[Festival] How to create a pet-friendly property

[Suzanne302]

Make my property pet-friendly? Are you kidding? Never!

Maybe you've had an experience with a bad dog owner. Or maybe you aren't a dog person. Some hosts just don't want the hassle of dealing with pets. That's completely understandable. Hosting pets does not come without risks, but listing your property as pet-friendly can often increase your bookings and increase your bottom line.

I'm one of those people who loves to travel with my dog. As a matter of fact, I usually plan vacations with my dog in mind. Surveys of other pet parents show I am not alone. There is a high demand for pet-friendly listings. I'm always appreciative of those hosts who allow me to travel with my dog and that's one reason my listing is pet-friendly.

Below are a few ways you can pet-proof your home and provide amenities to traveling pet parents to make things easier on both host and guest.

• Charge a pet fee. Some pets leave no trace behind. Others
  require extra cleaning. No matter what I'm left with after a four-legged guest leaves, I always do “extra” sanitizing. Don't be afraid to charge a pet fee, but make sure it's reasonable. For homeshares, $25-$50 is completely fair. For whole house rentals, depending on the size $100-$200 is not unheard of.

• Ditch the carpet. Hardwood or laminate flooring is your friend! Accidents happen, even with house-trained dogs. Cleaning up those accidents is super easy on hardwood or laminate flooring. Not so easy with carpet. If you can't get rid of the carpet, strategically placed throw rugs are a great option as they can easily be tossed in the washer and will save the wear and tear on your wall-to-wall carpet.

• Require a crate. Even the most well-behaved dog can get anxious when staying in an unfamiliar place. Require that guests bringing dogs also bring a crate if they plan to leave the dog in the property unsupervised.

• Post clear rules. Dog rules are a must-have and make sure those rules are mentioned numerous times to your guests as well as posted in your listing as a reminder. The rules are up to you but mine require doggy guests to be house-trained, socialized, and supervised or crated at all times. I also state that any dog that becomes disruptive will need to leave the property immediately.

• Remove fragile objects and doggy temptations. Your grandmother's tea cup may look beautiful on that lower shelf, but one wag of the tail and it could come crashing down. Same thing with that beanie baby collection or stuffed animal. It may look too much like a dog toy so best to remove the temptation altogether.

• Designate a place for potty breaks. Make sure guests know where they can and can't walk their dog to “do their business.” Providing waste bags is also a nice gesture to remind guests to pick up after their pet.

• Provide extras. My reviews often mention the extra steps I take to welcome doggy guests. I provide food and water bowls, dog treats, and doggy wipes. These cost me pennies per guest, but up the “wow” factor. 

• Offer a list of pet-friendly restaurants, activities. I don't bring my dog with me so he can sit in the house or room all day! When I travel I want to know where I can take my dog. Guests appreciate this insider information.

Hosting pets isn't for everyone, but in over a year and a half of welcoming dozens of pooches into my home, it's definitely made my hosting experience that much better. I've gotten many bookings not just because I'm pet-friendly, but because I actively cater to pet parents. As long as you're prepared, opening up your property to this very active market could be rewarding for you, too.

 

[Suzanne302]

@Barry-and-Lera0  Yet another story to add to the "kids seem to cause more damage than dogs" pile!

@Rich-and-Yan0  I don't allow children under 12 either, but it's stated on Airbnb as "Not suitable for children under 12."  I made an exception two times but made it clear up front that my house was not child-proofed and I had absolutely nothing in the listing to offer children.

The first was an infant and the parents were wonderful and no issues at all. The second was a 9 or 10 year old and her mom. She got ink stains all over my bedspread, she would wander around the (shared) house singing loudly, splashed water all over the bathroom, and kept leaving the back door unlocked.

[Rich-and-Yan0]

@Suzanne302 Oh, wow. That's just terrible. 

We've only had two sets of guests so far, both families, both with children. The first group had two girls in their early teens, and the second had a 9-year-old and 7-year-old. To my knowledge, there were no issues at all with them. Our neighbours and house managers didn't report any complaints or any problems, and both families left the house very clean. 

In September we will be hosting our first family with an infant as well as a 3-year-old sibling, and so that could be interesting. We have child-proofed the house as much as we could and we also have an expandable baby crib and a child seat. Hopefully it will be uneventful, but your experience has certainly opened our eyes to the possibility of what could go wrong. 

Thanks for sharing. 

[Lan1]

@Barry-and-Lera0 I fully agree! I never charged pet fee for both my listing (3bed2bath house), have not got any issue but kids frequently caused damages in the house, interesting is the parents always gave me bad reviews.... 

[Miloud0]

Salute @Suzanne302, 

Thank you for the interesting ideas. 

Thanks, 

Miloud

[Rich-and-Yan0]

@Suzanne302 That's some great advice there. We are dog and cat people and would love to host a pet-friendly place one day, but in our current villa it is not an option, as the condominium we are part of has strict rules about pets. But hopefully, we will be adding another property next year, and if we can make it a pet-friendly one, then we will keep all of your tips in mind. 

Great pets, too. Are those all your own, or did guests bring them?

[Suzanne302]

@Rich-and-Yan0  Sadly, those are not my pics! I don't know why I didn't think of using pics of my own pups! Duh.

[Rich-and-Yan0]

@Suzanne302 That's okay. I actually think it makes the point even better if you're showing how well you bond with other people's doggies and kitties. (That one of the cat giving you a kiss is precious.)

[Ann72]

@Suzanne302 Extremely helpful post!  One of my properties is pet-friendly and I'm going to add some things based on your wonderful advice.

[Suzanne302]

Thanks @Ann72 !

[Annette76]

I’m going to include a pet basket that will have some toys, poo bags, treats and a big blanket with a note that they should drape the sofa with the blanket if they want the dog to snuggle with them on the sofa. Also, I have a back up set of linens in a dark color for the bed which I use if there will be a pet.  

[Suzanne302]

@Annette76  A blanket to drape over a sofa is a great idea! I, too, use a separate set of linens and different bed covering for guests with pets. That's another great tip!

[Carole527]

Hi Annette,
Just a heads up that if you are providing toys, a dog blanket, and a basket remember they will need to be washed/sanitized between each guest with products that are dog safe. Dogs (like humans) can pass on unpleasant germs and infections to each other.

Dog toys and bedding should be washed only in pure soap, not regular wash powder (which contains lots of harmful chemicals).

On the linens front, I find that dark colours show up dog hair more than light colours.

Cheers.

[Paul154]

A list of pet-friendly restaurants - Absolute genius!

How simple, but so helpful.

In my city, most coffee houses are dog friendly, but I now realize that there would be no reason that guests would know that. I'll have to tell them.

Thanks for the great advice!

[Barry-and-Lera0]

Also if you become pet-freindly you are added (for free) to BringFido.com which compiles Pet-friendly accomodations from hotel / motel listings, Airbnb's, VRBO etc. Just one more website where someone can see your listing. 

As pet owners and travelers it is a very helpful website.

[Carole527]

I welcome pets, but can't find a way to add a pet fee. Can you tell me how to do it?  Thanks