Pet fee - how much do you charge?

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

Was just thinking about my pet fee and was wondering what everyone else charges? 

[Marnie43]

Just wondering how do hosts charge their pet fee? It's frustrating that the app doesn't allow to charge or alter the cleaning fee based on length of stay. I've seen a few listings that say  pet fee is "cash-only payable upon checkout' and I've also seen 'cash only payable upon checkin'. Just curious how those who charge pet fees do it? I don't currently charge but I'm feeling like I should. I recently had someone stay with a St Bernard and it took days to clean the place 😞

[Tara275]

Oh my goodness, what a nightmare. I agree that it's frustrating that there isn't a way to charge directly in the app. It's not rocket science; other platforms have definitely been able to figure this one out. 

In any event, what I usually do is send them a request for money. I believe you can do this at any time; I'm kind of absent-minded and usually forget about it until I am cleaning after they've left, at which point I just send them a request. Some people have offered to pay through PayPal or Venmo, and others have decided to leave cash. What I'm not clear on is how that works when it comes to pay taxes on the income. I'm still pretty new to this. 

One guest so far (out of maybe 30 that have brought pets) has ignored the request for payment altogether. Everyone else has gone ahead and approved the request.

[Gerri7]

You're right - it's not rocket science. The way Airbnb has set it up is arbitrary and unrealistic. We aren't allowed to charge per dog, per night. They expect us to enter one fee regardless of circumstances. And I about fell off my chair when I saw the default number of dogs is FIVE. If a host checks the "Yes" (I allow dogs) box, but neglects to specify the maximum allowed, the default is five. I was really upset by this. Doesn't anybody think about the host when these changes are made? The properties are ours, after all. VRBO handles it so much better.

[Suzanne302]

@Marnie43 

I send a request via the Resolution Center. I make it very clear that it must be paid prior to arrival, and if it isn't, the pet will not enter the home.  I also withhold the check-in code for the door if it's not paid, but out of 50+ reservations with dogs, I haven't had to do that yet.

I have had to send reminders a few times, which I will do the day before check-in if it hasn't been paid yet.

[Anita852]

We love pets but we do charge a 50 euro one time fee, it might increase or stay the same depending on how much extra cleaning it will be (after more experience).

The "logical" reasoning behind this:
- Extra cleaning, we do not want to have a cleaning fee for all guests and we do not want to increase the price for people that do not have pets.

- Being able to bring your furry friends takes a lot of stress off your mind, we never liked to leave our pets.

- Dog/cat hostels, at least where we lived, were 25-35 euros/day.

- We have a big private yard that will be a joy for the animals to use.

With above logic, I think the price is fair, or even in the lower region. In other words, you are getting a major amount of value for a 50 euro fee. The guest that don't have pets get a cheaper price.

[Optimal0]

it depends how much damage they can do to your rental. But generally an extra security deposit is what we recommend and very clear rules for where the pet isnt allowed to go such as the bed.

[Erica1328]

Keep in mind that airbnb doesn't cover damage by pets. Not sure how $10-35/dog can pay for any kind of damage.  I love pets, used to allow them but don't anymore....I've had a few horrible cases of dogs using the interior as a bathroom, and their claws scuffing up all of the floors in the house, not to mention insane amount of dog hair to clean up everywhere. And these were from 'very well behaved and trained dogs'.

[Gerri7 · Accepted solution]

We charge $20 per night per dog, and collect a fully refundable $250 security deposit per dog. Our maximum is 2 dogs. Guests are asked to complete and sign a copy of our Dog Agreement (contract). We have several restrictions - no puppies under 1 year, dogs must be spayed or neutered (less likely to mark, to be aggressive, to roam, often are more calm, etc.), dogs must be well behaved on leash, and owners must agree to keep dogs on leash whenever they are outdoors. We have lots of wild critters here - bear, deer, turkeys, fox, eagles, coyotes, etc., and the leash rule is intended to protect wildlife as well as the dogs and our neighbors.  It is amazing how few problems we've had. Vacuums are available to guests at both of our homes and we tell guests if they clean up after the dog/s and there are no damages, we'll refund 100% of the deposit. I don't know how many visiting dogs we've had over the years, but it's a lot. The owners are thrilled to be able to bring them along on vacation, and we have found that dog-owning guests are often better than those without pets. In 5 years we have only withheld money once from the deposit. We have dogs ourselves and allowing them at the rentals is really a win-win. 

Sorry this is so long, but I want to add a comment about the new restrictive policy Airbnb has implemented. If you check the 'pets accepted' box, their default is 5 animals (!!! right??) and you're required to enter a per-stay fee. The host has no flexibility to charge per night, instead of per stay.  

My workaround is to message guests immediately after booking with a copy of our Dog Agreement. The Agreement contains information about our fees and deposits. I bill through the Resolution Center and, after the stay, I promptly refund the deposits. Not ideal, but there doesn't seem to be any other way to do it.

[John6723]

How do you go about charging for the deposit? 

And where in the listing do you have the dog contract, and state the dog rules? 

And finally, on the platform I only see the ability to charge a fee "per trip." How are you setting a price per night? 

Thank you! 

[Yvonka0]

This is an excellent statement! We recently implemented pets into our stays but felt we were missing some key details. The contract and security deposit are great additions - would you mind sharing your template for the contract? As we allow cats as well, I will certainly modify it, however, it would be nice to have a general idea of what to include in the write-up.

Thank you!

[Desiree200]

This is so helpful thank you! Very clear. 

[Roushun0]

Hi Gerri, we are encountering this issue now, we do not allow pets but would like to make an exception for a potential customer, would you mind sharing your Dog Agreement? I am just curious to know what details you include. Thank you!

[Gerri7]

Here's our dog agreement - you may want to speak with your attorney before using it. Feel free to modify in any way that meets your unique situation. Good luck!

The format will probably change - hope it is readable when it uploads.

Dog Agreement - all dogs must be pre-approved

Based on the criteria below, please make a realistic call as to whether your dog/s are likely to do well at our vacation home. The reality is while most dogs are wonderful, they aren’t necessarily all great houseguests.  Nobody knows our dogs like we do ourselves, so glance at your buddy sitting over there by the food dish (or eating the food dish) 😊 … and keep him or her in mind as you read on. 

Requirements: Dogs should be…

At least one year old.

1. Spayed or neutered.
2. Obedient and calm – on and off leash.
3. Free from behavioral problems such as excessive barking or howling, chewing, scratching at/near doors and windows, hyper behavior such as jumping up.
4. Non-aggressive toward people and animals. Please do not bring a dog to our property if it has any history of aggression.
5. House trained. If your male dog likes to mark outdoors, please steer him away from exterior structures to avoid stains and odors. Fido can sign his name on plenty of trees instead.
6. We recommend Flea/Tick prevention to protect your dog (and future guests). We also recommend heartworm preventive.

House Rules:

1. No dogs on furniture without protective sheets (we provide these).
2. Leash dogs while outside to protect neighbors, other dogs, and wildlife. Even the best-trained dog may run to chase a deer, bear, fox, coyote or skunk. Wild animals can carry disease; many will bite.
3. Crate your pup/s when they’re alone indoors. You can bring a crate or we can provide one or two on request.
4. Good housekeeping. Wipe off wet/muddy paws; use an old towel to dry your dog before coming in after a swim.  Pick up dog waste, bag/tie and place in one of the covered bins outside or in the garage.
5. Report any injuries, damages or complaints to us right away.
6. Hosts retain the right to require immediate removal of any dog if the animal is being disruptive, causing damage, posing a risk to people or other animals, or for other major violations.

Dog Fees:

$20 per dog per night, due after your dog/s have been approved. You’ll receive an email requesting payment of any outstanding pet fees. Dog fees are not applied to extra cleaning costs or damage repairs. 

Dog Deposits:

$250 per dog, fully refundable. Deposit will be returned within one week after check-out, less any charges for damages, extra cleaning or other pet-related costs. If issues are found after check-out, photos will be taken and shared with you to document the reason for charges.

Next Steps:

If your dog qualifies and you’re ok with our house rules, please provide the information requested on the following page, sign and return both pages via email. Please contact us with any questions. Thank you!

Guest #1 Signature	Date
Guest #2 Signature	Date

Dog Agreement & Certification

Property Owners

Property Name

Booked through

Airbnb

VRBO

Guest Name / Address

Guest’s Mobile Phone

Alternate Phone:

Dates of Stay

ARRIVE:

DEPART:

DOG #1

DOG #2

Dog Name

Age

Breed/s

Color

Weight

Spayed/Neutered: Y or N

Male or Female

Rabies expiration date

Fees

$20/dog per night

$

$

Deposits: $250 per dog, fully refundable:

Total:  $

I/we own the dog/s described above and certify the information is correct and complete. My dog/s satisfy the requirements on page 1, and I will follow the House Rules. I accept full responsibility for any injury or damages the dog/s may cause to people, other animals and/or property. If the dog/s should be injured or become ill during my/our stay, [insert your business name/property name/individual names] will not be held liable.

Guest #1 Signature

Date

Guest #2 Signature

Date

Date

Full address, phone, website, email, etc.

[Jenifer80]

Hi Gerri. I just saw your post about pet fees. I like your idea of the pet deposit and the dog agreement. What I'm hung up on is the rate. We allow dogs upon approval. We have a large fenced yard so it's perfect for furry friends. Right now we do $45/day per dog. If they bring multiple, we do $45 for 1st, $30 for 2nd and $15 for every after. Most people are fine with it. Especially with short rentals. But when we have someone wanting to stay a week or 2, it gets costly. Currently, we have a request for 2 weeks with 3 dogs. Per our fees, it would be $1260. Now I agree that's absurd. So we offered them $850. You can't board your dogs for that. But they then were saying that some of the places they were looking at only charged $100 for the entire stay, and one was even $50. I just don't understand how you can do that. We've had some messes beyond normal use after pets have been in the house. Even your $20/day would still be $840. 

I just desperately want to have a flat method/formula that we use so it's not an issue every time so eone is requesting to bring pets. 

Was hoping you might have any suggestions for me? Maybe I do $75/dog/stay up to 6 nights , $100/dog over 6 nights with a refundable deposit and dog agreement?

Would you be willing to share your dog agreement just as a template? Thank you for your help on advance.

[Gerri7]

Hi Jennifer,

It's definitely cumbersome to come up with a fee schedule that compensates you fairly but doesn't cost the guests so much that it's a deal-breaker for them. Our longest stay is usually 7 nights, so I don't feel uncomfortable with charging $20/day ($140) and for 2 dogs it is $280. That's significantly less than a good boarding facility would charge (some guests do look at it that way). For us, we've discovered that guests with dogs are great about taking care of our places. So we don't charge as much as we could - because we don't want to discourage dog owners. We are a prized commodity up here in NW Wisconsin, because not many other vacation rental owners allow pets. Or, if they do, they have a size/weight limit (which drives me crazy because larger dogs are far less likely to mark and are usually quieter when unattended). 

I have offered discounts many times. If the guests have good ratings from other dog-friendly hosts and they ask if I'll consider giving them a break, I'll almost always say yes. I'd rather see the guests spend that extra $100-150 to do something fun in the area.

You might want to calculate the average # of days that your dog-owning guests usually stay at your place.  Then just come up with one single reasonable rate, per night, per dog. Unless you really need the extra income, keeping the charge lower vs. higher seems to be a great way to get more bookings and encourage repeats. 

I'm not familiar with how to share a form - but I can share the text content of our Dog Agreement if that will help?

Good luck with what you decide. I really think it's a win-win to allow dogs - glad you do, too!

Gerri