Emotional Support Animals-NEW! you can say No ESAs allowed

EDIT: 2/23/22. Appears Airbnb has removed this from the current Accessibility policy!

It was there 2/21/22

I think I am the last one to know this?

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Link to the full Accessibility Policy

No, you’re not the last to know. I read 90% of the threads here and I’ve never seen this. Last I heard we had to accept them and we couldn’t charge for them. So this is great news and an indication that all the abuse of ESA policies nationwide finally ruined it for everyone. That said, if I felt that someone was traveling with a legit ESA I wouldn’t charge the pet fee. And that, of course, will piss off all the hosts who will start charging a pet fee for ESAs. LOL.

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Wow, this is great news!

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YES!! Finally, someone listened. Updating my listing asap!

Now if we could only get someone to listen in the LTR market. There are definitely legit ESA situations but there are enough “Pets Allowed” listings that no guest needs to force their animal on an unwelcoming host w/ a listing unprepared to support furry friends.

I love my little fur-baby but I’m not taking him where he’s not allowed or welcome. #TooEntitled

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I can’t see the clause circled in your first post @Annet3176 saying hosts don’t have to take ESA animals in the full accessibility policy. Could you point me in the right direction?

See the very last line below.

Emotional Support Animal: An animal that provides companionship, relieves loneliness, or helps with depression, anxiety, or certain phobias but is not required to have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities

  • What we allow:
    • Unless the reservation is a stay in New York or California (USA) or another location where applicable law prohibits it:
      • Hosts may charge pet fees for a guest who is traveling with an emotional support animal
      • Hosts are allowed to decline the presence of emotional support animals from a stay or Experience
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Got it cheers. Need to check the law in my country re ESA’s.

Hmmm I’m in New York. Can anyone else from NY weigh in?

I’m wondering if some pet dog owners will simply say their dogs are service animals now instead of saying they are emotional support animals or assistance animals knowing that hosts still have no real way to verify that a dog is really a service animal.

Of course, this no longer a problem specific to Airbnb except that Airbnb practically created a small class of entitled guests with their previous “assistance animal” policy.

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Not from NY, but I would assume in the case of CA and NY, it has to do with either the state law or the predominant local law.

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Right, I just haven’t been able to find anything online from NY state that refers to short term rentals and emotional support animals… (I’m not in NYC)

They’ve REMOVED it!!!
I did screen shots of the policy.
I attached the link. I doubled checked the link was correct.
The policy displaying now excludes the declination passage!

@kkc
@Brian_R170
@aelilya
@dpfromva

:face_with_symbols_over_mouth: :exploding_head:
Look, still shows up in Google but gone, as you said, when you click on the link. These guys, man!

Maybe they need clarify it or put a date on it since it’s a change in policy. I.e. reservations booked after X date are subject to this, whereas reservations booked before that are not. We can only hope.

It was there 3 hours ago when I copied it from their website and pasted it to the post above.

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But wait there’s more…

The pet policy allows for charging for ESAs which conflicts with a onside ring them a service animal (can’t charge fee)

https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/a/what-you-need-to-know-about-hosting-pets-463

I have a service dog that I take everywhere. NOT an ES, she’s an actual SD.
I have been denied stays but it didn’t bother me because I found other places to stay. No biggie. Lots of places take SD’s.
I allow dogs, but I don’t permit dogs in my ABB filter. I just post in my ad that dogs are welcome as long as they’re clean and well behaved.
I know how a SD is supposed to behave. An ES is not trained the same as a SD and the ES dogs I’ve come across have not all been nice or clean. Every SD I have met has been clean and well behaved.
I have a sign on my dogs vest “Working Dog, Do Not Pet Me”

TIP: Service dogs are not meant to be social while they’re working. Ask the person first if you can pet the SD since they are trained to help their human.
While they’re wearing those vests, they are working and not supposed to be socializing.

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Glad I wasn’t going mad :slight_smile:

Emotional Support Animal: An animal that provides companionship, relieves loneliness, or helps with depression, anxiety, or certain phobias but is not required to have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities

There’s Tito’s for this. And Tito’s won’t poo on a lawn or chew on furniture.

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I guess you’re trying to be funny. I’ve known multiple people who have legitimate emotional support animals, particularly for PTSD. “Not required to have” is not the same as “never has.” Alcohol is not a substitute for an emotional support animal.