For all the folks who can't be bothered to read what they are agreeing to in their pursuits of profit (let's be honest, that's what this is all about): The FEDERAL GOVERNMENT has established FEDERAL LAW to protect people with disabilities c1990. Part of that FEDERAL LAW protects those with disabilities from discrimination and denial of services for protected groups [service animal (dog or miniature horse) handlers], and specific to this thread, housing and lodging. Denying a FEDERALLY PROTECTED service animal or their FEDERALLY PROTECTED handler is BREAKING FEDERAL LAW (and likely one or more State and/or Local laws too).
If you want to know why AirBNB does not allow you to refuse FEDERALLY PROTECTED service animals and their handlers, perhaps learn about the FEDERAL LAW that requires AirBNB to comply, as well as their hosts, or anyone else doing similar business. AirBNB has no option to ignore the demands of the FEDERAL LAW.
Here is the relevant Airbnb policy (https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1869 ["Guests are allowed to be accompanied by service animals during a stay or Experience and are not required to disclose the presence of a service animal before booking"]) and, more importantly, the relevant ADA law (https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/ada/#subchapter-ii---public-services-title-ii [Section 12181.7 A is specifically of note here]):
Sec. 12181. Definitions
As used in this subchapter:
(7) Public accommodation
The following private entities are considered public accommodations for purposes of this subchapter, if the operations of such entities affect commerce
(A) an inn, hotel, motel, or other place of lodging, except for an establishment located within a building that contains not more than five rooms for rent or hire and that is actually occupied by the proprietor of such establishment as the residence of such proprietor;
(B) a restaurant, bar, or other establishment serving food or drink;
(C) a motion picture house, theater, concert hall, stadium, or other place of exhibition entertainment;
(D) an auditorium, convention center, lecture hall, or other place of public gathering;
(E) a bakery, grocery store, clothing store, hardware store, shopping center, or other sales or rental establishment;
(F) a laundromat, dry-cleaner, bank, barber shop, beauty shop, travel service, shoe repair service, funeral parlor, gas station, office of an accountant or lawyer, pharmacy, insurance office, professional office of a health care provider, hospital, or other service establishment;
(G) a terminal, depot, or other station used for specified public transportation;
(H) a museum, library, gallery, or other place of public display or collection;
(I) a park, zoo, amusement park, or other place of recreation;
(J) a nursery, elementary, secondary, undergraduate, or postgraduate private school, or other place of education;
(K) a day care center, senior citizen center, homeless shelter, food bank, adoption agency, or other social service center establishment; and
(L) a gymnasium, health spa, bowling alley, golf course, or other place of exercise or recreation.
Also, perhaps learn about your own rights as hosts...there are some things you may ask for, things that actual fake handlers would likely be unable to easily answer, given they do not have an actual disability. From (
https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-2010-requirements/#inquiries-exclusions-charges-and-ot...😞
Inquiries, Exclusions, Charges, and Other Specific Rules Related to Service Animals
When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform.
Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.
Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people using service animals. When a person who is allergic to dog dander and a person who uses a service animal must spend time in the same room or facility, for example, in a school classroom or at a homeless shelter, they both should be accommodated by assigning them, if possible, to different locations within the room or different rooms in the facility.
A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal from the premises unless: (1) the dog is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it or (2) the dog is not housebroken. When there is a legitimate reason to ask that a service animal be removed, staff must offer the person with the disability the opportunity to obtain goods or services without the animal’s presence.
Establishments that sell or prepare food must generally allow service animals in public areas even if state or local health codes prohibit animals on the premises.
People with disabilities who use service animals cannot be isolated from other patrons, treated less favorably than other patrons, or charged fees that are not charged to other patrons without animals. In addition, if a business requires a deposit or fee to be paid by patrons with pets, it must waive the charge for service animals.
If a business such as a hotel normally charges guests for damage that they cause, a customer with a disability may also be charged for damage caused by himself or his service animal.
Staff are not required to provide care for or supervision of a service animal.
