Guest sneaking dog into house, should I confront them?

[Kevin557]

So I’ve only been hosting for two weeks and today found that our guest snuck a good sized dog into our place for 6 hours. The dog belongs to a family member of theirs who lives locally. We clearly state in our house rules no pets are allowed.

The guests are checking out in the AM, what recourse do I have, what would you recommend? 

Confronting them will likely lead to a bad review, which is deadly for a new host.

[Debi1]

@Kevin557 welcome to hosting!  While I respect the other suggestions here, you might also take this as a learning experience.  I don't know that you need to defend anything at this point, since the dog has come and gone.  What you might do, however, is to suggest to the guests that they might have overlooked the house rule that prohibits dogs.  Ask them to address this with the family member who brought the dog, to remind them that dogs are not allowed, and please leave the pup at home.  

Personally, I have been in a situation where I have had to remind even my own children that they cannot bring their canine family members on a vacation with us or even visit with the dog.  People making the reservations don't always generalize the rules among the family.  Be polite but firm.  Now you know you need to emphasize this in the house rules to make it stand out.

Enjoy your guests and your experiences with them as much as you can!

[Dave1074]

You are in a tricky spot.  We recommend that you say nothing and hope for no damage.  Since it looks like the dog was only there for a few hours, that is probable. 

As Air does not compensate for "pet damage" if there is damage do not mention the dog.  This is key.  Only the damage. And the process must be done before the next guest checks-in, and that does not leave much time.  If the damage is minor, just eat the expense. 

Even if this works out, please give a harsh honest 1 star review.  Hosts need to be warned of what these people are like.  We would refuse any booking where a guest violated any serious house rule.  

So, on one hand, your review should mention they brought a dog into your no pets stay.  But some guests are very savvy and will call Air and say it was a service animal.  And your review will be deleted.  So, while it is not "right" it is smart to not mention the dog and write a nasty short factual 1 star review.  The guest broke "multiple house rules", "very messy and lots of extra cleaning required", "bad communication", and so on.

This prevents the guest from using a technicality and removing their well-deserved 1 star review. 

[Michael6847]

we just had guests who brought 2 dogs and lock them in the house with aircon on when they go out; i am charging them 20 euros per night extra