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I’m currently out of town so my parents are welcoming guests and preparing the apartments. I’m in charge with communication before the booking. Yesterday we had a guest showing up with three (!!!) unannounced dogs. We clearly state that we accept pets for a surcharge. Usually people still announce their dogs and check with us whether everything is ok. This dude was the first person not doing this. In general, his communication prior to booking was poor, but he finally announced the exact time of his arrival the evening before so I’ve decided to let it pass and not contact Air as I initially planned. He’s staying for just a couple of days.
My parents said that they paid for the dogs but seemed grumpy. However, this might be a general attitude, the guy was not very talkative in his messages either. Do you think I should still send him a message through Air, addressing the dog issue and asking whether they settled well, or should I just let it go, hope he doesn’t review and then review him in the last moment? Or should I message him in order to have the proof of this issue in Airbnb messaging system? I’m torn as I also don’t want him to think this is an issue and that I’m afraid whether he’s mad for paying or something.
BUT in the Public Review mention that he showed up with not just one but three unannounced dogs! In the Private part of the Review, tell him that in the future he needs to tell hosts that he is bringing one dog let alone three, or else the host could decline him at the door!
If he showed up at our listing (NO CHILDREN, NO PETS) I would not let him in, I would immediately call AIR.
At this point, I would drop the issue but be sure to mention it in the review. Once payment was accepted for the dogs, you agreed to have them so there’s no point in taking it any further.
Hey guys, thank you for your replies! I most definitely plan to mention this in the review and grade him poorly on communication. I charge the fee on the spot, it is stated in my house rules and I reiterate it in my message to the guests who instant booked or inquired, so that there wouldn’t be any surprises.
We also have a set of blankets and linens that we like to use when we have guests with pets staying. Of course we wash them after each guest, and I know that allergic people are probably avoiding my place, but I like to have separate sets for ppl with and without pets just in case some hair was overseen or someone still has a mild allergy. So I was really taken aback by this guy’s behaviour. I wonder whether he read the description at all and checked whether we allow pets in the first place. Usually people with dogs are ready to communicate the info immediately as most of the places in my area do not allow pets at all.
That’s interesting and not something I’ve noticed. I have IB on but still have loads of enquiries rather than IBs. Thinking about it though, usually with specific questions to be answered.
Honestly, I’ve first even heard of such a thing as “assistance animal” on this forum. It seems to be quite a usual thing in US these days, but in Europe I’ve never heard of someone having one or hosting a guest who claims that he has one. In any case, for me it makes no difference since I allow animals, so I don’t really care what is the purpose of having it. As long as I can charge for it as usual, that is.
I wouldn’t leave a message to the guests. Once guests have gone, that’s the end of them. But if I did leave a message it would be something like:
‘I was so sorry to know that you hadn’t let me know you were bringing your darling dogs with you! We love to spoil our canine guests. If I’d known in advance I would have got the place ready with comfy dog beds, pooch shampoo and conditioner, enough doggy treats to last the duration of your stay, poop bags, collapsible water containers for when you’re out and about - and much more. I would have also let you have a copy of Our Good Dog Guide which explains about dog-friendly restaurants, cafes, parks, beaches and more in our area…’
Just to make them think they missed out on wonderful extra value treatment
Do guests have to disclose the presence of an assistance animal before booking?
No. While guests are not required to disclose the presence of an assistance animal before booking, we always encourage transparent communication to ensure a smooth experience for all.
Is it okay to charge an additional fee, or increase the cleaning fee, to accommodate the assistance animal?
No, under Airbnb’s Nondiscrimination Policy, hosts cannot charge extra fees to guests with an assistance animal.
I remember a thread from last year about assistance animals in the US, which had me staring at the page in disbelief with each new post. In the UK, assistance animals, which basically boils down to dogs, are those trained and employed by the public sector, i.e. Police, Fire Services, military etc. A policeman’s German Shepherd has just been awarded the canine equivalent of the George Medal for saving him from being stabbed.
Yes, it really has gone to far in the USA in my opinion. The animals (they don’t even need to be dogs) don’t have to have special training. They can be “emotional support” pets for PTSD which can be diagnosed by basically anything bad ever happening to you. (who hasn’t had something bad happen to them?) You can’t deny guests from bringing them and you can’t charge extra unless the host or someone living there has an allergy to them. In our house rules we state “No pets including service & emotional support animals due to allergy.” We just had a guest last week and the week before who inquired to make sure there were no pets because THEY had a severe allergy. So there is a niche market for places with no pets, too!
I don’t mean to minimize those who really suffer from PTSD and get relief from animals. But there are those people who really take advantage of the system and milk it for all they can.
I was not able to get my ESA into the local Brew Pub on Sunday, he had to wait outside.
One of the Barmaids has a Service Dog and was telling me that she saw somebody who was tying to get her ESA into a National Park and was refused entry, very few places are as embracing as AirBnB and their Hosts.
