So today when my cleaning person went in to clean our property she was came across a area rug in the master bedroom as well as the leg of our king sized bed chewed by a dog. I made an exception to allow 3 dogs in the home instead of the normal 2 dog max. The group was in for a wedding and as with any guests I let them know ALL dogs must be kenneled if left unattended in property. Needless to say they did not heed my warning, I was somewhat miffed because the guest did not report the damage to me. When I called and texted her pictures she was super apologetic and offered to pay for the damages, I told her we would get the bed repaired to save her some money as the log bed was $1200 new but the rug we will have to buy new, she agreed but asked if we could handle this ourselves rather than going through Airbnb⌠not sure why she wants to do that and I told her I feel I need to use the platform to keep things transparent, I did not and will not leave her a bad review because she is being cordial about it and says she wants to make it right. She again said she would really prefer I didnât report damages to Airbnb. (Too late I called them before I called her) but anyone know why she want this to not go through Airbnb?
Repeat offender maybe? Honestly weâve heard a lot of bad things about dealing with Airbnb on resolutions. Even though she is agreeing to pay she might dispute Airbnb charges. Once I had an incident with a dog and the owner did fess up and pay via PayPal. So if you can get the funds you need from her without involving Airbnb I see little advantage to involving them.
Maybe she wants to string you along saying sheâs sorry and sheâll pay until itâs too late to request money via the platform, then sheâll flip you the bird and walk away laughing.
Ok, I will work with her and see how this pans out. I am sure she isnât going to be real happy, the bill for the refinishing on the bed is about $300, and that is if they donât have to do the whole bed, the guy said that it is likely the fading on the wood will require he does the whole bed, if that is the case is will be $400, and it is a small chew mark, but right where you would see it when you walk in the room. The rug on the other hand is toast and that is $250 they are looking at over $600 all because they didnât kennel their dogs as required.
That was my thought too, I will ask her for funds well in advance and start the process of submitting receipts, one issue I have is that the log bed will need to be sanded and clear coated, I have guests every weekend and some mid weeks through October, I wonât have any full week breaks until 1st week Of November, that will be too late, so I am wondering how to do this Airbnb said I canât collect until work is done, but I canât get work done in time without canceling a reservation. The smell of the clear coat would be too strong in the room if I didnât give it a week to settle.
The biggest concern I would have is that you think she knew about the damage and didnât report it. Thatâs already an indication sheâs trying to avoid responsibility, and is only cordial (or pretending to be) because she got caught. I hope you can collect, and please report back.
When my guest paid she did so as soon as I told her the amount. It was Venmo within hours. So Iâd tell the guest the amount and she would have to pay Same day.
Since she agreed to pay just send her a request for money through the platform. If she sends you the money, then there is no need to go through resolution center.
How many hours did you expect your wedding guests to keep these dogs kenneled?
Do you have a big outdoor kennel or are you referring to one of the small crates, where the dogs can hardly even stand up and turn around?
I always think, poor dogs at those âpet-friendlyâ listings.
Other hosts: Are there any sensible guideline re hours for this practise? And when is too long too long?
Oh, geeze. Really?
The host gets to put reasonable boundaries on the use of their property to avoid just this type of destruction.
If guests donât like the requirement to crate their animals, they can book elsewhere or find a doggy daycare or day-boarding situation.
Also, crate training isnât an inhumane thing. My crate trained dogs LIKED their crates - itâs their safe space, akin to their ancestral dens. In an unfamiliar setting with their owners out of the house, itâs likely the safest place for a dog to be.
Dogs are different. Some dogs canât be crated as long as others. Responsible owners often crate train their dogs and 4-5 hours for most dogs is nothing. Some dogs are used to a longer time. My own dogs could do longer but I wouldnât want them to.
We have Great Danes and also rescue and foster Great Danes, we offer the use of a 54â indoor kennel, I would NEVER suggest a dog be left outside in the area that our home is located. (We have bears) the discussion was had with these owners and she offered that the venue is only 3.8 miles from the home and they were taking 2 cars so that someone can let the dogs out throughout the day. I ask these questions of guests that are coming for weddings in our area (that is about 10% of our reservations) the expectation of a kennel is relayed to all guests coming with dogs right on the onset, if they do not have a kennel it gives them time to either find other accommodations for the dog or get a suitable kennel for the pet, I do also tell them I could have maintenance bring the 54â kennel in for their use. She knew and understood the expectations, it is our house rules and the expectation for all guests that choose to bring dogs along. I charge $20 per day per dog, this alone has deterred some from bringing the dogs with. We love dogs, however with our experience in foster we also understand how traumatic it is for some dogs to be in a new environment, especially if they are left alone there. This isnât the first issues we have had, but we are a bit of a niche in our area as most of the rentals in our area do not allow dogs, and fixing thing although annoying it isnât the end of the world, my biggest concern was that she wants to handle this outside of the platform. I am going to send her the request for the damages and see what happens.
I still donât know why it matters to her. Pretty sure Airbnb doesnât care. Seems like in the worst case, they might force her to have âdepositâ on her future bookings, but I didnât get any indication of that when they announced the recent changes. Maybe her current payment method is maxed out, or the payment method actually belongs to somebody else?
Iâm suspicious of this too. Iâm not sure what the play is but it feels like there is one. It probably wouldnât feel suspicious if she had expained why it mattered to her. If there is a play here, Iâd imagine it is to get out of paying but there is another possible explanation. I found this example of what a guest receives from Airbnb when a host requests money for damages.
Maybe sheâs had to pay damages before, even recently and is concerned about it. I would probably just ask her why she prefers to do it off-platform and go from there.
Does it benefit you in anyway to do it off platform? If not, go with the Spidey sense.
This is not on the hosts itâs on the guests. If the dog is not used to being crated then they should NOT BRING THE DOG.
RR
Well I just reached out to her with the total costs, she was very apologetic again, even said I am sure this is a mess for you to deal with between reservations⌠I believe she is sincerely sorry this happened. She has agreed to the amounts I sent her and said that they seem very fair and she will send a check or PayPal, I opted for the PayPal as that is more immediate. I have our text messages and she said she will do it today so if she does I can wrap up this saga and move on.
This still doesnât deter me from accepting dogs at my home, it is a pain in the rear, but our home screams for dogs, 5 acres of wooded trails and a lake for them to swim. I will continue to to require kennels when dogs are left unattended, and Iâm sure this wonât be the last mistake that happens, but people just donât understand canine behavior and think just because they are good at home they will be good on vacation⌠not the case! Thanks guys, I really believed that all transactions HAD to go through the platform, knowing this will make life much easier on me in the event of future damage negotiations.
@Robin, Iâm glad youâll continue to accept dogs.
Does your listing talk about how differently dogs can behave in an unfamiliar place? Not that enough people read, but perhaps those who do might think about it.
Of course you may already be doing that.
This is so true. I specifically ask my guests this question before I accept their dogs. I ask if the dog is used to traveling and being alone in strange places. I ask how much the dog will be left alone and if it will be crated or not and if it is left uncrated, is it trustworthy to be loose in the house. I donât require crating, not all dogs are used to it or need it but I vet the guests and how they deal with their dog, how much they know about their dog.
It becomes immediately apparent if Iâm dealing with good pet parents, when I ask these questions. I will still accept someone who readily admits that itâs their dogâs first trip or that their dog whines when separated if they agree (better if they offer first!) to not leave it unattended. I also offer a crate (so they donât have to pack and travel with theirs) for people who are conscientious but unsure - I tell them that Iâll leave it to their discretion to use a crate or not. I also offer to check-in on their dogs, take for a potty break, if desired. Responsible dog parents will make the correct decisions, so I just vet for the responsible dog parents, or the naturally conscientious ones who want to be and then help them.
Does your listing talk about how differently dogs can behave in an unfamiliar place?
My listing doesnât, however when I except a reservation with dog/s I have it in my acceptance email.
âWe are happy that you will be enjoying your family vacation with your fury family members as well. New places can be stressful to dogs, for this reason we do require that dogs left unattended in the home are kenneled. Please do not tie any dogs up outside as there is wildlife in the area that could injure a dog, and digging in the landscaping would be considered damage to the property. Please clean up any dog waste in the yard immediately and dispose of in the outside trash can. (we have a dog waste scoop next to the trash can) Should you not have a kennel for your dog, please let us know in advance and we would be happy to have one available for your use.â
That wording is brilliant.