Pet-Friendly Hosts...How do you collect a pet fee?

[Suzanne302]

I am just curious as to the different ways hosts collect pet fees. After realizing it's easier to get a guest to accept a refund (via change reservation) than it is to request extra money, I build my pet fee into the cleaning fee and simply change the reservation to $25 less if a guest is not bringing a pet.

This has worked quite well, but I've always wondered if:

1) I miss out on some bookings from guests without pets, because my price will seem high in a specific date search. (although I had 100% occupancy in June and 91% for July)

2) If this method screws up my stats, because in order to change the reservation, I can only adjust the "per night" price and a $40 night suddenly goes down to $15 per night for a one-night booking.

Thoughts?

I'd love to see other ways hosts handle this just to compare. (I've searched the forum as well) This would be sooooo much easier if ABB would just add a freakin' pet fee button already!

And for the record, I love hosting guests with dogs!

[Eric4009]

I try to do the same thing you do of vetting the pet but I find it quite cumbersome to be emailing the prospective guest back and forth.    Often times the guest does not answer a question so I need to ask again.    What is your process of vetting the pet?     Do you provide a questionaire  that the guest fills out and submits for your review?

What is your opinion regarding cats?     I heard they are worse than dogs.      

Thanks for your input.

[Janet71]

I too wish Airbnb would have pet fee within the initial booking a guest does. Their competition has it, and it makes it so much easier. Examples, with a guest making an affirmative statement in the initial booking whether they have a pet or not it takes away that uncomfortable moment when you realize during their stay or after the guest leaves they had a pet, and you have to be the bad guy that questions them as to why they didn't address that in their first message to you,and then try and collect the fee after the fact.  Another example, she has a dog but I cant' collect the pet fee til she pays for the other half of her reservation, so good luck on me remembering to do that in five months

[Randy435]

I have read a lot of posts and replies to posts about this topic, and I'm shocked that after all these years Airbnb still doesn't have a pet fee option (yet they have added Extra Guest Fee, Resort Fee, Mgmt Fee, Community Fee and Linens Fee). While I have seen some creative work-arounds, I personally don't feel comfortable using most of them for my situation and listing. I have Instant Book enabled, so I don't have the option to vet/question the guest before accepting the reservation.

One possible "solution" to the pet fee that I've been using is to have a cleaning crew that charges by the hour. So I calculate my fixed cleaning fee on my listing as the average number of hours it takes my crew to clean, plus about $25-30 extra. That way, every guest pays the same amount, and if the cleaning crew charges me more than the average due to pets being present, and other times they charge me less because a guest (with or without pets) left the house very clean, it all evens out over the course of the year. That way I don't have to think about it on every reservation.

[Reggie-and-Lajewel0]

Just add the click for pets already, because I will not except pets until it is clear cut and spelled out on hosting pets, fees, mishaps, and property damage.

[Tracy684]

Come on ABNB! Add the option for a pet fee! Does anybody read these?

[Hunter72]

I guess not.  I have inquired and requested 10 X+ times.  No response.   A real flaw in ABNB?

[Elizabeth708]

I’ve been hosting for approximately 3 years. I ask that pet owners inquire prior to booking. Never had a problem. Last night I had someone book without asking about their dog. Once the reservation was made they told me they were bringing their 2 year old golden retriever. I immediately responded with a few questions. Tell me about your dog? Will they be left unattended? Are they crate trained? Do you travel with a crate? He responded that she’s well behaved and they do not travel

with a crate. He said he would cancel

if I was uncomfortable. I said that might be best since crating is preferred. This morning I received an email the the guest is requesting that I cancel!? What in the world! I feel completely stuck. He didn’t read my request to inquire prior to booking with pets and I get penalized. Grrr.

[JJ48]

@Elizabeth708  Do not cancel for the guest.  You do not need to cancel.  The guest is welcome to come and stay without the dog, correct?  You are not obligated to accommodate his dog.  As long as you can accommodate him (without the dog), you tell the guest he is absolutely able to come stay, but just without the dog.  Remind him that the reservation is for him and that a reservation does not obligate a host to accomodate a guest's dog, only the guest.  Also remind the guest that he has 48 hours to cancel penalty free and that after 48 hours Airbnb will keep the service fee.  

Also, do not request for guests to inquire about bringing pets prior to booking, put it as a requirement in your house rules.  Is it in your rules or only mentioned in your listing?  Either way, you do not have to accommodate the dog and you do not have to cancel if the guest doesn't want to come without it, but do put it in your house rules because it will give you a stronger position should there need be a discussion with Airbnb.  

[Laura2592]

We don't charge a pet fee. Why? Because the back and forth is always awkward. Instead, we set our occupancy limits to include pets. So 4 means either 4 humans or 3 humans and 1 pet, or 2 humans and 2 pets.  We have increased our nightly price over time to ensure that we are covered in the event of minor pet accidents. We charge a security deposit for bigger issues but honestly that is pretty difficult to collect on as pet damage is not covered by Airbnb, so the guest has to be honest and agree to pay.

We ask that everyone tell us if they are bringing a pet so that our cleaners can be prepared for hair or paw prints. We have special instructions for where to keep litter boxes and when to crate dogs. We require dogs to be leashed or supervised at all times in our yard as it is not fully fenced and the neighbors  have chickens. The #1 amenity people suggest via our suggestion box is a fenced area for dogs to poo. Not gonna happen because that ensures owners will just let them out unsupervised. Not only does that mean more to clean up, its also asking for trouble with the various critters that live in the woods at the back of the property. 

We really are pleased that we can host pets and have few issues as a result. The humans are much more problematic 🙂

[Heidi248]

Nice solution, Laura.

[Laura2592]

@Heidi248  we try to make it easy on travelers with pets, while still protecting our property from damage. We just can't accommodate a group of 4 people with 2 Great Danes in our 1450 square foot space (that was a recent inquiry.) In the vast majority of cases, people who travel with pets really do a good job at taking care of them. We have a dog that has bad hips and takes meds twice a day. Its VERY hard to find someone who is responsible enough to make sure he gets his meds timely and understands his physical limitations. Luckily he is a good traveler and we have been able to take him along on weekend trips over the past several years. We have hosted cats, dogs, a parrot and even a pregnant guinea pig who gave birth to babies at our cottage (now granted, that one was over the occupancy limit!)

We have had one serious issue so far with damage and the guests went to great lengths to hide it and deny it.  Raising prices has weeded out the bargain hunters and really cut down on issues. 

[Sarah429]

Agreed. There are only 3 options to click under request money. Isn’t it reasonable to offer the 4th option, “pet fee per night?”

[Janet1081]

Sadly, I just experienced the same situation of having a guest that did not inform us about her dog and when we asked for a extra cleaning fee she just disregard us. And the worst is that Airbnb has not done anything about that yet. I have been a host for 4 years and I feel that this app does not provide enough support to hosts eventhough we are the one out tere provide excellent guests experiences and helping Airbnb grow.

[Maggie489]

Hi All! 

Question for those who charge pet fees...  How soon do you charge the fee?  immediately after booking, within a few weeks of check-in, or after the guest arrives?  

Maggie

[Suzanne302]

Hi @Maggie489 !

This is an old thread so my strategy has changed over the years. I do not allow a dog in the house until I've received the pet fee. No exceptions.

I've found it most effective to send a request for the pet fee immediately after booking (via the Resolution Center). If it hasn't been paid within 3 days of arrival, I remind the guest again that it must be paid prior to check-in. If it hasn't been paid by the day prior to arrival, I send this message:

"Hi! Looking forward to your arrival tomorrow! Once the pet fee has been paid I'll go ahead and send your check-in instructions, including the door code to access my home. Please note your pet will not be permitted on the property if the fee has not been submitted but I am happy to provide a list of boarding kennels in the area if you'd prefer to do that."

I've had to send a reminder for a few guests, but the second message only once!