Service animals

Service animals

i am a host, i had guest book for 2 nights for 2 adults, when my housekeeper went to clean unit she said they a large dog and 3 guests and the unit was a mess, the dog was a big 80lb fur ball, with hair all over the unit. when i approached them they said the dog was a service dog, i then stated that i need to see the service dog docs, they said they do not have any. i am then contacted by air bnb, who emails i am on notice for discrimanation. air bnb does not take the host side they take the guest side. i demand an apology from airbnb who will not give me one, i own 27 condos and think i will be pulling all my listings, because how dare they say they are putting me on notice for something i did not or would not do, shame on airbnb

161 Replies 161

If you can't follow airbnb's policy or the federal law then you clearly should not be an Airbnb host. Which is your prerogative. We are not forcing you to be an Airbnb host you like every citizen in the United States needs to follow the laws end of story. We can't pick and choose to laws we want to follow!!!! so I say goodbye to you and your 27 condos what yr doing is illegal 

While you are correct that the host stating, "only seeing dogs", is not legal, what Airbnb requires of hosts, is well beyond federal law, and even beyond California law! It is absolutely outrageous.

 

Service animals can and should be registered as such with legitimate organizations. To require hosts to accept all pets that a guest states is an emotional support animal, for example, is well beyond what the law requires. This is true because airbnb does not allow hosts to require documentation, and does not allow hosts to require that they be notified in advance of such animals.

 

Don't defend airbnb. They would never defend you for any reason.

Monica4
Level 10
Ormstown, Canada

@Denise-And-Stephen0  You could have terminated that reservation immediately when you found out that there was an extra, unpaid for guest. That is theft, or at least a premeditated attempt to rob you of an extra guest's stay.

 

As for dogs, I am super allergic so well within my rights to refuse a dog because I would not be able to do the house keeping. I can tolerate hypoallergenic dogs...I do have a **bleep**zu.

 

So if Airbnb wants hosts to accept these "service dogs" we can refuse by stating that accepting dogs puts our health at risk because we are allergic to them. Hotels have designated rooms for pets so that guests who are allergic do not have the same rooms.

 

That being said, Airbnb really does not care about the 27 condos. There are probably 100s more that will be listed. There is a glut of Airbnb properties so they are really not interested in keeping hosts happy.

Because people with disabilities are discriminated against those people service animals are most likely unemployed and cannot afford a hotel at a $150 a night I'm so sorry for wanting a nice place to stay while I'm in between houses because I can't get a house to rent because of my disability being discriminated against by other people

@Daryl82  While I understand that a true service animal isn't a pet, there are plenty of Airbnbs that accept pets, so why not book those? The thing is, even a service dog sheds hair, smells like a dog, hosts or someone in their family may be seriously allergic, and when guests book a no pets listing, unless the host indicates that the host themselves have pets, the guests may be booking it feeling confident that there won't be a chance of an animal having been in the unit triggering their allergies. 

 

Why is it okay for someone to have to suffer not being able to breathe, having their eyes burning and swollen, etc, because disabled people may have the attitude that it's their right to bring their animal everywhere? 

 

It's totally reasonable for there to be laws allowing the disabled to bring their service animal into  restaurants, public buildings, libraries, govt. offices, etc, because normally animals are never allowed in those places. So it would be highly discriminatory if you could never go into a restaurant or an office because you actually need your service dog with you. But that isn't the case with Airbnbs. There are choices of Airbnbs  which accept animals.

Because pet friendly cost 2-3 times more. Like somehow it costs that much to vacuum some hair.  People who need service animals are poor and cannot afford it. My friend works with cleaning that stuff it's only 150 to clean out a hotel room. Meanwhile airbnbs charge 100+ a night and I'm trying to work in this area for a month. That's 3100 for a simple room and a kitchen. Imagine going to a restaurant and looking at the menu and it has gluten free food. But that food costs 3 times more for the same equivalent as gluten filled food. That's what we deal with. Many service animals are also trained to bark to let them know they need their medicine. For a diabetic that's can be much needed if they also have autism.  I'm not saying that people with them should get off Scott free, but perhaps be love them as much as you love yourself? Imagine every single apartment you've lived in withholds the deposit claiming there were pet stains when you have a steam cleaner and spend 10 hours cleaning it every move. I've never left pet stains in any hotel, and yet they still charge me. Even if I take pictures proving that the stain was there when I moved in, I lose because I can't afford the upfront cost of a lawyer. 

@Daryl82  Well that's unfortunate. Certainly not fair to be overcharged and not get your deposit back if you are responsible about cleaning up after your dog.

 

But I'm surprised to read you say that Airbnbs that accept animals are 2 to 3 times more expensive. That isn't my impression from reading what other hosts on this forum say they charge as a pet fee. Usually they say they charge between an extra $15-$50. 

 

The dilemma for hosts is that many guests with animals definitely do not make any effort to clean up. If it's a heavily shedding dog or one that is allowed on the furniture or the bed, there can be dog hair in every nook and cranny. I had a dog like that. So it can very well take 3 hours of intense cleaning to make sure there are no dog hairs anywhere, depending on how big the space is.

 

And it just doesn't work to say that if the guest does a good job cleaning up that the fee would be refunded. That goes for guests with or without animals. It's ripe for disagreements and acrimony, as one person's idea of clean isn't necessarily what the other considers to be clean. I'm not talking about someone who is just greedy and won't return a  deposit even if you spend 10 hours steam cleaning, leave the place immaculate, and the dog hasn't done any damage, I mean an actual difference in perception. Like people who think and would assert they washed the dishes, but don't notice there are bits of food still stuck to them and they are still greasy. 

 

You know what I'd do if I didn't own my own home, moved around a lot, and either needed or wanted to have my dog with me at all times? I'd get myself a vehicle I could live in and be independent. A bus or a van, something like that.

 

 

that makes a lot of sense, thanks for the response

Please educate yourself hotels do set aside room for pets but a service animal is not a pet it is considered an extension of my medical care as you would have came or wheelchair. Service dogs can go into any room at a hotel not pet rooms. All hosts have the same excuse allergies. 

David126
Level 10
Como, CO

  1. Looking at this from a US perspective there are Federal laws that you have to comply with.
  2. Not aware if there are any State etc laws on this subject in addition, not where I am but maybe there are elsewhere.
  3. Then there are the rules AirBnB require you to comply with to list on their site. these change so anybody reading this needs to check what the current ones are, the link below was only valid when I posted it.

When you live in the property there are some get outs, far fewer where you are a remote  host.

 

I have yet to have someone turn up with an Emotional Support Rabbit whatever, I am sure it happens.

David

@David126

 

There has to be some protection for the host, if the host is allergic to dogs. I do not live on my property but I have to clean it. I do not allow pets and yet I had an asthma attack when I went in to clean it a few months ago. Obviously someone snuck in a dog. Where the owner's health is concerned there is an issue of whose health and well being is more important? The guests could go elsewhere, to a hotel or motel where there are rooms set up for guests with pets. It does not make sense to me that, as a host, I have to suffer the consequences of dealing with my health issues when cleaning the house after guests with a dog leave. I would have to hire someone to do this, and in my area cleaning people are not easy to find. Who foots that bill?

@Monica4

 

Seems to me that the policy does not take into account cleaner allergies, the simple solution would otherwise for @Denise-And-Stephen0 to say their cleaners have allergies and problem solved. With that many listings I doubt they do it themselves.

 

I know someone who has a Best Western and they do the cleaning in the off season, what is the difference?

David

thanks Monic my cleaners have allergies, no pets allowed

Actually the allergies have to be proven to be severe enough that would cause actual risk to the cleaners. Happens on flights with service dogs, if you can prove that your allergy will potentially kill you then you cna be accomodated.

 

Please remeber folks its not just Airbnb, you also have to comply with Federal laws, you could face serious trouble for dealing wrongfully with a service animal.

 

Also people can just shwo up with a service dog, because it is well within their right to have one with them; also stops the discrimination of being told "No".

This is correct, the allergies would have to rise to the level of "disablity" (which is very rare for dog allergies), and even if someone's allergies did rise to this level, the solution list leaves removing the animal at the very bottom of the list, which means you'd have to go through finding another cleaner first.  I've seen people say to claim allergies constantly, but those people clearly never bother to research the case law about it.  The allergies card has been tried (and failed) in court many times, with the people who play it winding up paying DOJ fines.  The best advice is stick to the 2 questions, or be 100% sure it's not a true service animal before refusing it.  If they answer yes to the first question and list reasonable tasks for the second, it's best to just accept the animal, and if you really do have some allergies take an alegra (I'm sure they wish their disablities could go away for 24 hours by taking a pill).