Emotional Support Dog

[Pat365]

I have someone asking to bring her youngest daughter's dog. She is a cancer survivor and said it's a service dog.

I can ask only two questions legally, Is the dog required for a disability, and what service is it trained to do?

It the answer is No, and it isn't trained to perform a service, do I have to accept it in my rental?

Honestly, I'm concerned that my neighbors 2 Huskies that often roam onto my property may get in a fight with it, and what if the child is hurt?

Or it barks and disturbs the neighbors?

This is a no win situation if either happens, let alone that my housekeepers charge more to clean pet properties.

I'm a SuperHost and I try to provide a great experience, but how can I protect myself and my property??

[Colleen253]

@Pat365  Is the guest booking a shared space or an entire space? One has leeway to specify no exceptions to the no pets rule in a shared space if its due to a safety or allergy issue. You should add that info to your listing if it applies. 

Otherwise, because ABB lumps ESAs in with SAs,  there isn’t much you can do. Guests aren’t even required to disclose they are bringing a SA. The fact that this guest is asking first is a good sign and indicates that they’re likely going to be responsible and considerate. 

Remind the guest that of course you expect that the animal won’t be left unattended in the space, given its role. If there is damage, you are technically covered under the HG, but as we all know, it’s not always easy to submit a successful claim. Claims for extra cleaning are not allowable.

As far as the neighbors roaming dogs go, I suppose you could warn the guest, but that’s something you shouldn't be allowing to happen when ANY guests are present in your listing. Your neighbors roaming dogs are a potential problem, period. And since your neighbors already have dogs, I doubt they’ll be disturbed if your guests dog is barking.

[Emilia42]

@Pat365

Please disclose "roaming dogs" that would deter my family from booking and could also potentially make those traveling with support dogs think twice. 

[Debra300]

@Colleen253,

I agree with @Sarah977 regarding the freely roaming dogs.  Although she and I are originally from Canada and the US, respectfully, we now each leave in countries where it's perfectly normal to have dogs, cats, chickens, horses, donkeys, and cows roaming around.  It's cultural, and we can't assign our North American customs everywhere.

[Sarah977]

Yep, cows and horses roam freely around my area (thank goodness I live in a rooster-free area), and I don't even know who half the dogs that come around belong to. My own dog appeared at my place when she was 5 months old and adopted me and has always been free to roam- she generally sticks pretty close to home, although she didn't when she was younger. @Debra300

[Colleen253]

@Debra300  I dont think we need to beat this now dead horse. My original comment was simply a suggestion to the OP, who appears to be in N. Am. I wasn’t speaking to hosts the world over. At the end of the day, common sense as it applies to each situation should do. 

[Debra300]

Sorry @Colleen253, I'll probably point it out again the next time I read a statement that appears to me to imply that all cultures and laws are/should be the same as those in a more developed country.  But I hear what you're saying in this thread.  Peace.

[Colleen253]

@Debra300 I certainly didn’t say, nor even imply such a thing.  

[Debra300]

@Colleen253, I know. That's why I said I hear what you're saying.

[Sarah977]

"As far as the neighbors roaming dogs go, I suppose you could warn the guest, but that’s something you shouldn't be allowing to happen when ANY guests are present in your listing. Your neighbors roaming dogs are a potential problem, period. "

Sorry, Colleen, I disagree. Lots of people, some of them hosts, live in areas where dogs roam around. As long as they aren't dangerous, there's nothing that needs to, or should be done about it. It's part of that particular environment, just as traffic is part of the environment of a downtown city listing. You can't make the cars go away, just because they might disturb a guest.

@Colleen253

[Colleen253]

These days, in most jurisdictions, there are bylaws against dogs roaming free. An off leash dog out and about on it's own has the potential to act very differently/unpredictably than it might on leash/with it's owner. There is greater risk for such a dog to inflict injury on say a child or another animal. And it just makes sense to reduce as much as possible the potential for conflict where guests are concerned. I would at least disclose the fact that there are dogs roaming, most especially if they tend to be in the yard of the listing, so a guest is aware. @Sarah977 

[Lawrene0]

My neighbour's dog, an elderly ball of fluff they named "Charlie Sheen", sometimes toddles over. I've never thought to warn guests on the listing, but I'm loving the idea of it.

Warning: Charlie Sheen may wander in hoping for attention. Please don't encourage him."

[Sarah977]

As the wording says, if the dog doesn't perform any particular service, then it's not a service dog and you could fight it. Also, service dogs re highly trained, and don't just bark. They will bark on command and I imagine they might bark if someone was threatening their handler.

@Pat365

[Colleen253]

Unfortunately, according to ABB policy, emotional support animals are not required to perform specific tasks, and are included in the same category as service animals. Both 'true' service animals and emotional support animals are considered one and the same. 

" Airbnb defines assistance animals to include Emotional Support Animals. These are animals that are used as part of medical treatment and/or therapy to assist with an individual’s daily functional tasks, but are not limited to a specific type of animal and are not required to be trained to assist an individual in a particular task. These animals are sometimes referred to as comfort animals or therapy animals."

The whole subject is tricky and needs careful handling, thanks to ABB policy. One needs to be careful not to end up on the wrong side with the guest crying foul, and ABB stepping in, as you risk your listing being suspended while it all gets 'sorted out', in true ABB fashion.

@Pat365 

[Pat365]

Guests were notified of neighborhood dogs and that I have no responsibility or control of them.