Guests suddenly bringing a dog

[Alana114]

Guests for tomorow night just now texted that they are bringing a service dog.   We have a no pet policy.   I believe they cant get refunded now as its too late and its unfair bc we would surely have tented this weekend.  

they have had this reservation at-least  a couple weeks and just now are telling us?  They put in an alteration request and are saying its a service dog and since Amtrak allows it we have to 

[Anonymous]

@Alana114  Since your listing is a Private Room and the household includes shared spaces (and a cat) you should be exempt from Airbnb's service animal policy. But you'd be penalized for cancelling directly, so you'll have to call Airbnb to ask for a neutral cancellation. 

I hope that works out, but even if in the worst case scenario you had to take cancellation penalties, it's still better than having these irresponsible bullies in your home.

[Alana114]

Thanks so much, how do I call Airbnb?

[Michelle53]

@Alana114  There are two questions you are allowed to ask regarding service dogs. 

 (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability

(2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform.

You may not ask about the disability.

You are required to accommodate a service dog even if you have a no pets policy. The only exception is if the accommodation is a shared space, and the co-occupant has pet allergies or other health issues exacerbated by pets..

A genuine service dog is well-trained, will accompany their owner everywhere, and not leave a mess in the house. 

[Sarah977]

@Michelle53 "The only exception is if the accommodation is a shared space, and the co-occupant has pet allergies or other health issues exacerbated by pets.."

Not the only exception. "Presents a safety issue" is the other. In my case, my dog doesn't accept other dogs on her territory. She will sometimes attack another dog, almost always another female dog. So that's a safety issue. As could be that a home share host has small children and doesn't want to risk having a strange dog in the house that could bite them.

[Michelle53]

@Sarah977   You are correct. The written Airbnb policy includes safety.  It does somewhat also blur the lines between service dogs and emotional support animals, including both under the more generalized heading of "assistance animals". 

A true service dog is selected for temperament, and trained to be non-reactive to other dogs and other stimuli. They are selected to be very focused, and  to work on the task they are trained for.

The same cannot be said for ESAs, of course. 

One can ask for the animal to be removed if it is out of control or not housebroken.

[Sarah977]

@Alana114  You need to write in your house rules section, as well as in the description, something like " Please note: As this is a shared home listing where we already have our own animals, we regrettably cannot accept any guest pets, ESAs or service animals."

"No pets" doesn't apply to service animals, which are not considered pets. Nor are service dog owners required to disclose the animal when booking.

But, as Andrew says, shared home listings can be exempt from this- just make it quite clear in your ad.

I would suspect these guests, as they only let you know last minute, are scammers claiming their pet is a service animal and waited to tell you, thinking you wouldn't be able to cancel so close to check-in. 

A person with a legitimate service dog will most likely either tell you at booking time, or not disclose it at all, because they don't have to. The "Oh, by the way, we will be bringing our service dog", at the 11th hour isn't how the disabled with real service animals do things.

[Alana114]

We suggested the dog stay in a crate outside but they are insisting the dog is required and must sleep with them,  I asked what tasks the dog has been trained to perform and they said it alerts its owner to blood chemistry changes.  

we decided to have them sign a form certifying that there was no pet damage when they arrived and confirming they will be responsible for any necessary cleaning.   The dog doesn’t even belong to the person who booked but to the friend she is bringing along. 

definitely leaving a bad review on this guest. This is the first negative experience we’ve had in about 100 stays.   Very aggravating.   

[Sarah977]

@Alana114  You seem not to understand- a service dog, if it really is one, does not "stay in a crate outside"-

a service dog is with its handler all the time so it can perform whatever tasks for its human it has been trained for. It is never to be left alone. 

I know you are trying to handle this appropriately, but if a service dog owner reports this to Airbnb, you could get your listing shut down. 

You would have done better to do as Andrew advised, and ask Airbnb for a neutral cancellation.

[Alana114]

Can you tell me how to call Airbnb?  I have never seen a phone number. 

thanks for trying to help.  We are allowing them to come and sleep with their dog so hopefully we will not be “shut down”.    However I still think this was at best inconsiderate and at worst underhanded and deceitful.   How uncomfortable for both them and us to have to meet on such adversarial terms tomorrow.   I guess I can expect them to leave a bad review (our first) as I’m sure they can guess we will leave a negative for them!   

we have been very polite and tried to accomodate.    This whole thing makes me wonder if I even want yo keep hosting. 

[Sarah977]

@Alana114  It isn't a matter of you letting them come and have the dog sleep with them- it's that they could report you for discrimination for asking them to leave the dog crated outside. Hopefully, it will all go fine and nothing like that will occur to them.

You've already worked things out with them, so I'd just try not to be stressed at this point and assume it will all be okay. It's a bit late to try to cancel their booking now, and they will be allowed to leave a review if the booking is cancelled less thaan 24 hours before check-in.

You shouldn't be thinking at this point about leaving them a bad review- they may be very nice guests, the dog may indeed be a service dog and cause no problems, they might clean up really well before they leave. And if it is a real service dog, they did not have to disclose it at all, so calling them out for it in a review can get your review removed and Airbnb get on your case about it.

If you start out their stay pissed off at them, they will pick up on that and things won't go well. Treat them as you would other guests- at this point you don't know that it's not a real service dog, in which case, they haven't done anything wrong. 

You have some responsibility here, too, for not informing yourself about the service animal policy long before this.

Now if you find that they try to leave the dog  alone in the house, or it isn't housebroken, or it barks a lot, you can be sure it isn't a real service dog, because service dogs don't do those things,  in which case you can ask them to leave for misrepresenting the dog, or just leave an appropriate review. 

You just have to be really careful with Airbnb about anything they consider to be discrimination. That's like a red flag in front of a bull to them.

And you could offer the guests some old, but clean, sheets or towels to cover wherever the dog will sleep. Hosts who do allow pets often do this.

Phone numbers for Airbnb are in the "Contact Airbnb" pinned post on the first page of this Help section.

[Michelle53]

@Alana114   If the dog is trained to alert in case of a change in blood chemistry it must stay with the owner at all times.   You can't require the dog to be crated outside. 

If you understood the rules for true service dogs, you would not be viewing this as a negative situation, but adapting appropriately. Your listing, although you categorize it as a Private Room in a house, does not appear to delineate any shared common areas, but indicates guests may use the "entire basement apartment...." and the patio, which suggests a separate space, to me.    

Be aware that you may not charge any additional cleaning fee for this dog, under the law. 

This guest had no obligation, under law,  to inform you ahead of time, and yet they did inform you, also being open to providing you the task for which this dog has been specifically trained. 

You are pre-judging to suggest this guest deserves a negative review.  You could turn this all around in a heartbeat, by treating them no differently than any other guest you have hosted.    That really is the whole point of having a non-discrimination policy. 

[Alana114]

It is not prejudging to be upset about having this situation sprung on me at the last minute and that deserves a negative review for lack of communication if nothing else.  I Dont think you read the original post and I think you missed where I said we will let the dog sleep with them once they said it was required.  I suggested the crate before they explained. 

[Sarah977]

@Alana114 "and that deserves a negative review for lack of communication if nothing else."

You aren't listening nor seem to have read the policy. If it is a legitimate service dog, they are not required to disclose it beforehand at all.

[Helen3]

Why didn't you just contact Airbnb and ask them to cancel the booking as you have a cat and therefore cannot accommodate service animals in your place. You are an experience superhost and have already been given great advice earlier in this thread that you don't need to accommodate and can ask Airbnb to cancel penalty free. 

I certainly wouldn't have accepted a service animal if I had a pet in my home.  @Alana114