Pet Fee for Cleaning

[Suzanne302]

After reading through all the suggestions on how to incorporate pet fees it seems like the process is tedious and requires too much back and forth. I did not see this suggested anywhere but I'm wondering if any pet-friendly listings have done this, and if so, how has it worked for you?

I set my cleaning fee $10 higher by default and note that if the guest is NOT bringing a pet, the $10 will be refunded at check-in. 

Thoughts? Trouble I might run into by doing this??

[Paul154]

No, No, No.

#1. $10 is way too low. It will not cover your time needed to wash the quilts, use tape to get off hair, sweep the walls, spot clean messes and find doggy bombs in the yard. For only $10, I would cut corners.

#2. You are scaring off non-pet guests.  That extra $10 makes your listing so unattractive that prospective guests won't open, thus read  about your $10 rebate.

I do admire your attempt to make pet fee collection easier. It is a problem with Airbnb. 

[Paul154]

@Suzanne302

Please ignore my advice.  I just read your offering. You have a niche, so my advice does not apply.

You are actively vying for people with dogs and people who like dogs.  Non-pet guests are not important to you.  

Your $10 rebate is a good idea. It fits your lising and makes the reservation process easier.

[Suzanne302]

Thank you for your replies and I appreciate the advice on both accounts.

[Kenneth12]

She'll still wind up with the kid with a lab who peed all over the rugs,  etc.

[Nan-s-Place0]

What would be a good fee?  I just started hosting (1st guest arrives tomorrow) and I got a request for someone travelling with 6 dogs to a dog show!  6!!!!!  And she seems resisatnt once I asked if she is open to a pet fee above the $100 flat cleaning fee.  I'm researching what's the norm so that I can respond.

[Letti0]

@Nan-s-Place0  $25 per animal I think is more then reasonable. 6 dogs is a lot of hair and wear and tear. If she doesn't want to pay that small amount extra I would pass on this guest as she'll be a crappy guest in general. Just asking to bring 6 dogs without paying a pet fee is riduculous.  

[Nan-s-Place0]

@Letti0 - Thank you!  I thought the same!  She seemed offended that I would even suggest such a thing.  I wanted to check with others and see if I was a lone wolf.  Thank you!

[Nan-s-Place0]

Excuse the errors above...typing on a phone.

[Suzanne302]

@Nan-s-Place0Now that I'm several months into hosting, I charge a $25 fee per dog. As a dog owner myself who likes to travel with two dogs, I think that's more than reasonable.

I'd say about 75% of my guests bring dogs. And believe it or not, most have not required that much extra cleaning. A couple guests had dogs that shedded quite a bit and that took some extra time. But for the most part all the dogs have been clean and tidy.

Show dogs are generally kept very clean, but 6 dogs is A LOT to have in the house. I didn't check your listing...is it a shared home or entire place? If it's a shared home I'd have to decline. If it's the entire place I think $100 or even $150 is more than reasonable. She couldn't take 6 dogs into a hotel!

[Nan-s-Place0]

@Suzanne0 Thanks for such great feedback!  I am co-hosting my brother's place for him and listed it as the entire place with some occasions where it'll be shared (he travels extensively).  We had imagined a small dog or 2 when setting up the listing earlier this week but were totally unprepared for that question.  And of course it came AFTER I sent the pre-approval.  Now she wants to pay a flat $15/per day which would = $60 and just wants that kept from her security deposit.  Reading how frustrating it can be for folks to go that route makes me really hesitant.  I really would just like to withdraw the pre-approval (6 dogs is a lot) but hear that causes a ding towards the host.  Advice?

[Nan-s-Place0]

And Yes, she would NOT go to a hotel with 6 dogs!!!

[Letti0]

@Nan-s-Place0  Block the 4 days temporarily like a booking from elsewhere and the pre-approval will change to not possible, no dings. Report her profile it's anoyomous right after and she can not book with you. Open the days back up after the inbox shows not possible usually less than 24 hours. 

[Suzanne302]

@Nan-s-Place0, what @Letti0  said. If she has not accepted the pre-approval, block the nights or jack up the price significantly for those nights.

As I understand it, pre-approval means you're allowing the guest to go ahead and IB, and does not mean you are tied to the rate/days.

Is this correct, @Letti0?

[Letti0]

@Suzanne302  The pre-approval rate will remain in effect even if she raises her prices on it now. Best to just block even just one of the days to make her booking impossible. I did this recently to a guest I did not want after I sent the pre-approval. She started making demands for early check in, late check out and a host of other issues, so before she could book I blocked the day right in the middle of her 5 days.