I was just checking in on my property through my ring door alarm and I noticed that there was a dog on video. We don’t allow dogs at the property. How should I handle this? They didn’t ask to bring a dog and we don’t allow them because of the extra cleaning that might need to happen (hair, pee accidents).
You’ve disclosed your Ring camera in your listing, right? And your listing/house rules explicitly state you don’t allow pets? If so, contact the guest via the platform and either ask for whatever you think is fair to cover the extra cleaning or alert them you will be reaching out to Airbnb to remove them under TOS.
I’m always amazed at what people will try to get away with. I keep thinking I’ll get used to it. . .
2 Likes
I would call Air and cancel their reservation , not authorize a refund then go knock on the door and stand there until they leave. Then I would fight tooth and nail with ai to remove the retailitory review that is certain to follow.
RR
1 Like
Just keep in mind that if it’s a service animal they don’t have to disclose it. I wouldn’t just “cancel their reservation.” I’d have a conversation with them first.
7 Likes
True, but if OP was able to observe the animal running loose on the property, they can potentially make the case that the supposed “service animal” was not under the handler’s control at all times as is required.
1 Like
I don’t care what the situation is, step one is to talk to the guest. By the way, by talk I’d start with message on the platform about the dog. Just calling Airbnb to cancel a reservation isn’t the first step. When I had the third party booking a few weeks ago even when I called Airbnb it was 30 minutes and two CS agents (the first one then escalated to case manager). Depending on the situation have a adult conversation in which the guest admits they have the dog and agrees to pay an additional fee. Then they also get a review that mentions this issue.
But @annsavannah made excellent points. If the camera isn’t disclosed then the tables are turned and now the host is in trouble.
5 Likes
I’d do that before involving Airbnb at all. As far as I recall, guests don’t have to inform the host if they are bringing a dog (either a proper service dog, or an emotional support dog). I thought I’d read somewhere that you can’t charge a fee for a ‘service animal’? So if the guests claim that this is an emotional support dog, or whatever, they’re not going against any Airbnb policies. I think…
2 Likes
I ended up messaging the guest about it and I guess it was dog that belonged to a person that wasn’t invited (with her knowledge to the house) she was very reasonable about it and said from the very beginning that she knows it not allowed. This all did go down about 2:30 am. The dog is a mini Australian Shepard so it doesn’t really qualify for a service animal and it was running around without a leash. From what we have learned with past guests, you can give the guest one warning and if the behavior continues, you can evict the customer but Airbnb needs to do it and not you so it doesn’t go against you. The nest doorbell camera and the other cameras around the house are disclosed in the listing so we are all good there.
4 Likes
This is not really the Airbnb policy. I think it’s getting confused with other, less encompassing policies, like FHA. For Airnb, the animal can’t be left alone at the property and it can’t be “out of control”. A dog running loose could be seen as exercise and normal dog behaviour, not out of control. If the guest calls the dog and it comes, then it would still be under control (voice control).
2 Likes
Any type of dog could be an Assistance Animal for Airbnb.
5 Likes
As far as Airbnb is concerned they do not care. As soon as a guest CLAIMS service animal they drop it like it’s hot, wrong as that is in the real world.
2 Likes
@Militaryhorsegal I know! I had an IB the other night that I wanted to (and did) cancel. He, at some point, sent a message saying they would be bringing a service dog so I had to be really careful to make sure it wouldn’t be construed that I cancelled because I didn’t want the service dog staying. Such a stupid game. We are dog friendly with no dog fee so I honestly didn’t care if he had a service dog but still had to navigate around it anyways. The silliest part is, I’m pretty sure he was lying about it being a service dog, which was part of what turned me off him and was completely unnecessary to have his dog stay at my place. Urgh.
1 Like
This is a good time to repost the policy link.
3 Likes
Ok after reading more here I agree with @KKC that contacting the guest first on the platform would be better than just cancelling them. My message would go like this:
You should have told me you intended to bring a dog! Just two weeks ago a guest snuck in a puppy and when I called them they asked me where was the nearest emergency vet, the puppy died of Parvo virus. As you know the virus can be present for up to a year. Please please bring your dog to the vet ASAP
RR
4 Likes
LOL. I still like this white lie…for some purposes.
However let’s review what happened in this case. The guest who didn’t bring a dog and had someone show up uninvited with a dog in the middle of the night now has a sarcastic host messaging them? I’d rather not be the sarcastic host accusing the guest because 1) Airbnb is pro-guest and 2) no point in relinquishing the high ground.
2 Likes
Mini dog of any kind running around near Tiny Tiki = coyote or raptor dessert<><>!
My brothers dog sadly was killed by raccoons, little Toby was a freespirited Pom -Chi, rip…
Oh my. That would scare me for sure. More if you said, “it must have been that strain that the vaccine doesn’t help” 
This kind of thing is actually a really good reason for people to disclose their dogs, even if they are assistance animals. Babies too, for that matter! (other infections)
Their vaccinated dog died of parvo…
Hehe
RR
@RiverRock I kind of wished I didn’t help you with that.
Seems too harsh to me but it is an interesting perspective on why people should be honest about who is coming.
Why? I have a no pet listing, pets are not allowed. Anything I can do to keep animals out, or get them out of my property is welcome advice.
Thank you
RR
1 Like