Hi.
When sending check in info a few days before a guest a...
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Hi.
When sending check in info a few days before a guest arrives, I have always sent 3 images that show the parking space l...
Latest reply
Was just thinking about my pet fee and was wondering what everyone else charges?
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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.
I agree with you 150%.
Very good this article! 👍👍
Hi gerri,
Your reply was very helpful, do you think you can send me the pet agreement/ contact, i am needing it asap. I'm a new host and i have s family wanting to bring 5 pets. 2 cats and 3 dogs.
Please scroll through this thread and you'll find it. 🙂
Hello, i have a different question regarding animals. How often do you have booking with a pet? Is it like every second booking or 1 in 10? Did you have cats? Thank you
No to cats. I love them, but they go where they want and will shed all over everything. Also, many will jump up on counters, etc. and it's too easy for items to be knocked off and broken. Not to mention scratching. I don't know of any VR owner that allows cats.
We have bookings with dogs often in summer - at least 50% of guests. In winter it's much less.
would you mind sharing your pet contract with me? **
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Hi Gerri,
I'm doing a little research on renting our mountain home and because we have a dog and would want to take our dog with us on vacation, are also wanting to make our rental dog friendly. I LOVE all your advice and will definitely follow it. Would you be willing to share your contract with me? **
Thanks in advance and no worries if you'd rather not.
Gigi
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UPDATE - 2024:
We've been accepting dogs since we began renting vacation homes - about 7 years - and have never had to keep a penny of any guest's dog deposit. People are so happy to be able to bring their dog/s (we accept up to 2) that I think they are extra careful.
About a year ago, I decided to stop asking for a dog deposit to see how it would go. No problems at all, and it eliminated the need to ask for the payment and then to refund it after the stay. And of course, Airbnb took their bite out of every deposit we received.
We do still require that the Dog Agreement form be completed and signed (no typed names). I have wondered whether the fact that it's a contract that must be filled out, signed and returned before check-in has contributed to the care that guests take of their pets. The content of the agreement is the same - I just removed the deposit requirement.
I'm still waiting for Airbnb to change the way they force hosts to handle pet deposits. Their system is awkward and makes us look unprofessional when we have to ask for fees 'after the fact.' Vrbo's system is so much better. Hope this update is helpful.
oops - I forgot that we did have to keep $50 from one deposit. That was it, after many many guests brought their pups along.
Great post and very helpful insight. Any chance you can share your Dog Agreement? Thank you in advance. (my email is: **)
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Hello, I am new to Airbnb and just listing my property for the first time the only option Airbnb gives me is to set one flat fee, how do you set a per night per pet fee? With a maximum number of pets because I called Airbnb and even on the phone their customer service told me The website format only allows for one single flat feet to be listed
@Gerri7 Very helpful info. Just to clarify, when I am setting up my listing, do I hit the "accepts pets" box and put in an amount, then send the Pet agreement with the correct terms ? Or do you leave that section blank but list it in the description?
@Lisa9383 In the listing info I indicated that we accept dogs, with a maximum of 2. Then in the 'other information' section, I use this language:
DOG POLICY:
Dogs (up to 2) will be considered. Our pet fee is $20 per dog per night. Guests who ask to bring dogs to our home will receive a copy of our Dog Agreement through Airbnb's messaging system for review, completion, signature and return. Once we receive the completed document your airbnb account will be charged for the applicable amount. Please message us with any questions or concerns about our policies. Thank you!
This works well and of course if a potential guest's pets don't meet our requirements then the guest can cancel w/no penalty as long as they do it within the first few days after making the reservation. We always have that one guest who, despite many requests, doesn't send the completed Dog Agreement. I explain that check-in information won't be provided until the paperwork is received and fees have been paid thru Airbnb. The majority of guests take care of this right away - our area doesn't have many pet friendly rentals, so they're happy to have found one that is.
Hi Tina, would you be willing to share your pet addendum? I love it! **
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