Cleaning fee for service animal

[Takona0]

I understand you have to allow guests who have a service animal to bring it in the house and room.  I don't allow pets but can I charge a cleaning fee for service animals?  Where would I list that fee?

[Joan2709 · Accepted solution]

@Takona0 

No, you cannot charge a pet fee or an addl fee for service animals. I would read thru Airbnb's policies on service animals. Be very cautious in how you handle guests with service animals. Airbnb can (and does) suspend a listing if their policies are violated. Don't even refer to the service animal as a "pet" in any verbal or written communication with the guest. 

You can set certain rules for the service animal that are in agreement with Airbnb's policies. The main one is you can require that the service animal may not be left alone in the listing. This is your choice as Host and in agreement with their policies. This usually helps weed out "fake" service animals that are actually pets that guests are trying to pass off as service animals to avoid a pet fee and/or book a listing that doesn't accept pets. If guests know they can't leave the service animal alone at the listing (we specify not even if in a crate) and go off to have fun, that becomes an issue for them. We have a Quick Reply we send to guests who have service animals (all very friendly and welcoming them and their service animal) and provide the link below outlining Airbnb's policies and our requirements in accordance with Airbnb's policies:

Service Animals

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1869

"...What we don’t allow:

• When a guest is accompanied by a service animal, Hosts are not allowed to:
  • Refuse a reservation
  • Charge pet fees or other additional fees
  • Apply differential treatment
  • Use discriminatory language
  • Hold guests to different rules..."

What you can require as a Host regarding service animals:

..."A guest’s service animal must not be:

• Out of control
• Unhousebroken
• Left alone at the listing without prior approval
• Allowed into areas that are considered unauthorized to the guest
• Allowed in a public space without being harnessed, leashed, or tethered and not under the guest’s control..."

Some guests try to pass off an "Emotional Support Animal" (ESA) as a service animal. ESAs are NOT service animals and Hosts do not have to accept guests with ESAs in the USA (unless your listing is in NY or CA).

[Elisa]

Hi @Takona0 😊, 

Thank you for asking this in the community.

Our host Joan explained perfectly how to add that fee to your listing. Did that work for you?

Don't hesitate to let us know!

Warm regards 🌻,