Vacation Rentals and Small Children: What to Look Out For, What to Do
Planning a vacation with small children requires careful consideration and preparation. When booking a vacation rental, it’s even more important to evaluate everything, from the layout of the rental to its location.
The payoff, of course, is an incredible, memorable vacation in a place that’s all yours, where your young ones can keep their crazy hours and cry their heads off at two in the morning if they need to.
We’ll go over our tips for planning and pulling off a successful family vacation rental trip with young kids, but step one for being prepared is considering if vacation rental insurance is right for your trip.
Vacation Rental Insurance with Damage Protection
Accidents happen – especially on vacation with kids – and you can be covered when they do. Your toddler bumps into a lamp and it shatters. The frisbee goes through a window. A bath overflows and causes water damage. Rest easy with a Vacation Rental Damage Protection Plan that provides coverage for unintentional damage to the vacation rental home during your stay.
No one wants to lose their security deposit. Our Vacation Rental Damage Protection Plan can cover you in the case of accidental damage to the rental and reimburse you if your damage deposit is withheld due to a covered loss.
And that’s just one way that we can help protect your trip. Our travel insurance plans are great for annoying things like travel delays, medical emergencies, and canceled trips. See how vacation rental insurance can help with the top five travel problems our customers face.
Safety is Job One
What do vacations with small children have in common with industrial plants? That slogan right there: Safety is Job One
The fact is that as a parent you never stop visualizing potential ways for your kids to wind up in the hospital.
Your rental may say it’s childproof. Trust, but verify. Check or ask about outlet covers, cabinet locks, and stair gates. And of course, be sure to bring your own, even to a one-story rental that appears to have all the aforementioned safety items.
Pro Tip: Pack a roll of masking tape. It can seal outlets and cupboards without damaging paint and other finishes.
If you don’t see something in the listing, ask about it. And before renting ask the property owner if they would consider their rental to be small-child-friendly.
Medical and Dental coverage: Medical emergencies can strike at any time, but it's particularly daunting if you need to go to the hospital on vacation with kids. Our Guest Protect, Ski & Mountain, and Seaside Coastal Travel Insurance plans can help make the experience easier and provide coverage for necessary medical expenses.
The House Layout
Even though the pictures show a one-story rental with adjacent bedrooms, you know there’s probably a deck out back with rickety stairs and a trap door that’s a portal to the netherworld.
Before you rent, look at the floor plan and ask:
- Where will everyone sleep? Can wandering sleepers easily find their way to their parents’ room, and can the parents’ get to their kids’ rooms quickly in case of an emergency?
- Are areas that are apt to be loud sufficiently separated from areas that need to be quiet?
- Is the kitchen accessible for bottle warmups and late-night snacks?
- Are there hidden areas, or can young children easily be watched and monitored?
- Where will the Pack-‘n’-Play go?
- If pets are part of the picture, how will they be accommodated?
Surprises in this regard are no good. Do your homework.
Balconies and Windows
It’s okay to give into the anxiety and be extra careful about balconies and windows. Consider locking screen doors and windows and only allow young children to be on a balcony when they’re sitting on your lap.
Eternal vigilance is one of the burdens of parenthood. You can’t let it slip because you’re on vacation.
Emergency Transportation and Assistance coverage: Some vacation rentals are close to a hospital, some aren’t. Our plans can cover ambulance costs and medical evacuation, so you’re prepared, just in case.
Pool Safety
Pool time! Kids love it. And it can be deadly for them.
If the rental has a pool, ensure it has a fence or a pool alarm to prevent young children from jumping in when you’re not watching.
Also, check if the pool area is well-maintained and free from slip-and-fall hazards.
You can do your part as well by teaching your kids water safety at a very young age, and by setting and enforcing rules whenever you’re around water.
Research Age-Appropriate Activities
The best of all worlds is to have nearby activities that your kids love so much that all they do in the rental is eat and sleep. We can dream.
You probably aren’t going to get to that state of young-parent bliss, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying.
Choose a rental that’s close to things your young ones will love, whether it’s a beach, a playground, or an amusement park.
Also, if you’re planning a lot of outdoor activities, be sure to plan time in the shade. Too much sun can be especially hazardous for young kids.
Rentals with Baby and Toddler Furniture
You’ll already need to bring along strollers and car seats and the whole nine yards of “toddlerabilia” – not to mention the diaper bag.
Finding a vacation rental with a crib, Pack-‘n’-Play, or highchairs takes some of the burden off of you, maybe they’ll even have a baby gate.
Before assuming the rental’s equipment is adequate, see if you can examine pictures, ask questions, and read reviews. If you decide to bring your own, that’s ok too – our Guest Protect, Ski & Mountain, and Seaside Coastal Travel Insurance plans come with coverage for your baggage and certain personal items too.
Peace of mind is invaluable for parents. Take a step towards that by contacting your vacation rental company and getting a vacation rental insurance quote today.
Have a great vacation!
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