My Neighbours Airbnb is causing issues with our pets

[Lucy361]

I have been living at my city residence for about 5 years and have not had any issues with any of my neighbours. Not even with our pets. In fact we have been good neighbors watching out for those who live close next to us. Even notified these neighbours in question when they had a gas leak and a dangerous branch (their own tree) about to fall over their roof.

In the last couple of months the neighbours next to us has decided to rent out their illegally modified garage out to guests on Airbnb. Since our dogs are not familiar with the folks coming to that property they do bark at them even when they come home in the wee hours of the night. Our neighbours instead of taking the approach of coming to talk to us has sent us nasty texts. The last one that was sent just said “ Shut your f$$$$$$$$ dogs up”. I apologize to anyone reading this, I do not like using improper language in my daily life or written language, but just using their example to get the point across.

Their guests are sometimes loud and park too close to our driveways which does cause issues, but we have not complained. Don’t see the point in being petty.

My husband and I are quite disappointed with this behavior especially we have not had issues with anyone until these started renting out the illegally modified garage out for Airbnb. The neighbours has never approached us to try and speak to us either.

Our approach has been to send them a text that we do not appreciate their texts but would like them to give us a call at their convenience to speak with them.

I would like your feedback since our dogs are our our babies and we do not want anyone unreasonable complaining about them. Especially since we had no issues prior to the Airbnb. As an FYI we reside in Texas.

[Barry-and-Lera0]

@Lucy361: Sounds like a neighbor issue and not an Airbnb issue.

[Lucy361]

Thank you for the feedback. Just really wanted to get another ones perspective.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Lucy361

well if their garage modification is illegal you can probably contact city officials about it and see, maybe they could forbid them to rent the garage or something

or if you want different approach you could contact a dog trainer who could maybe teach your dogs not to bark at strangers

or you could buy a dog collar which will spray lemon scent  when dog barks. It is very effective, my friend use it for her dog. https://tinyurl.com/ycdq9v6x

I have no more ideas 🙂

[Lucy361]

Thank you for the collar information. I shall look into it.

just got another text complaint from this neighbour that my dogs were also barking all weekend. 

My dogs were with with us in another city over the weekend. Not sure where they are coming up with these lies.

[Paul154]

I'm not really sure I'd like to speak with you either.

Why would I? You're just going to **bleep** on me. Tell me I run an Illegal business and try to shake me down for some kind of payoff.

If your dogs are freaked out by people, keep them close to you to calm them

[Lucy361]

Paul, I don’t think you quite understood the question or read the question in its entirety. 

I dont care care to get any pay off from

these people or care to report them.  I would appreciate it if they would stop send me text message with foul language and speak to me instead. I have lived in the neighbourhood for 5 years with no issues prior to these incidents that have happened in the last 3 weeks. And my pets have lived in the neighbourhood as well all this time.

[Paul154]

@Lucy361

There are many different kinds of shake-downs.

One shakedown is 

"I'm superior to you. You have an illegal dwelling and I'll always hold that over you.

Always regard me as the helpful queen of this neighborhood. Why don't you remember 20 years ago, I told you you had a gas leak?" 

This is not an Airbnb problem, it is a neighbor problem.

You are dissappointed that she did not come to you .

But early on, you could have gone to her with these words "I wish you the best of luck in your new adventure. Let me know how I can help"

Good luck

[Helen3]

Sorry @Paul0 

I disagree with you completely on this.

It is not the neighbours responsibility to help someone who is running a business from their home, which they know can cause disruption.

It is the hosts. If their guests are creating a problem by late night arrivals - the simple solution is to have guests check in by say 10 p.m.  The host should be talking to their neighbours not aggravating them with rude texts.

This is of course an Airbnb problem by any definition. if there weren't various guests turning up at all hours the dogs wouldn't bark.

If I lived next to an illegal dwelling, where the guests were causing disruption and the host was being belligerent and rude,  I would likely report them.

Having said that dogs shouldn 't be barking every time a stranger arrives in your neighbourhood. I would suggest you get some advice on this.

[Alexandra316]

@Lucy361What do your local bylaws say about barking dogs? Did they bark without the Airbnb, or is this new behaviour due to the increased activity from the Airbnb?

If the latter and your dogs' barking is within your bylaws, I would consider having a very frank conversation with your neighbours. Tell them that you have a live and let live attitude to their Airbnb, but your dogs are just reacting to the increased traffic.You will try and avoid the barking, but they are just responding as dogs do. Again, this is assuming that your dogs aren't barking for hours; most bylaws say that it's only an issue if the barking goes on for an extended period of time.  If they continue to harrass you about it, I would honestly consider reporting them for the illegal Airbnb. 

I have a neighbour who technically probably isn't the greatest. They are young: they do some crazy things, their property isn't perfect, and they aren't always very quiet. However, they have been very cool about our Airbnb, even when a crazy drunk guest was obnoxious to them. This is a good example of a live and let live relationship. I don't complain about them, they don't complain about me, and I wouldn't trade them for a neighbour who was picky about everything, even if the property was more perfect and they were quieter. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, and it seems like your neighbour is walking a dangerous line by being rude to you. 

[Lucy361]

Since she did call the cops on us with out having a conversation especially after our textto meet. There is no point in a conversation. We have been advised by our lawyer to just let her do her thing and then we shall file a harrasent complaint.

[Lucy361]

The barking has increased due to the air bnb activity. They are very territorial. They barked at our neighbours on the other side of our house for a month after they first moved in until the dogs realized that they were there to stay.

We intend to speak to this neighbour i.e. if they can man or woman up and get out of the house to come and meet with us. We do not have an HOA and I can understand a dog that constantly barks. But the profanity that comes with the texts is just low class. We intend to keep those text messages on hand in the event that this escalates to harassment.

I dont really want to report them and prevent them from Making any income. 

[Alexandra316]

@Lucy361 If your dogs bark continuously, and were barking for a month straight, I defintely think it's incumbent upon you to do something about it. That sounds super annoying for everybody, not just the people with the Airbnb.

I'm not sure what else you can really do here: it doesn't sound like an Airbnb issue, but a neighbour issue, as others have commented. Their response was rude, but if your dogs bark all the time, especially at night, I can understand their frustration with it.

[Lucy361]

Thanks for your comment. We went to the Counteyside this weekend with our dogs. She called the cops on us while we were out to complain. Jokes on her since the cop did come by but could not see or hear anything. He did call us and we explained the situation and he did agree that he did not hear anything and he walked up to our house at 3 am. There are other dogs in the neighbourhood that bark consistently.

[Clara116]

@Paul154 I don't really understand your rather unfriendly approach toward @Lucy361. I'm not looking to cause anything weird here....just reading and your messages seem rather strong and popped out rather boldly.

Maybe that's your personality Paul and I don't know you.

I thought we are to give assistance and guidance on here when folks ask for it??

Maybe I'm wrong??

just observing and noticing and wincing.......happy hosting, Clara