Trying to organise a holiday with a small child or baby can be a nightmare – you want to stay in a charming, family-orientated location, and yet every cottage you want to stay in has a treacherous spiral staircase, a frighteningly accessible pond or swimming pool, or no space for a travel cot. Baby or child-friendly properties can be like gold dust but fortunately, some astute landlords have seen the gap in the market and are beginning to tailor their holiday lets to suit families.

It is ideal for a family with a new baby or young children to look to the UK for their holidays, as there is much less disruption and organisation required, travel times are more manageable and one can be confidant of finding the right baby milk, should it run out, or an NHS doctor (should it be required) who speaks the same language, and can get in touch easily with your GP if required. Every parent however will need to ensure that the holiday home they are renting is a child-friendly property and there are a few questions they will need to ask before committing to the lease.

You will need to ask whether the property is on a single or multiple storeys and, if the latter is the case, whether there are stair-gates available to prevent any unwanted tumbles. A surprising number of holiday apartments or cottages now provide these, if requested. You will also need to ask about any outdoor or indoor swimming areas or water features; and ascertain whether they are secure or not against roaming toddlers or crawling babies. It is now a legal requirement for landlords to ensure that they are made secure if they are advertising their holiday home as a child-friendly property, so you would be well within your rights to ask before making a booking.

On top of the security aspect to choosing your holiday home, it is also worth checking to see whether the landlord can provide equipment for your baby or child; such as high chairs or cots, to save you packing so much and giving you an outside chance of actually fitting everything you will need into your car! You will certainly want to hire somewhere that has a washing machine, to save trekking out to find a laundrette, and good kitchen facilities. A microwave can be extremely useful for defrosting your baby's food quickly and some thoughtful owners supply microwave sterilisers for all those baby bottles in their baby-friendly property.

If you are looking for a really upmarket and relaxing stay, why not find out whether a local babysitter can be pre-booked to give you some time off, or a taxi service to drop you in to town? Some child-friendly properties list all of these ‘luxuries' on their websites, so it is really worth shopping around. Others go so far as to supply caterers or fitness instructors if you want.

Whatever your budget, or your taste, it is certainly worth doing your research and explaining carefully to the property's owners what your requirements are –- you will find that many do genuinely want to help families, as they tend to be the most conscientious guests, and more likely to return if the holiday was a success.