Service animals & pet fees

[Margaret1384]

Good morning,

I'm beginning my third month of hosting and appreciate the education I'm receiving here from contributors.  My house has a no pet policy but I understand that I must accept guests with service animals.  If a guest says they have a service animal when requesting a booking - which I understand they're not required to do - is it acceptable to add a pet cleaning fee? I've had one such experience so required two extra cleaning days.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Margaret1384 Simple answer is no. You cannot add a pet fee primarily because a service animal is not a pet. 

[Margaret1384]

Thank you - much appreciated!

[Helen3]

If you to to the Airbnb Help website it's a really good resource for understanding Airbnb's policies including it's service animal policy which includes questions you can ask guests who tell you they have a service animal, @Margaret1384 

[Margaret1384]

Thank you so much!

[Joan2709 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Margaret1384 

Good advice from @Helen3 and @Mike-And-Jane0 . As was mentioned you may NOT charge any fee for a guest bringing a service animal and it's a good idea to thoroughly  read through Airbnb's policy on Service Animals and ESAs (Emotional Support Animals). Be very careful when dealing with guests who say they are bringing a service animal and do NOT violate any of Airbnb's requirements. Guests are NOT required to even tell you they are bringing a service animal; they can just show up and tell you their dog is a service animal. Most responsible owners will always inform a Host they are bringing a service animal and legitimate service animals provide vital assistance to their owners and are generally well trained and behaved. 

If the guest tells you after booking they are bringing a service animal, you CAN follow Airbnb's policies which allow the host to state the following (should you decide this is your policy). Be sure to document this in a message to the guest (right after booking if possible if they tell you they are bringing a service animal) and include the Airbnb Help Article Link for the guest:

Airbnb's Policies Regarding Service Animals & ESAs

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3052

Hosts can have the following retrictions with service animals:

- The service animal may not be left alone in/around the property

- The service animal must be on a leash when outside

- Owners are required to pick up all pet waste

ESAs (Emotional Support Animals)

ESAs are not considered service animals. Per Airbnb policy, you are not required  to accept an ESA (Emotional Support Animal) if you don't wish to (except in NY or CA currently). NY & CA do require hosts to accept ESAs. Each state has different requirements regarding ESAs, but currently only NY & CA require Hosts to accept them to my knowledge. You can charge a pet fee for an ESA. Hosts that normally accept pets and charge a pet fee sometimes waive the pet fee for an ESA, but that is up to you.

CAUTIONS:

Never refer to a service animal as a "pet" in any communication; they are not pets

Never use discriminatory language in any communication; written or verbal

[Margaret1384]

I greatly appreciate your thorough response - even answered a question I hadn't thought to ask yet...thank you!

[Joan2709]

@Margaret1384 

Forgot to mention...

Looks like your property is in Kentucky, but for ESAs in NY or CA, I believe Hosts are not only required to not accept ESAs, but I believe they are not allowed to charge a fee. 

[Joan2709]

....oops, meant *required to accept ESAs and can't charge a pet fee in NY & CA. 

[Margaret1384]

@Joan2709 - morning...and thank you...again!

[Anna9871]

it's clear about a "pet fee", but if the listing is a pet-free, and guests came with ESA, can you charge a sanitary cleaning fee which is mentioned in the house rules?

[Helen3]

In most countries /areas you don't have to accept an ESA pet at all if you have a pet free home @Anna9871 

Please see earlier advice from  @Joan2709b and Airbnb's service animal and ESA policies 

[Sonya6]

Thank you Joan for your in-depth answer. I am a homeowner and host in France. No animal is considered a service animal unless the owner has been certified with a "carte d'invalidité" and a "carte de titulaire d'un chien d'assistance" This you can only obtain in you are living in France. The go around for tourists coming to France with a service animal is the send your US or other official accreditation showing training and the reason for your handicap to CANIDEA (LA CONFÉDÉRATION NATIONALE DES ORGANISATIONS DE CHIENS D’AIDE AUX PERSONNES)

I am an elderly person who lets out my part time home in France. I have a medical condition asthma that inhibits me to be around cat or dog dander. My face swells 3 times the size, my airways are cut-off and I can very easily die if I do not get to a hospital in minutes with is difficult for me to get there in time. I carry and Epi-pen but sometimes this does not do the trick depending on the animal breed. I have explained this on my listing, it is in my house rules, and my online handbook as to why I can not accept service animals. Recently I had a pushy guest from Seattle Washington who decided to book anyways. She had a second thought or maybe she decided to get out of her reservation without penalties, made a month earlier starting in two weeks and booked for a month. Whatever the reason she brought it up in the chat that she was bringer her husbands service animals ( yes plural) with her. My place is the size of a postage stamp 300 squ feet. Air Bn B allowed her to cancel with a full refund. When I inquired about avoiding this happening in the future Air B n B then proceeded to suspend all of my listings for an indeterminable amount of time and said that I was discrimination and going against their policy. Firstly their policy in illegal in France, secondly they are asking my to put my life at risk by accepting their illegal policy in my home? I am a bit of a loss. Is Air B n B above the law? Are they allowed to impose their policies in places where these policies are  illegal?

[Petra824]

Airbnb policy states that you can get an exception if it endangers the hosts health. I would contact them and request the exception. 

[Joan2709]

@Sonya6 

@Petra824 pointed out you can request an exemption from hosting guests with service animals if they pose a threat to health or safety. I would begin that process with Airbnb (they will probably require medical proof of your allergies). Once you receive the exemption, you should clearly indicate on your listing and in your Addl House Rules that you are unable to accept service animals and that Airbnb has provided an exemption to allow you not to Host guests with service animals:

Host Health or Safety Exemptions - Service Animals

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3052

"If a Host is unable to host service animals for reasons such as the animal would pose a direct threat to the health and safety of a permanent resident at their home, Hosts may be granted an exemption if they notify us proactively."