Pets

[Shawnda13]

How much are you guys charging for pet fees? Mine is $100 right now,  but honestly I don’t feel like that’s enough for the amount of time it takes to lint roll and sanitize every single thing. 

[Joan2709]

@Shawnda13 

We have a $75 per pet fee and accept 2 pets (dogs only) We're considering raising it to $125.  The problem is if you raise it too high, you run the risk of "fake" service animals, as the guest doesn't want to pay the pet fee. It may be better to stop accepting pets altogether. Of course, that won't eliminate the fake service animal issue.

Many Hosts are deciding to discontinue accepting pets due to irresponsible pet owners who don't obey the house rules regarding pets, (don't pick up their poo, leave pets alone in the listing (not crated per house rules) and the pet destroys the furniture, constant barking due to anxiety disturbing neighbors, etc. I truly feel sorry for these animals and wonder why their owners even have them.  They don't seem to truly care about their pet or the Host's property. 

[Lorna170]

@Shawnda13  I charge $100 for up to 2 dogs, no cats or other animals.  My pet friendly property has hardwood floors, no rugs, leather and wood furnishings and I supply a dog bed and dog sheets (to cover furniture).  My housekeeper receives 3/4 of the fee for the extra time involved in removing animal evidence, and the remainder goes into my "damage repair/liars" fund.  I also have a nightly rate that is higher than my nearby "no pets allowed" competition.

I have been fortunate as most of my pet owners have been very responsible about their pets.  I do get the persons (liars) who say that their pets are service animals, but when I ask about the dog (oh, how wonderful - did you have to wait a long time to get your animal?  My sister trains dogs for X organization - who is your dog from?)  I learn that the animal is an ESA or the "fur baby" and the "parent" ends up paying for the dog.

If cleaning after a pet has become onerous, review your options - no more pets, an increase in pricing (nightly rate or pet fee) or a revision of your decor.  

[Joan2709]

@Lorna170 

Excellent advice! 

[Joan2709]

@Lorna170 

I love your suggestion about saying:

"oh, how wonderful - did you have to wait a long time to get your animal?  My sister trains dogs for X organization - who is your dog from?)" 

The only concern I would have is technically you are only able to ask 2 specific questions regarding a service animal and a guest could contact Airbnb and say you were discriminating against them by asking the above instead of the 2 allowable questions (be sure you ask them in the Airbnb message thread and not verbally or via text):

1. Is the animal required because of a disability?

2. What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?

The guest must answer these questions. If they don't, Airbnb says you can ask again. If they don't respond, then you can consider the answers to be "No" and treat the animal as a pet or ESA and send a reservation alteration to include the pets. If they don't accept the alteration, advise the guest you have to contact Airbnb and have them cancel the stay at no penalty to you.

If you are a no pet lising and the guest doesn't answer the questions (after asking twice), contact Airbnb to have them cancel the stay at no penalty to you as the guest is intending to break your House Rule about No Pets.

Service Animals & ESAs

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

Of course the guest can lie, so we add the Airbnb allowable restrictions for service animals to our message:

Can't be left alone at the listing (even if in a crate) - deal breaker for most fake service animals

Must be on a leash in public areas & not allowed in private areas

[Greystone0]

Hi @Shawnda13 ,

excellent advice given! Here's how we handle:

- currently,  we have $45 per night and we have a 3 night minimum. This is meant to mimic a boarding fee per night. We've had this lower and higher as a per night rate and we've also had a single rate. Currently we don't accept 'pets' on AIRBNB but we do on our other sources of reservations.

- we've had great guests with great pets and also not great with lots of damage and clean up. Hard to know which is which.

- in the cases where the guest and dog comes and goes and my cleaner says 'gosh, are you sure they had a dog', we refund the dog fee with a true-heart-felt message of gratitude to the guest and dog for being so respectful.  It is night and day between some pet owners and for that we wish to recognize. 

- and yes, it is a lot of extra work to bring a property back to 'pet' free. A lot! The majority of our reservations, broadly speaking (even when we accepted pets via AIRBNB) are pet free, so our guests expect a rental free from signs from pets. And to get it back to that point is a lot of work as you have noted. 

Good luck!

[Gernide0]

Hi Shawnda!,

I totally get what you mean — cleaning after pets can be a lot! I currently charge a $75 pet fee, which keeps my bookings strong because it’s fair and still covers basic cleaning costs.

In my House Rules, I’m very clear about my pet policy:

• Up to 2 pets allowed 
• Each under 20 pounds
• Service animals are always welcome 🦮
• Pets are not allowed on furniture or beds
• Any damage, odor, excessive hair, or rule violations result in a $250 additional cleaning/damage fee

Having these rules upfront helps me attract responsible pet owners and maintain my property’s condition — it’s really made a difference for my bookings and peace of mind! ✨

— GeGe Boss | Property Manager