Service Animal Shedding Clean Charge-back

[Josh2001]

If a guest brings a service animal and it sheds a lot, requiring extra cleaning time for more/repeat laundering, extra vacuuming, lint rolling all furniture....can the host charge the guest for the extra cleaning time required?

[Lorna170]

@Josh2001  Hosts cannot charge for service animals.  It is unfortunate, as animals do create a lot of extra cleaning (just as small children do) but in the US, we are not permitted to charge fees for service animals regardless of how much they may shed or when their owners do not tidy up after them.  As a result, just about every animal that will be coming to your property will be a (fake) service animal as people do not care to pay fees for us to clean up after their pets.

You can charge for an ESA and for a run-of-the-mill family pet.

[Helen3]

I think it's rather unfair and misleading to say just about every animal coming to a property as a service animal is fake. @Lorna170 

As you know you can ask vetting questions around what tasks the animal helps a guest with and we don't have to accept emotional support pets.

You can also have rules saying a service animal must be not be left at the property by itself.

There are many genuine owners of service animals who travel using short term rentals.  But as you say there are a number of guests who will try to pretend they have a service animals but by no means the majority.

[Lorna170]

@Helen3  You are right.  It is unfair of me to say that every animal is a fake service animal.  My property accepts animals, and guests do not have to do anything more than inform me that there will be an animal.  Perhaps I am a bit jaded; so many guests claim exemption from the pet fee -- the same guests who leave the "service" animal alone, barking and frantic for hours.