Is it common for people to break the no pet rule?

[Steven1046]

I am planning a trip and I have severe animal allergies. I can see houses that have the no pet rule. I am wondering how well this is enforced on Airbnb? 

I know there can be no guarantees in this kind of thing, but I wanted to gauge if this is a risk worth taking? If there are any tips that would also be very appreciated. 

Thanks everyone. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Steven1046 You really need to contact the host on this one. Issues you will face are

1) We have a no pets policy because we have a dog and cat. Whilst we ask that it doesn't happen some guests do invite the dog into the apartment as she is rather friendly

2) No host can stop guide dogs or emotional support animals into their listings according to Airbnb. Also these do not have to be revealed by the guest until they arrive.

So, in short no host can absolutely guarantee you won't have a problem as a problem could turn up in the booking before yours. 

[Steven1046]

Thank you for your reply. Very helpful

[Helen3]

I think if you have severe allergies you may be better staying in a hotel as no host with a whole listing would be able to guarantee their place has been pet free or a host offering rooms in a shared home @Steven1046 

[Anonymous]

@Steven1046  Airbnb does not enforce rules on hosts' behalf, and as @Mike-And-Jane0 mentioned it often does quite the opposite with no-pet policies by overriding them when a guest claims their animal has some kind of "support" status. 

Hosts renting Entire Home properties - especially remotely - may not always be aware that an animal has been brought into the home.  It is distressingly common for guests to sneak pets in, and hosts who use self-check-in and subcontract cleaners might only find out about it if there's visible damage. So while it is a good idea to ask, it helps to be aware that in these situations you can't extract a genuine guarantee that the home hasn't had a pet in it recently. A host who lives in or next to the property will have a clearer picture of what's been going on there. 

Notably, it's a lot harder to slip an unpermitted animal into a hotel than a residential house, so this might be your safer option.

[Colleen253]

@Steven1046  It's not even so much a matter of people breaking rules, although as Andrew mentions, Airbnb does not support the enforcement of hosts house rules. If you care to read it, Airbnb's assistance animal policy will reveal where the root of the problem lies on this matter, especially the section on emotional support animals. Basically, Airbnb makes it impossible for guests such as yourself to be assured you will have a safe and comfortable stay, unless you choose a no pets 'private room' listing.

Or a hotel.

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/1869/what-is-an-assistance-animal

[Kelly149]

@Steven1046  Echoing others to say that you should ask. 
I dont allow pets for abb guests but that doesn’t mean the space is always pet free. Good luck

[Sandra126]

I would ask the prospective host. Choose a host that actively is involved with their listing, not an agency. Involved hosts will know if there have been animals present. I had two dogs stay 7 years ago, since then none. Just ask. If you dont get a satisfactory answer, choose another listing. @Steven1046 

[Emilia42]

@Steven1046 If you asked me I would say that I have a pretty good eye on my listings and I do not allow pets. But that does not mean that a previous guest snuck an animal in or that they had an emotional support animal that they never told me about. So I could not give you 100% certainty that the space has been animal-free.

[Sandra126]

But Emilia, I think you'd notice when cleaning happens. It's impossible not to leave trace, animal hair, a pawprint, anything. Smell. You'd know.

[Emilia42]

@Sandra126 I have suspected it a few times but could never be sure. I have also been super surprised but how much dog hair some pet owners carry with them when the dog is not even present. 

[Anonymous]

@Sandra126  It's not always easy to determine from a listing whether the host is actively involved or outsourcing the cleaning duties to someone who might not report something like traces of pet dander. I sometimes suggest searching the reviews for direct mentions of personal interaction with the host, but the pandemic has given normally hands-on hosts a reason to withdraw from that aspect of the job, so that opens up new pockets of uncertainty. 

In a private room in a shared house, you could be sure that the host knows whether there's been a pet - but you're still reliant on their honesty prevailing over profit. And then there's still the unavoidable Covid risk in that circumstance.

Pragmatically speaking, Airbnb does not have a search filter for allergens, and writing lots of inquiries to assess the host's involvement with the property and cleaning processes doesn't seem like the most fun way to plan a holiday. If I had an allergy so severe that a trace of old pet dander could trigger a perilous reaction, I would skip Airbnb and budget for a high-end hotel.