Pet fee

[Mary416]

I allow pets in my airbnb and I am getting more and more reservations from guests who bring their dogs. I appreciate their business, but it requires a lot of extra cleaning. I'd really like to add an additional fee for having pets but I don't feel comfortable bringing it up during the reservation process.

It would really help if this was automated! 

Thanks!

Mary

[Cormac0]

@Mary

Can you give specifics about the additional cleaning?

Regards

Cormac

The Explorer's Club Krakow III

The Explorer's Club Krakow VIII

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

All you need to do is put it in your house rules - if someone brings a dog there is a $xx dog fee. Then if a dog shows up, you use the resolution center to collect the extra fee. We charge a variable rate based on the size, breed, age, length of hair, if the dog is crated, if they need to rent a crate, and if the dog sleeps in the bed. Our house rules say this. Since we charge a fee (we've never charged more than $15), I'd say 50% of all inquiries go to homes that do not charge a fee.

[Teresa53]

Option to charge a pet fee is needed

[Suzanne-and-Shaun0]

Definitely agree. There should be a drop down menu to select breed, gender, size, house trained/kennel trained, disposition, and age of animal, vet contact info.  Also, add a section to upload vaccination information or certificates (rabies, kennel cough, etc.) This protects the hosts pets as well as provides a place where the guest can retrieve those documents should an emergency happen while on vacation.

[Ina-and-Richard0]

Especially for direct booking a pet cleaning fee button is needed.  I had a booking to accept or decline with 2 dogs ( even though we  tell in our rules "one pet at a time") , but she booked anyways instead of inquiry and I answered and told her that we would accept anyways if they would not leave the dogs by themselves at any time ( in our house rules as well) and pay an additional cleaning fee. I did not receive an answer until I asked again and my time for accepting/declining ran out. It would be a lot easier, if potential guests would see  the extra pet fee right away. I saw hosts who want nthe guests to add the pet like an additional guest but it is only the cleaning that takes longer, so I do not want guests to pay additional 10 $ for every night, just for the extra work.

[Travis28]

We are new hosts and I am trying to find the option to add a pet fee, but I think I understand from reading your posts that there isn't such an option?

So....how do you deal with this in the transaction?  I think a one-time fee is reasonable.   Can I increase the cleaning fee for a single reservation that is bringing pets?

Thanks!

[Ina-and-Richard0]

If they send a request I send them a special offer with the extra fee ( after telling them in my email ). I do not have a solution for direct booking, but I entered it in my house roules ( which almost nobody reads), so I have a reason to decline  or cancel in case they do not agree on paying the extra fee.

[Shelley56]

You don't have to do it just through the resolution center - you can actually change the reservation AT THE TIME you get it, before your guest ever arrives, to add for a pet fee. However, I dont understand why any of these additional, after the reservation steps are even needed. Unless I'm missing something, there is NOWHERE in the current listing options to add for a pet fee to be automatically applied, like the cleaning fee. This seems a VERY easy, standard, common thing so I cannot figure out why Airbnb does not have this feature as a host option.

[Leslie-And-Larry0]

Hello,

Can someone provide directions about how to add a pet fee? Someone mentioned using the resolution feature to collect the fee, but I'm not clear on how to do that. 

Thanks

[Brian217]

Having to use the resolution center to raise a CONFLICT is no way to treat a customer and not an acceptable workaround to Airbnb not implementing a pet fee.

[Greg-and-Robbie0]

Here is how we add the Pet Fee (before they arrive):

Adding a Pet Procedure

1. Determine if a guest if bringing a pet
2. They are and have accepted the $20/pet/day fee (or whatever you want to charge)
3. Tell the guest that you will be adding the fee through the Airbnb Resolution Center. Give them the link: https://www.airbnb.com/resolutions
4. Request Money
5. Other trip related services
6. Enter the TOTAL amount
7. Skip Photos
8. Under “Add Note” type “Pet Fee $20/pet/night = $_____”

[Heidi24]

There was a option for pet fee and it was taken away with the upgrade.  Puting in house rules then charging later in the resolution center leads guests to become upset because fees were not upfront and hosts to get bad reviews.  This option should be put back immediately.  Why on earth would they take this away.  If you are concerned, please call them direct as well as posting your concern today.

[Priscilla46]

I started out booking dogs to get a competitive advantage.  However, I soon found that the "dog is extremely well behaved" didn't apply to dogs when they are in a new environment.  And we have deer ticks so that became a concern. The one that did it was the guest who gave her dog a tick bath in the bath tub!  If someone has a small hypoallergenic dog they usually ask and I am happy to take them for no fee.  My NEW idea though is to see if I can get a discount with the local kennel. 

[Greg-and-Robbie0]

UPDATE:

We would like to have Airbnb collect pet fees at the time of booking (once the number of pets is determined). For example, the reservation could itemize 2 Adults, 2 Children, 2 dogs for 3 nights. If we charge $20/night/dog they would collect $120 for the pets (which is not taxable btw!). 

Currently, we have to request our pet fees through the Resolution Center (as I mention, above), which worked out fine until AirBnb allowed partial payments for reservations (as of Dec 2017)!!

Now we have to come up with a system to request the pet fee 2 weeks before the guest arrives. This is tedious and problematic for a host with a busy rental!