infants under 2 years old stay for free, while everyone else counts as an adult. This means you could potentially accommodate multiple infants beyond your stated capacity limit.

VRBO

VRBO does not allow infant overcapacity. On this platform, both infants and children count as adults and must be included within your maximum capacity limit. This means you cannot accommodate extra guests under 2 years old beyond your property's stated guest limit.

Important policies and restrictions

These policies cannot be changed

The overcapacity rules outlined above are part of the terms and conditions you agreed to when listing your property on each platform. You cannot modify these policies or add custom restrictions regarding infant overcapacity in your property description.

How to disallow infants exceeding capacity

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

1. Navigate to Configuration on the top-left side
2. Select Amenities
3. Navigate to Children
4. Select Children Not Allowed

Once you select this option, no children of any age—including infants—will be permitted to book your property.

Cancellation penalties for infant overcapacity

If you cancel a booking because of an infant exceeding your property's capacity, this will be recorded as a host cancellation. Host cancellations can result in penalties from the booking channel, including reduced visibility, lower search rankings, and potential suspension of your listing. Booking channels take host cancellations seriously, so it is important to carefully review guest details before confirming reservations.

Summary table of infant overcapacity policies

Booking Channel	Infants Allowed Over Capacity	Infant Pricing
Airbnb	Up to 5 infants	Free
Booking.com	1 infant	Free
Holidu	Unlimited infants	Free
VRBO	Not allowed	Counts as adult

Key takeaways

• Most booking channels allow at least one infant over your maximum capacity, with the exception of VRBO
• Airbnb and Holidu offer the most flexibility with multiple infants allowed over capacity
• Infant overcapacity policies are determined by your booking platform and cannot be customized
• To prevent any infants from exceeding capacity, you must disable children at your property entirely
• Canceling reservations due to infant overcapacity will be counted as a host cancellation and may result in platform penalties

If you have questions about your specific booking or need assistance managing your property settings, contact our support team. We are here to help ensure your listing operates smoothly across all platforms.