[Poll] Do you allow pets, and would you consider allowing them in the future?

[Quincy]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to do a poll on whether you allow/accept pets. Would you consider allowing them in the future, following the news that was recently shared?

I know that some members of this community have mentioned that they have (multiple) pets, and over time we've seen lovely photo's of them on our "Meet the pets" topic! 

It would be very interesting to hear your thoughts about this subject, whether you have a pet or not 🙂

Alternatively, if you have any other reasons why you allow or do not allow pets, please comment below in the thread telling us more about your choice and why.

Thank you,

Quincy

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

Adult and house-trained dogs are welcomed at our Airbnb. We had only good experiences with them (knock on wood)  We charge a small cleaning fee/per dog/per stay and this new pet-fee tool will be useful to us and our guests. It is a fair and positive change that Airbnb decided to accept pet damage from now on... at least theoretically ... we'll see...

Yes, I have a dog... and always travel with him 🙂

[Quincy]

Thank you for your reply @Branka-and-Silvia0! Let's hope the good experiences stay that way! 🙂

Have you ever flown to another country with your dog? Just asking out of curiosity, because I have never done that!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Quincy  No I haven't and wouldn't fly with my dog unless absolutely necessary. It is too stressful for any animal except if it is small enough to be allowed in the cabin with its owner.

[M199]

@Quincy 

We allow pets, usually dogs.  About 20% of our guests bring 1 to 3 dogs.  For the most part, they (the host, not the dogs) do a much better job of cleaning vs non-pet guests.

As well, as a suggestion to any policy,  all pets must be fully certified vaccinated.  I didn't even think about that until I put my hand out and got nipped, blood drawn.

Except for that guest, a lot of our repeat guests are the ones with dogs.  And the dogs, even a year later, remember our place.

Woofs to Nova, Lucy, Daisy, Banksy and a few others!

[Sarah977]

Does anyone else find the photo for this thread a little strange? The guy looks distressed as if he's carrying the dog (which otherwise looks large to be carried) because something bad has happened to it. 

[Claudia-And-David2]

I love animals and thought it was a great idea, but one + guests have destroyed my vision for responsible owners. I have replaced furniture and doors due to good dogs with lazy humans. Not all fit this category but its that exception. The cleaning process is much more intense and having extra area rugs and a handy man to replace damages done is at a premium. Because i do it all myself(cleaning) and run a brick and mortar retail shop i need to block 2 extra days to deep clean. That turns into lost income .  i dont want to b forced to accommodate for an animal as well as forced to bring children into an upstairs apartment that opens up to a major road. 

[Normen0]

We do not allow dogs for two reasons. The first being that we have had bad experiences. “the dog will not be left alone” is a hollow promise for some folks.  Our premium AIRBNBs have luxury made to order furniture that cannot be replaced quickly or inexpensively.  Will AIRBNB reimburse me for temporary furniture to put in place while I wait 4-6 months for repairs or replacement custom furniture?
Secondly, we live on the property with our two low shedding miniature pinschers. They can pick up a scent on the property as soon as they step out of the door. They are highly territorial and everyone is going to hear about it. They have no issues with guests, just animals.  

[Shari59]

I’ve recently allowed ‘pets’ to stay. My calendar is set either side of new bookings which allows me time to thoroughly clean the space which is needed for COVID cleaning protocol and isn’t  a great deal extra cleaning when a pet stays.

I’ve increased my price across the calendar and added a cleaning fee (which I hadn’t previously, it was included in the cost per night) this covers some of the down time.

I find that all guests have been very respectful, cleaning and vacuuming after their pets prior to check out. I provide pet linen, towels, bowls and biodegradable poop bags for guests. Another guest provided their own kitty litter tray!

All guests have provided their own bedding for their pets. We’ve even had birds stay! 

Our local council has great brochures which are available to guests, clearly showing ‘off leash’ parks, dog beaches and local bylaws regarding dogs/pets. 

The secret is good communication with ‘guests with pets’ prior to their arrival which I think is the key. 

[Holly504]

I am having a hard enough time getting humans to behave properly while on my property, I can't imagine how bad it would be if I allowed pets!! The guests that have been booking lately can't seem to read rules, so I wouldn't feel confident that they would follow, much less read or pay attention to any rules I set in place.  I have also noticed that guests don't report broken items or accidents they, themselves have had. I would hate to think there was dog pee on the bed or sofa! Pet owners seem to have a sense of entitlement around their pets. Especially dog owners. Yes, I have many pets and one is a dog. I have never lived without a dog and never would, but I don't think it is necessary for her to go everywhere with me. She appreciates that.

[Sarah977]

@Holly504  "I have never lived without a dog and never would, but I don't think it is necessary for her to go everywhere with me. She appreciates that."

Exactly. I am exactly the same. When I go travelling, I get a friend to house and dog sit for me. The dog does miss me, but she is much more comfortable on her own territory than being dragged around to unfamiliar places.

Apparently tons of people got themselves puppies during the pandemic. As if it was like getting yourself a stuffed animal rather than a 9-17 year committment that requires training and attention.

[Sally-and-Gary0]

I've allowed pets at my property, and it is well received.   I love to take my fur baby with me when I travel, so understand how others do too.   Touch wood, so far no issues with pets or damages.  

We provide towels, bowls and poop bags, every guest has cleaned up the poop from the yard.  

As far as pet allergies go, if someone is allergic to pet dander, I would assume they would not choose to book a pet friendly place so I do not worry about that possibility.

I do mention in my listing to keep pets off the furniture, however we all know this won't happen if a pet is used to being allowed on the furniture at home, so I ask the owners to bring a blanket for their pet to lay on....

I don't charge an extra fee for the dogs, I've built it in to my nightly price - so far only one person has asked how much is it for not bringing pets... I said no change, they didn't book but I'm happy because she was asking so many questions about the place that was clearly stated in the listing so I think I dodged a bullet with that one.  I do however charge a $100 cleaning fee, it takes my cleaner three hours to clean for each turnover.

I think accepting pets if you're open to it is great, and as there's so few that do allow pets means my listing is shown to more people 🙂

[Laura2592]

@Quincy we allow them and will continue to. We have always allowed them. 

I am pleased there will be an option for an easy to charge pet fee. But I do think that individual hosts need to be able to make this decision and that ABB should respect that. I can see many reasons why a host might not want to allow a pet:

- allergies

-existing pets or small kids on the property

-concern about extra clean up or damage

-safety issues

-lack of a fenced space

-noise concerns if walls are shared or neighbors close

[Anna10895]

I have a no pet policy; then I allowed a guest to bring his "Chihuahua" because he told me that his little dog was quiet and trained and that I would not even know he was there.  I explained to him that I would make an exception for him.  I didn't even charge a pet fee! Yes, his Chihuahua  was quiet and  I didn't know he was there until the day they left.  As  I entered the apartment, I was pleased that they left it in good condition until I stepped into the living room. ( I do not wear shoes in my home ).  So I step on a very wet spot.  I was like UGH!  What is this?  I bent down and smelled the urine!  I was furious to say the least.  I immediately contacted my guest and informed him about this wet spot his dog left and that he had to pay for it.  He refused.  NO MORE pets for me!

[Brenda842]

I am highly allergic to pet dander. I break out in hives and have difficulty breathing. So I do not allow pets. I understand I HAVE to allow service animals, but I don't agree with ESA. You can look at all the ads that advertise how to turn your pet into an ESA just by paying for a paper. 

[Emilie]

Hi @Brenda842, 

I wanted to let you know that our policy had been updated to honour your concerns, giving you more control over pet fees. You can find more information here. 

Thanks again for all your feedback!

Emilie