Airbnb's Age Policy: How Old Do You Have to Be to Rent an Airbnb?

Wondering how old you need to be to book an Airbnb? This guide breaks down Airbnb's age policy, under-25 restrictions, host rules, and what guests and hosts need to know before booking.

Key Takeaways

• How old do you have to be to rent an Airbnb? 18-year-olds can book a home on Airbnb because they meet the minimum age requirement.
• Guests under 25 may face restrictions on booking entire-home listings in some countries under Airbnb’s “Under 25” policy.
• Airbnb hosts will also need to keep Airbnb’s nondiscrimination policy in mind when accepting bookings. 
• As for Experiences and Services, only people 18 or over can make reservations, but you can sometimes also limit the age of all participants.

To keep all Airbnb users safe, the platform enforces a minimum age requirement so only 18-year-olds and older can book. For 18-year-olds planning their Airbnb stay, it’s important to understand what types of listings they can book and whether additional restrictions apply in certain regions.

At the same time, hosts benefit from understanding what younger guests can and cannot do under the Airbnb age policy to set clear expectations and provide a better guest experience.

To find out how these age requirements can impact you, here’s a quick overview of some of the most commonly asked questions. Check out how you can stay within the Airbnb age requirement.  

How Old Do You Have to Be to Rent an Airbnb?

First things first, guests who want to book an Airbnb rental must be at least 18 years old.

In fact, according to its Terms of Service, you also need to be 18 to create an Airbnb account, whether as a guest or a host. This means that there’s also the same minimum age requirement for hosting.

Can You Book an Airbnb at 18?

Yes, 18-year-olds can book a home on Airbnb because they meet the minimum age requirement. In some regions, however, guests under 25 may be restricted from booking entire-home listings within their local area. Some Airbnb hosts want to protect themselves from unauthorized parties organized by local guests. Such restrictions are common in the US, UK, Canada, France, and Spain.

In regions where the “Under-25” policy applies, guests under 25 still have booking options on Airbnb. For example, they can book a private room or shared room, and if they are non-locals, they may also be able to book entire homes. Guests under 25 with a history of positive reviews on Airbnb (at least three) may be allowed to book an entire home. 

How Does Airbnb Prevent Underage Guests From Booking? 

To help enforce this minimum age, an Airbnb guest must provide proof of age when they book a rental. Documents that are accepted are a driver’s license, a passport, or a national identity card. 

Depending on the country where the listing is located, hosts may also be obliged by local law to check ID when guests check in. This is, for instance, the case in European countries like Portugal and Germany. 

Are There Any Exceptions to the Airbnb Age Limit?

The short answer is yes. There are certain instances where younger Airbnb guests are allowed to stay at the property. 

Minors can stay under an adult’s reservation

Airbnb's policy is such that only the person who is making the reservation has to meet the age requirements.

For example, in the case of families traveling together, children younger than 18 are allowed to accompany their parents. Minors just can’t create their own Airbnb account or stay at a rental on their own.

Also, parents will need to double-check that the property is indeed suitable for kids and that each additional guest is registered for that reservation. 

Regional variations

In some states and cities in the United States, as well as a few other countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, and France, guests need to be at least 25 years old and have a minimum of three positive reviews (and zero negative reviews) to book an entire home in their hometown or local area. 

Guests who don’t meet this criterion are still allowed to book any type of listing as long as it’s not in their local neighborhood. Alternatively, if they need to stay locally, they can book a hotel room, a private or shared room on Airbnb. 

The age requirement might be different depending on the country or the individual host, who can set rules. If in doubt, it’s best to reach out to Airbnb support. 

Why Does Airbnb Have an Age Policy?

There are a few strong reasons.

Unauthorized house parties

The Airbnb platform introduced a specific rule regarding guests younger than 25 in certain cities and regions to help reduce unauthorized house parties. While these parties are a rare occurrence, some of them have been linked to fatalities.

This also helps protect under-18 travelers from unsafe or inappropriate situations and ensures they’re accompanied by a responsible adult. Besides, it's a measure to prevent potential rowdy guests from disrupting neighbors. 

Local laws

It’s also important to remember that your Airbnb rental doesn’t operate in a vacuum. While you’ll need to adhere to Airbnb’s age requirement and other policies, you’ll also need to consider local laws.

That said, local law mostly focuses on long-term rentals to ensure all citizens have access to fair housing, but it’s still worth checking first. 

Liability and insurance concerns

Airbnb’s insurance and liability protections are structured around adult account holders. By restricting bookings to people 18+, Airbnb reduces legal and financial risks tied to accidents, damages, or disputes.

How Airbnb’s Nondiscrimination Rules Affect Age Policies

While Airbnb has an age policy, it still doesn’t give hosts free rein to reject a reservation request based on age. Airbnb hosts will also need to keep Airbnb’s nondiscrimination policy in mind. 

In the nondiscrimination policy, you’ll find specific guidance about considering a potential guest’s age and familial status. This policy makes it very clear that Airbnb hosts aren’t allowed to use different terms and conditions based on the age of a guest or his/her familial status.

They may also not use this criterion to decline a reservation. 

Are There Different Age Rules for Entire Homes vs. Shared Rooms on Airbnb?

Let's clear up possible misunderstandings regarding the age policy for different listing types.

Entire Home

Booking an entire rental may have stricter age requirements. In fact, the 25-year rule applies only to entire homes. Allowing younger people to stay unsupervised, especially in groups, calls for caution based on Airbnb’s history.

Shared Rooms

With a shared room (and private rooms), the situation is different. Since the host is present on-site, the only age requirement is that the booking guest must be at least 18 years old.

What if A Guest Violates Airbnb's Age Policy?

To book on Airbnb, every guest must provide a valid ID or other official document. Violating the age policy can lead to the cancellation of current and future bookings.

If a guest provides false age information or tries to bypass the restrictions, Airbnb may suspend or permanently ban their account.

Can Hosts Themselves Set Age Restrictions on Airbnb?

Hosts can impose specific age restrictions on guests making a reservation, if permitted by law or regulation. In the United States, for example, Airbnb hosts can set a minimum age for the guest making the reservation, up to 25.

This requirement must be applied to all potential guests and clearly communicated before booking, in the listing description, messages to guests, and house rules. This is possible because the US allows short-term rental hosts to set lawful age requirements for guests reserving a property. Hosts are also responsible for ensuring that any age-related requirements comply with state and local regulations.

Strategies to Avoid House Parties

Age is only but a number, after all. The platform acknowledges that older guests can also become “bad guests”. The reverse is also true and most younger guests will treat your vacation home respectfully. 

As such, hosts will also need to incorporate other strategies into their hosting routine to reduce the likelihood of their Airbnb rental being used as the venue for the next big event. 

Here are a few ways worth exploring:

Use a screening service

There are apps, such as Truvi or Autohost, that can double-check the guests’ details. Included in its checks is comparing the guest’s phone number and email address to authoritative databases. 

For US guests, it will also check the US sex offender register. While it doesn’t run thorough background checks, it’s still a useful service and, aside from preventing parties, it can also minimize fraudulent bookings. 

Send pre-booking messages

You send a pre-booking message before confirming a reservation to better understand the guest’s intent. Tools that send automated messages, like iGMS, can help with this.

Often, just from the style of their messages and responses, you can get a sense of who the guests are and why they are traveling. Combined with checking their profile and review history, this will give you a clearer picture.

Invest in noise monitoring

In addition to using a guest screening service, it’s also a good idea to invest in a noise monitoring tool. Hosts can, for example, check out Alertify or Minut.

Basically, it will monitor the noise levels inside the rental. If it exceeds a specific limit, the host will be notified. 

Just like you expect your guests to be upfront and open about their reservations, it’s only good business practice to extend guests the same service and disclose the presence of such a device prior to booking.

In fact, one of the conditions that Airbnb sets for the use of noise monitoring devices is that these must be clearly disclosed in the listing description. 

Prohibit parties in your house rules

Hosts can also include a section about house parties in their rules. Aside from disallowing house parties or events, here are examples of other rules that they can include to protect themselves, their property, and the neighborhood's peace.

• This Airbnb rental is located in a residential area. The quiet hours are between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. to ensure that our neighbors can enjoy a night of undisturbed sleep.
• If a neighbor reports excessive noise, your reservation could be terminated, and you’ll be asked to leave our property, and you’ll lose any rental amount already paid.
• No more than four visitors are allowed during the day. 
• It’s the responsibility of the renter to ensure that all other guests comply with the house rules.
• Please park your vehicle in the designated space only. If you need to park on-street, please consider our neighbors by ensuring that you don’t block access to their properties.
• Smoking is not permitted anywhere inside the property. If you want to smoke, you may only smoke outside in the designated area.
• In the event that damage to the property or its content is not covered by our insurance or it exceeds the security deposit, the cost to repair or replace will be billed to the guests.

Even if your vacation home is suitable for guests of all ages, it’s still a good idea to include a specific rule about children.

Use your house rules as an opportunity to remind the adults in the group that children should be supervised at all times and that they remain responsible for the safety of any children who stay at the property.  

Create your Airbnb listing for a specific target guest

The platform’s nondiscrimination policy allows hosts to highlight specific features that could make the vacation rental unsuitable for guests of a certain age.

For example, if there’s a steep staircase without a baby gate, hosts can draw attention to this and note that the property is unsuitable for toddlers. 

This also means that if you want to avoid hosting certain age groups like college students on spring break, you can, for example, emphasize that your property is located in a quiet, residential neighborhood.

But it needs to be factually correct. You may still not be able to reject their booking, but you may write an accurate description of your property that will discourage them. 

Set a two or three-day minimum stay

If you’re concerned about hosting larger groups of younger guests, one effective strategy is to require a two or three-night minimum stay.

Most guests who are only looking for a quick party spot prefer a one-night booking so they can come in, celebrate, and leave the next day without much commitment.

If you decide to set a longer minimum stay, you immediately make your property less attractive to those types of travelers. Guests such as families, couples on vacation, or small groups of friends, are usually planning longer stays anyway.

How Does the Age Policy Apply to Airbnb Experiences And Services?

Hosts who offer Airbnb Experiences or Services might want their offering to have some “party vibe”, but they still need to consider age restrictions.

For example, if you're teaching a cocktail masterclass where alcohol will be served, local law is very clear about the minimum age requirement.

In other cases, the law will be less clear and you’ll need to use your own discretion. You can also refer to these guidelines to ensure your Airbnb Experience or Service remains a positive one for all participants.  

Should you set an age limit for Airbnb Experiences and Services?

If you’re offering an Airbnb Experience or Service, the Airbnb platform also lets you set a minimum age for participants. Only people 18 or over can make reservations for Experiences and Services, but you can sometimes also limit the age of all participants.

Hosts can set age minimums —up to 21 for Experiences and up to 18 for Services, or as required by law (provided the requirement is applied to all guests and disclosed before booking).

Depending on the type of activity that you offer, you might want to consider doing this. 

Here are a few factors to keep in mind when deciding if your Experience or Service will be suitable for all ages:

• The physical demands of the activity
• The venue’s own age restrictions
• The type of content
• Whether alcohol or adult content will be involved

For example, if it involves a long hike across dangerous terrain, toddlers might have the energy but lack the physical strength to participate. In this case, limiting it to older age groups will be recommended. 

As for the content, consider what your offer entails. It might be about an appropriate topic, but if there will be a lot of swearing, it’s better to exclude younger ears.

How do you set an age limit for Airbnb Experiences and Services?

To set an age requirement for your Experience, you can follow these steps:

1. Click Listings on your desktop app and select the listing you want to edit
2. Under Listing editor, click Guest requirements
3. Click Minimum age and make your selection
4. Click Save

FAQ

Can a 17-year-old book an Airbnb?

No, a 17-year-old can't book an Airbnb on their own. Airbnb requires guests to be at least 18 years old to create an account and make a reservation. However, a 17-year-old can stay at an Airbnb if an adult books the stay and minors are included in the reservation.

Do all guests in a booking need to be 18?

Not all guests in a booking need to be 18 or older. Only the person creating the Airbnb account and making the reservation must meet the platform’s minimum age requirement of 18 years old. This means that families traveling with little children or teenagers, or groups that include minors, are generally allowed, as long as the primary guest is an adult responsible for the reservation and the stay.

Can a parent book an Airbnb for an 18-year-old?

A parent can book a stay for an 18-year-old, but Airbnb’s rules treat that as a “third‑party booking." A booker can reserve a stay for another guest if they use Airbnb’s authorized booking process and the actual guest is properly identified in the reservation. "Third-party bookings" may be discouraged, so it's safer for the 18‑year‑old to create their own account and hold the reservation themselves.

Can minors ever book an Airbnb on their own?

No. Only guests 18 or older can create an Airbnb account and make bookings. Minors can stay only under an adult’s supervision.

Do children count toward the total guest count?

Yes. Even if under 18, children must be registered as additional guests for the booking.

Are there age requirements for co-hosts?

Yes. Co-hosts must also meet Airbnb’s minimum age requirement of 18.

Can a host refuse a booking because a guest is under 25?

Only if permitted by local law. Otherwise, Airbnb’s nondiscrimination policy prohibits refusing bookings based solely on age.

Do local laws override Airbnb’s age policies?

Yes. Hosts and guests must comply with both Airbnb rules and applicable local regulations regarding age and rental eligibility.

Can a listing mention that it’s unsuitable for certain age groups?

You can hint at it in your listing description, as long as the description is factual (e.g., steep stairs, no baby gates, quiet neighborhood), but hosts cannot refuse the booking based on age alone.

Optimize Your Airbnb Hosting Experience with iGMS!

Addressing Airbnb age and party restrictions is crucial for maintaining a harmonious and lawful hosting environment. iGMS is here to support hosts in managing such concerns effectively. If you plan to set age limits, you can notify guests via automated messages with iGMS.

Stop managing properties the hard way – let iGMS do the heavy lifting!