We have a no pet policy which is stated on Airbnb, we also have a Nest door bell camera which is stated on Airbnb. We just saw our very first guests come in with an animal carrier. What do we do?!
Call them and tell them the reservation is cancelled. Call Air and tell, don’t ask them that the guest must leave.
I would have them out long before I waited an hour on hold for Air.
Good luck
RR
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Just wait until they tell you it’s an emotional support animal.
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I would call them and tell them to leave, I would tell CS they made no mention of the dog being a service animal or ESA and if they claim it later they are making it up. Entitled asshats.
@gypsy just had this happen, they got a refund after getting a bogus certificate. They still need to go. I would fight the refund but not allow the stay
RR
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Our guests who brought 2 young puppies got bogus service dog certificates (after the fact) and Air sided with them, and gave them a full refund. I’ve added verbage into all my communications that if they are bringing a service animal to please lmk before booking.
sunnsand, so sorry this is happening to you right out of the gate! Don’t give up hope of having good guests and keep your head up! Decide if they are likely to be ok otherwise. Go over there and ask them how they intend to keep their pet while on your premises and if it looks like the pet is not a service animal, or will be destructive, ask them to leave.
The only real argument that stands up is if they are in your own home and the host, you, are severely allergic to animals, your no pets rule will stand. About any other animal guests have brought to a second residence they can produce a Service Animal Certificate and Air will back them.
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What do you think you should do?
That, by the way is a serious question.
JF
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I don’t think you have to be “severely allergic”, just allergic. Also you can deny them in a shared-home rental if it would be “unsafe”.
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Adding to what @muddy said, what if your next guests are allergic? I’m sure that you clean very thoroughly but whatever it is about pets that allergic people react to probably lingers.
For this reason, I wouldn’t have let them in.
If it’s not possible for you to meet and greet, don’t you have a co-host? Of course, the old style meet and greet isn’t possible at the moment but can still be done with care.
Not everyone can or wants to do this. I am close by usually but not always, I give a wave and say welcome. I too have cameras, I would call the minute I saw the pet carrier and tell them their reservation is cancelled and they need to leave now. I would then mask up and be close by.
RR
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And use the Message App to confirm this to both Air and the renter along with a photo of the animal carrier in the message.
Message to guest: “As stated in several sections of our listing, there is a strict no pet policy in place along with a strict cancellation clause in Air’s policies for breaking house rules. I have canceled your reservation within Air’s system and you are required to vacate the premises immediately and I will get the keys (however you do this).”
All done electronically, written backup, and make sure you get them out FAST so they can’t damage anything.
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I’m sorry they did that especially since this was your first hosting experience.
I hope you will let us know what happens next.
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How on earth do I call Airbnb? I haven’t seen anything? And thank you by the way everybody’s been so helpful
There are numbers at the top of this forum. Also, if you keep scrolling through their “contact us” list to phone numbers you get it.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU FIRST DO ALL THIS VIA THE MESSENGER APP
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Also a simple Google search comes up with pages of phone numbers for Airbnb, so I can never understand when people say they can’t find a phone number for Airbnb anywhere.
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I don’t want to but I can as I work from home and live next door to one apartment and opposite the other. 
If I wasn’t in that situation then I’d have a co-host. So many guests have said that they are happy to know that someone is right there should they need anything or have a problem. (Thanks to this, I had one couple who knocked on my door several times a day… 
)
But I do it for my own reasons, not to make the guests feel welcome, although that is an added bonus of course. I only offer self-check in if the guests are arriving at a crazy hour.
I’m the same. And I truly believe that every host who is on the premises (and maybe those aren’t) should have their phone with them when guests arrive and a speed dial app in case guests arrive with too many people or an emotional support gorilla or whatever…
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Flagged. Self promotion.
JF
(this came up as a recent topic by the way)
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