Guests brought two large dogs without telling me

Andrea1160
Level 2
Colorado Springs, CO

Guests brought two large dogs without telling me

I do allow dogs but these guests didn't mention dogs. Are the guests breaking the rules or just rude? I didn't say anything till today (they're staying for four nights). The neighbor told me the dogs were alone outside whining (on my listing I ask not to leave dogs unattended).

I sent the guests a message and they replied immediately saying it was a mistake and it wouldn't happen again. This hasn't happened before so I'm not sure  what to do.

I wish airbnb had an easy way to add dogs to a reservation but since they don't, I think I will start charging an extra fee for dogs.

3 Replies 3
Alexandra316
Level 10
Lincoln, Canada

@Andrea1160 hello fellow pet-friendly host! Your rules say you allow well-behaved dogs and that the guest needs to clean up after them. There's no mention of having to contact you about it. If you want them to, I would definitely add that to your listing rules, along with the note about not leaving them unattended. I think it's the courteous thing to do, but as a host who allows guests to bring pets also, I find a lot of people don't mention it prior to arrival. As a guest I always message in advance to ensure my dogs are welcome before booking.

 

In the case of this guest, they've said they won't do it again: I would leave it at that unless it's reported again (unless they seem like bad guests in other ways and you're considering getting rid of them?).

 

Maybe also start specifically asking people before their stay if they're bringing a pet, then reminding them of the rules if they say yes.

 

The fee thing is up to you. I've been hosting for 3.5 years and have never charged: I just build it into the pricing because the majority of my guests do bring at least one dog. For me, charging a seperate fee just adds to the complications, and I think it also makes it more likely that people will try and get away with bringing a pet without paying. However, lots of other hosts do successfully charge seperately, so it's a personal preference.

 

In my years of hosting pets, I've almost never had a bad experience. I love hosting dogs, and I think it really does increase your bookability. I would just be more specific about your expectations in your rules. 

Thank you so much for your reply.

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

@Andrea1160 we are also pet friendly but do ask the guests to tell us if they are bringing a pet. That way we can alert our cleaners to bring their heavy duty pet hair vacuum and supplies. I would let this one go and make sure that your rules around pets are very clear in the future. 

 

We don't collect a pet fee as we don't want to chase people for it after booking. Many guests will pretend not to see that you charge one and get upset if and when you try to collect. Others will sneak animals in to avoid paying, no matter how reasonable your fee. In general guests don't like additional charges. We have raised our prices to cover any pet fee we might charge. Its just simpler.