evicting a guest

[Tasia369]

I have a guest that failed to mention a 110 lb dog, to my no pet rule home.  When I spoke to airbnb, they said they would call her and ask her to leave.  She say's to them, Service dog, that's all.  Game over, for me.  My husband went there, and he knocked on door, this 110 lb dog jumped on the door, he thought the dog was going to break it, and was growling and barking at him.  The dog was taken upstairs, with my new expensive carpeting??  There cannot be a carte blanche  to Us the hosts, that own properties that cannot accomodate, pets such as these, is there nothing for us, that try and be above standard hosts, to maintain, community rules, and preserve their own major investment??  Also, airbnb, called her twice, has called me back 0, still waiting?  Any input from experienced hosts would be appreciated.  Thank you,  extremely worried host!

[Tasia369]

we are in total agreement, as I read this second note from you, my response, is the same.  But, she left. and now she is asking me for a full refund, due to breach of contract.  And she said airbnb, told her she did not have to evacuate.  I would not respond to her, after I talked to her last night, and told her said did not have to leave last night but she did have to check out this morning, she did.  I do not know what airbnb told her, as of last night sometime, but the told me, I talked to them last night, and they told me their policy, and they did tell her the dog had to go, and it may have been because of the dog being aggressive, but I had to push them, as their policy is way to liberal and to easily misused by guests, if they so choose.  Thanks

[Tasia369]

This is what I got back from them, I am not at all happy about the threat of being reported and and flagged their rules care more about dogs than humans. And the warning!!!!!

Hi Tasia,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Eric, I work with Airbnb, and I’m contacting you today because it’s been brought to our attention that you cancelled a guest's reservation because you were unable to accommodate their assistance animal.

According to our nondiscrimination policy, a host may not decline a reservation on the basis of a guest’s medical requirements. This includes the use of an assistance animal, unless the listing is a shared space subject to an applicable exemption (e.g., severe allergies).

For more information on this, please take a moment to review our FAQ about assistance animals:

www.airbnb.com/help/article/1869

You may also review our nondiscrimination policy:

www.airbnb.com/help/article/1405

Please consider this a warning. We’re not taking action now, but the details of this situation have been added to your account (which only Airbnb representatives can see). If something like this happens again, we do have the right to review your account for further action.

Do let me know if I can answer any questions about the standards you’ve agreed to as an Airbnb user. Simply reply directly to this email to get in touch.

Best regards,
Eric

[Mark116]

@Tasia369  If you want this to be resolved in your favor, follow the directions of @Suzanne302 , don't get hung up on what should or should not be allowed.

The dog barked and growled and jumped at the door, e.g.it is out of the owners control and therefore, service animal/emotional support animal/or pet, it has to go.  This is what you want to focus on. Airbnb requires you to offer to host the guest without the animal.

Also, make sure to tell the guest, that the 'service dog' is not to be allowed in the house alone.  Period.  According to Airbnb guidelines.  If you can prove the dog the has been left alone, that is more evidence to support you, but really, growling/barking/and throwing itself against the door is plenty of evidence that the dog must go.

[Richard531]

"Emotional Support Animals" are a reflection of decadence and entitlement run amok. 

Don't get me wrong, I consider myself extremely lucky that I live in an incredible era of access, wealth, and general happiness. . .  But for a person to claim that they can freely haul their pet into restaurants, airplanes, hotels, and STRs without paying or general recourse is sinful. 

Someday in the not-so-distant future, someone will get mauled by an "Emotional Support Animal," and the whole institution begin to come to an end.  It can't happen soon enough. . .  

[Tasia369]

Richard,

Absolutely,

If that glass would have broke, when that dog hit that door, it could have been me!  With me not even expecting it,  Thank you

[Tasia369]

Thank you

I still believe, we need to address this as a community with airbnb.  This policy is there only for those who want to misuse against us.  

[Mark116]

@Tasia369 @Richard531  Airbnb always jumps on the new kinder/gentler/inclusive bandwagon, so they jumped hard on the emotional support animal idea.  Yes, it is nuts that Airbnb forces hosts to allow random animals into their no pet listings on the sole authority of the guest saying 'it's my emotional support animal'.  The airlines found that these 'emotional support animals' are by and large, people's pets, untrained and sometimes dangerous, so they curtailed it.

And yes, sooner or later someone will be seriously injured by a guest's 'emotional support animal' and it will garner a lot of negative headlines.  But, only then, and given Airbnb's track record, it may take 2 or 3 high profile injuries+media coverage, will they change the policy back to allowing only service animals that are trained for a task.

[Huma0]

@Mark116 

I am surprised it hasn't happened already. How long has this policy been in place?

I am assuming also, that I would be exempt from having to accept dogs because of my cats, but I am not 100% sure from the wording on the policy. I just know that the only time someone brought a dog into the house (not a guest - this was before I was hosting), it was a disaster.

The dog tried to attack one of the cats and frightened him so much that he became ill. The vet said she was 99% sure that it was this incident that had caused the illness because she was confident it was stress related. He was young, strong and healthy and had had his check up just a couple of weeks before. 

While I like dogs and both my nearest neighbours have big, boisterous ones, I vowed from that moment that no one would ever bring a dog into the house again.

If a guest turned up with one without telling me, I would consider that exceptionally rude. It would also make me wonder what other vital information they were withholding from me. I don't care if people are not required to disclose service animals, it's just basic good manners if you are going to stay in someone else's space, shared or not.

Also, from what I see, there are quite a few pet friendly Airbnbs out there. Maybe that's not the case everywhere, but it seems very selfish to me to book a no-pets listing when you have pet friendly ones to choose from, especially as the pet fee doesn't apply for service animals.

[Mark116]

@Huma0  Awe!  Poor kitty!  Yes I think you'd be exempt due to having cats. 

Our cats have in the past attacked dogs who came to visit.  Yes, it's true.  Our ginger who went to his heavenly reward a couple of years ago, and was insane, stalked our friend's dog--literally waited for him at the door when they came in after walks and bopped him on the nose.  He would attack anyone, including us if he felt sufficiently provoked, which is probably why his original people abandoned him.  We found him in the yard eating flowers. 

[Huma0]

@Mark116 

Your ginger (RIP) sounds like a feisty one! I'm glad you gave him a loving home. I do feel bad for the poor doggy next door though! Gingers are often quite big. I imagine yours was a tiger trapped in a moggy's body.

My tabby Pinot doesn't attack dogs, people or other cats, but her feistiness does worry me sometimes. Since my newest neighbours moved in with their Staffie, who is friendly to people but cannot mix with other dogs because they said he WILL kill them, she feels like her territory has been invaded. She gets far too close to him and tries to death stare him. The neighbour says it's like she thinks she's the one who would win in a fight. I hope Pinot doesn't try to test out that theory.

This is Grigio, the kitty who got sick after his dog scare. Luckily he got back to health and hasn't had any problems since. The vet says he's a super healthy cat.

[Lisa723]

@Huma0 this policy has been in place at least since we started hosting, in 2015. You are not required to accept any animals since you have a shared space:

"If your listing includes a shared space and an assistance animal would create a health or safety hazard to you or others (EX: allergies or potential issues with other animals), you don’t have to host the guests with the assistance animal. Please share this information on your listing to avoid any potential disappointment and be clear and polite when communicating with guests about this."

[Huma0]

@Lisa723 

Yes, I saw that but thought 'potential issues with other animals' was a bit vague. I guess it does apply. I haven't put anything about it on my listing though as I've never had anyone bring or ask to bring an assistance animal here. I have on occasion had a request from a guest with a dog or cat, but after explaining that my cats would freak out, the guests always understood and booked elsewhere.

I am sensing that this is more of an issue in the US though as it seems to be mostly US hosts that post on this topic.

[Tasia369]

You are so right, but unfortunately, with airbnb's policy as it stands, and how the interpret it to us the host, you have NO rights on that decision on your property.  So it's to heck with, insurance, neighbors, your home, yourself, etc.  They err on the side of service animal.  And  all they have to do, is open their eyes a little more, and see, this is not in the best interest of their host.  No host, no guests.  It needs to work both ways.  Of course, it is rude to bring your pet,  110lb, may I add, to a no pet home, and my hope is that this is very much not the norm.  To boot, I am sure, that she was lying to me about the pet, and I do suspect more.  So more could of happened, but I held steadfast, and said the dog needs to go.  Now I am being penalized for this?  I even told the guest, that there are many dog friendly airbnb rentals to choose from, but she said, she want's to stay in the nicest one she could find, my thoughts really, you can, but not with that dog.  This caused me so much turmoil, right when, I was having Christmas with my family, I had to deal with someone that deceived me, and threatened me and my home?  I do not understand airbnb's stance on this.

[Mark116]

@Tasia369  Yes, because you didn't listen to the advice people here gave you.  We told you that you had to offer to continue to host the guest without the animal, I know I did.  We told you that you should not focus on the issue of emotional support animal or not, but on the actions of the dog that would be the reason why the dog had to leave.  And we told you to demand a neutral cancellation from Airbnb not do it yourself. 

Airbnb wishes to be perceived as kind, friendly, diverse, welcoming.  They don't care what havoc is caused to hosts by these policies.  The only reason they cracked down on parties was bad publicity over a deadly mass shooting that came on top of several other negative party stories.  They never cared if the host property was trashed and they still don't, they don't care if criminals rent your property and they certainly don't care about fake emotional support animals and will not care until one of these animals harms someone and the national US media picks it up.  

You can either learn to work as best as possible within Airbnb rules and use them to your advantage and/or work around them or list elsewhere.

ETA...if your insurance has prohibitions on animals in the property, that I think would be an exception that Airbnb will accept, the same way they will accept it if other animals live on the property or if someone who lives or works at the property has allergies. 

[Mark116]

@Huma0  Cute!  My first cat was a tabby who looked similar.  Here is Poppy. The photo really doesn't do him justice, he was a stunning cat with orange eyes.