Childfree couples - how do we split the AirBnb bill?

[0nally]

Please could you help settle a family debate?

Four couples. Two couples are childfree. One couple has two teens and the other couple has two younger children.

We are all going away for a week this summer and foolishly hadn't discussed how to split the accommodation bill before we agreed to it. The couples with children are proposing we split it 25% each... is this fair?

Agree with the split by room, UNLESS there is a big discrepancy between rooms - e.g. if there was one super fancy master suite maybe the couple who get this should pay more.

It's fairest to split it by room, but quite often in families Grandparents or uncles and aunts are happy to split it equally across the adults only as they enjoy the children being there too.

Remember, if it is being split by room, the couples need to realise since everyone has paid the same, they can't expect to shove the children in the undesireable rooms with bunks/pull out beds etc, while they have the king size beds and ensuite bathrooms. All names (including the children) need to go in the hat and have an equal chance for the good rooms. If you want a guarantee you'll not end up in the bunks/singles, then you probably need to be prepared to pay a bit more for that. You can't expect the children to pay the same for a shit room as you do for a good room. (Obviously if all of the rooms a king size with ensuite, then this doesn't apply, but that's very unusual).

The children aren't paying. Their parents are.

Split by rooms.

And teenagers in most places are treated as adults money-wise: they eat as much and require just as much space as adults.

Couple with teens who suggested that are CFers; they want you to subsidise their holiday even more than you already are by sharing accommodation.

We've done this...split by room

For me, what’s fair might also depend a bit on relative financial positions and back history and on who picked the accommodation or set the budget in the first place. It is complicated, particularly if there’s a big range in the quality/size of the rooms.

You split by room but the all names in a hat and rooms are randomly assigned.

You can’t expect to put the DC in the worst rooms (and there’s always a best and a worse) if you all pay equal.

But to be honest as a large family, better off than my siblings I’d just ask for a contribution to food and suck up the extra as a cost of being away with the family

I think it depends on finances and relationships. We’d just split the bill four ways with anyone we are close enough to vacation with, and happily cover the child costs as they don’t pay for themselves, , but I can see why that’s not fair, so per room is the fairest, so you pay a sixth, so does the other childless couple, and the two couples with kids pay two sixths each.

food is more complex especially if booze involved, and if little kids who don’t eat much, personally I’d just split that four ways, but you will be subsidising the kids then and may not wish to do that. As such I’d say something like the two childless couples pay 20 percent each and the young kids parents 25 percent and the one with the teens 35 percent.

I’d also agree that if you split the cost equally you don’t get to give the kids the worst room, that’s unfair.

I'm baffled that the kids should be offered a "better" room. I'd be paying for a room for me and dh, and a room for my kids. Why would I put my kids in a king-sized en suite bedroom when a twin non en suite is perfectly fine and probably more suitable for them anyways.

As long as none of the sleeping options are camp beds or sofa beds, then all beds are beds.

Same as the majority-split by room.

Ooh,
I understand why...
Family with children will cost them £1100 versus £1750.
Ultimately, for a week in the summer away, as a family, I could find cheaper than that, so think possibly it could be a case of sucking up for the benefit of communal holiday.

Not ideal, I've been hit with this when there's 2 of us versus a family members family of 6! Been there and just had to accept it was for the greater good. Better than soured relationship if not discussed earlier.

I think its more complicated if its family than if it not. In my family we would probably still just split four ways and presumably you are all wanting to holiday together. But the different financial situations of those involved might also be taken into account.

You split it per bedroom as that's basically what you are paying for. So it depends if the children are sharing with the parents or not and whether the hosts charge extra per guest over a certain point.

Per room. You only need one room, they need two for their family. If their kids had slept in their room on camp beds, fair enough, but they’re not. The same for food bills. If they grumble point out if you weren’t here they’d have to pay for their children’s food and rooms. You really should have discussed this before it was booked. You’re in for an awkward holiday now!

If I was going with friends I’d definitely split per room.
with family I’d be more flexible and consider everyone else’s budgets .

Id divide the cost by 6 and id pay 2/6s if it were my children going. The childfree couples pay 1/6. When you go out for meals and drinks say to the waiter family 1, 2, 3 and 4 and do your orders separately so you aren't subsidising food and drink for their children. That's what we do when we go away and its us who has the kids.

I know a lot of people really enjoy holidays with family all in the one villa/house, but for me that's a no. So I'd split alright, straight to my own accommodation nearby!

Do these family arrangements ever work out well? I mean the least I would expect if one of the childless couples is en suite. That then means that those with children might say well, my kids don't have en suite so I should pay less, and you go round and round the merry go around and tempers can fray.

Talk to your family and if you feel a 25% equal split is not fair, say it and work around it, but if you love your family and get on great, then suck it up and pay a quarter of the total price. Or cancel your participation altogether.

It's not that the children should be offered a "better" room. It's that they shouldn't be charged at the same price if they are only going to be offered the worst room.

I think a split of 20% for couples and 30% for families would probably be fairer, on the understanding that the children are given the twin/bunk/pull out rooms, and the adults being given the doubles/kings etc.

I'd say the policy should be something like split per room if roughly equal and split by 4 if the kids and their parents go in non ensuites while the childfree couples get lovely big ensuites.

On the food front, maybe just cater a breakfast and big dinner each and pay separately for meals out?

When we go away as a family group we pay by how many rooms we need. Last place was £1000 per night with 10 bedrooms which made it really easy to sort!

Agree with many others, split by room. If you're eating out, agree to pay for your own family. Buying joint food, those with DC should pay more.