We have a unit in the basement level of our home. We offer a 1-2 people apartment for adults, not suitable for children or pets.
I’ll start by saying that we operate an Airbnb to help fund our retirement, so that we may, someday, stop working. We build the place ourselves, invested a sizable chunk of time and money. We are in our 50/60’s, still work full time and operate our bnb simultaneously. As you all know, to keep good reviews and happy guests takes a fair amount of continued time and money. We pay the cleaners more than we charge guests for the cleaning. Taking on extra tasks like cleaning up after folks animals would put it over the top for the available energy we have to give.
Getting around to the point of my post - we don’t want animals in the unit. Hence the “no pets” rule. Regardless of this rule, really anyone can show up with a Esa or service animal. Since I opted out of having a pet friendly space, it seems I have lost any hope of being reimbursed for the likely extra 300 bucks or so it will take to do a deep clean to get rid of hair and evidence of an animal in the space. And it looks like you can’t charge more than the nightly rate for a cleaning fee, which would be quite a bit less than the about 500 bucks to turn the unit after a stay. Airbnb apparently also opts out of paying for any other damages done that is beyond the pet fee, even though they encourage everyone to be pet friendly. So, maybe you can charge 200 bucks for the pet fee? I can’t even think of anything that would even cover regarding the damage dogs can do. It’s a no shoes space. Dog toenails scratch floors. Most places a dog hangs out smell like a dog after they leave. That is best case scenario, assuming that floors are not scratched and nothing has been chewed or urinated on. They shake and dander, fur and slobber go EVERYWHERE. Walls, lampshades, blinds, cabinet faces, furniture fabric - it all has to be cleaned. Apparently at my expense. Save any worse, more expensive repairs….
Had I realized that I would be forced to house animals, I may have gone a different direction than a short term rental.
Why don’t folks with service animals and ESA’s search for pet friendly rentals? I sometimes travel with my kids who have pets. We always find something that allows animals. Yes, they are typically not as nice - because they allow pets - and typically people who live with dogs are used to the condition of a house that dogs live in. But they are destructive to an interior environment, regardless of how well trained.
Another thought I had was, are people just thinking “why pay a pet fee and stay at a place covered in hair, when I can just show up to a nice clean place, and pay no pet fee at all?” I’m curious to any insight why someone would just show up with an animal, in a no pets space.
Apparently, some people have a service small HORSE. I’m sure their home, as with the service dog and esa animals, is prepared to accommodate this. The thought of a horse in the place we work so hard on makes me feel serious anxiety. Similar to how I feel about dogs being in there.
I do understand that this is part of someone’s daily struggle - and they need this animal to help them through life. But I am about to fall over from exhaustion - and don’t have the energy and extra money to accommodate animals.
I love dogs - we have 4 Grand dogs, which I adore. They are not allowed in the rental. The rental is for making money, so we can eventually rest our rickety bones. Im not mean and uncaring - just tired.
