Service Animals

[Sherry430]

I have a question about service animals. Our house is on the coast in Texas. We don't allow pets, per the listing. I have someone booked for a stay. She is now asking if we allow service animals. Can anyone give me some guidelines for this type of request? Just for background, there is a fenced yard and we have our dogs with us when we stay here for part of the year. I'm not averse to the guest having a true service dog, but not a "support animal". Are there questions I should ask or rules for service animals?

[Guy991]

Hello @Sherry430 ,

Yes!

There are dos and don'ts, and this whole topic is very sensitive.

I have had real emotional support dogs here, but I have also had guests who just used it to avoid paying the pet fee, and I couldn't do anything about it.

I suggest that you search for "service animals" in the community. There is lots of information there, including a brilliant post by @Joan2709 that I refer people to.

[Sherry430]

Thank you. I did just that and got a quick education on the subject. It's good information to know. Ask two questions to determine how to proceed. Exchanged many messages with the soon to be guest and we eventually arrived at a mutually beneficial outcome.

[Greystone0]

Hi @Sherry430  - it's an odd question as anyone with a service animal would probably know that a service animal is only/always ALLOWED. 

Here's AIRBNB policy: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1869

what you can ask/rules are noted in this policy.

note: emotional support animals are allowed by AIRBNB under this policy too.

In theory and as noted in the policy, a guest does not need to disclose this type of animal but it is a courtesy to let a host know.

In our case and in practice, we have never been 'told' prior to check in but guests have a dog and we ask and they say 'service animal'.  We have exterior cameras and can see the dog. In my opinion each guest who has said 'service animal' was not being truthful as we can see the dog dragging the owner out the door on the leash, barking, not coming when called and all sorts of nonsense that a trained service animal wouldn't be doing.

No matter the case, a dog in our home requires additional cleaning to get back to 'dog free' (pet hair, pet smell, pet nose smudges on windows etc). In our case our cleaning crew brings in an additional person and it is significant effort in time and budget. Learning after a guest arrives creates a scheduling hardship for us and so the courtesy to let us know ahead of time is greatly appreciated.

good luck!

[Joan2709 · Accepted solution]

@Sherry430 

Oh boy...be very careful on this. Hosts cannot refuse to accept a service animal and the guest does not even have to notify you they are bringing one. Most responsible Service Animal owners will notify the Host though. Only Hosts who home share (rent a room in a home where they live) can qualify for an exemption from Airbnb from hosting service animals due to allergies (you'll have to provide proof from a Doctor). You may also request an exemption if it would pose a safety issue for you (you have dog aggressive pets yourself). You need to have the exemption approved FIRST before denying service animals and you need to clearly state the exemption on your listing.

Below is Airbnb's policy on Service Animals and ESAs (Emotional Support Animals). I would read through it carefully. You are not obliged to accept an ESA (except in NY or California) and you can politely decline. If the guest claim's it is a service animal, you cannot refuse to Host them, nor can you charge a "pet" fee as service animals are not Pets. You cannot ask the guest to show proof the dog is a service animal and can only ask 2 questions (we generally don't ask as it sets up a confrontrational tone):

Service Animals & ESAs

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1869

Just because a guest claims they have a service animal doesn't mean they don't have requirements to follow when staying. Two important ones are:

Service animal may not be left alone at property (unless Host approves that - don't approve that)

Service animal must be on a leash when outside

Never refer to a service animal as a pet in verbal or written communication.

Here is the message we send to guest who are bringing a service animal or just show up with a dog and claim it's a service animal:

Thank you for your interest in our home and inquiring about bringing a service animal. We recognize how important service animals are to their owners and welcome guests that are accompanied by their well behaved, service animal. Below is some important information regarding Airbnb's policies for Hosts and Guests regarding service animals:

Airbnb Policies - Service Animals

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1869

Per Airbnb's policies, we do require service animals:

1. Be on a leash at all times while outside
2. Not left alone in/around the property (even if in backyard and/or in a crate)Not out of control (including excessive barking)
3. Must be housebroken

Guests are responsible for cleaning up after their service animal including picking up and disposing of solid pet waste.

Please confirm with us whether you plan to bring your service animal during your stay - we’re happy to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you. 😊

Thanks for the tag @Guy991