animals and damage?

[Tom3258]

I'm thinking of being a host--mostly renting out my spare bedrooms, but also maybe my whole house when I travel. However, I'm concerned about the animal issue. I don't want any animals in my home, but I see in the rules that I must allow service animals, that guests aren't required to disclose that they are bringing service animals, that I cannot charge an extra pet fee, and that some "normal wear and tear" is expected.

Can I get a waiver if I am allergic to dogs?

What is considered normal wear and tear?

What protection is there for me as a host if there is damage to carpet, furniture, draperies, etc, or if there is a pet ordor? 

How good is Airbnb's insurance and how difficut is to to make a claim?

Any other advice?

[Anonymous]

@Tom3258  You don't have to allow service animals when you're renting your spare bedrooms. Airbnb's policy exempts homes that contain shared spaces. Just be clear in your about this in your listing and House Rules, because a "no pets" rule doesn't count for anything anymore.

It gets more complicated if you decide to rent out your whole house, because it's no longer considered a shared space even though your allergies would obviously be affected when you return. You might want to put that idea on hold or consider platforms with a less stupid approach to "emotional support" pets. Airbnb only recently changed its policy to cover animal-caused damage, so it hasn't been tested enough for us to have any idea how reliable is. I wouldn't expect much. 

[Tom3258]

Thanks so much, Andrew. I appreciate the advice!