Not told about pets

[Gloria1210]

Our home is advertised as pet free and we just found out that our current guests have brought their family dog.

Has anyone else experienced this and how did you address the issue?

[Daud22]

This is an incredibly common issue and a direct violation of your house rules, especially since keeping a home completely pet free is often a health and allergy necessity for subsequent travelers. Your absolute first step is to gather undeniable proof, whether that is a snapshot from an outdoor security camera or a visual confirmation. Message the guests immediately through the Airbnb platform to establish a clear paper trail, keeping the tone polite but firm. You can let them know that you noticed they brought a dog along, and remind them that the home must remain strictly pet free due to severe allergies. This forces them to respond on the record and gives you the exact leverage you need.

Once that paper trail is started, call Airbnb support right away to log the house rules violation. Depending on your comfort level, you have the right to either demand the dog be boarded immediately or ask the guests to leave for breaching the rental agreement. Alternatively, if you choose to let them finish their stay, notify them clearly in the chat that a substantial deep cleaning fee will be issued through the Resolution Center to restore the home to its advertised allergen free standard. Airbnb heavily backs hosts on unauthorized animal claims when documented properly, so do not hesitate to enforce your boundaries.

[Elisa · Accepted solution]

Hi @Gloria1210 😊, 

I'm sorry this happened to you.

How did you manage the situation?

Did you happen to read Daud's comment?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

[Jamed0]

We had this happen recently.  Th renters brought a large dog and when the property manager called, they said there's nothing you can do and if you try, AirBnb will sue you.  The AirBnb policy is ludicrous:

The renter can simply say the dog is ADA compliant

You are NOT ALLOWED to ask for proof or what the disability is

You CANNOT refuse a renter because it's not a "pet", it's a "guest" just like a person.

My wife and I are very sensitive to animals and our grandson and close friend who comes once a year can have an asthma attack due to any pet smells.  AirBnB doesn't care about THOSE disabilities!  They will only exempt the property if you live onsite and have a "life threatening" allergy.

The solution, DON'T list with AirBnb.  Like most laws, people are abusing them and just "saying" their animal is ADA and you aren't even allowed to ask for proof.

We removed our listing because of this and AirBnB's ridiculously high fees (25%) compared to other sites at 10-18%