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hello! I am new to Airbnb and therefore the Airhosts forum. It seems like a very informative community and I am excited to have a forum to be able to ask the questions I have. My main question is about being pet friendly. I want to create a pet addendum/contract that the guests have to agree to before the reservation is booked and then sign when the pet fee is collected. I am not sure how or what to put into a pet addendum so I wanted to see if there were any other hosts out there that already had a sort of “pet contract” already made? Or does anyone have any ideas/advice? Thank you!
You need to put your pet agreement in the House Rules, if they need to sign it will need to be sent to the guest which you do not have the option to do so until they book. As far as collecting the fee, there is no Pet Fee per se with Airbnb so you would have to collect that separately either thru requesting funds or in person.
Airbnb will push you to have all the terms included in your listing/rules. When booking, a guest ticks a box that says they’ve read and agree to rules.
You might consider making two listings - one being the pet-dedicated one, with all your pet-specific info in the rules section, and higher nightly rate to include Fido.
I don’t have a pet addendum, but most hosts cover things like:
Where dog can potty and expectations around cleanup
Whether dog can be left alone in the listing, whether a crate is required.
Any size/breed restrictions
Whether dog is allowed on the furniture; fine for sleeping in beds
I’m sure some of the dog-friendly hosts will chime in here!
Yes. Your idea about having two listings…one for pets and one without is intriguing. I have thought of doing it that way.
To the OP… I’ve hosted dozens of dogs without a separate agreement. They pay a fee either via special offer, the resolution center or cash on arrival. The few instances with dog damages were handled between the guest and I.
Note it’s a small room at my house not an entire remote home and I have 70% one night guests.
I allow pets. As others have said here, your pet rules MUST be listed in the rules or it is not enforceable.
I have exterior security cameras so it is hard for anyone to sneak in a pet.
My pet rule is as follows:
- DOGS and CATS are welcome with a flat, per pet fee of $75. IMPORTANT NOTE: we LOVE to welcome responsible owners, but please show good judgment in leaving your dog alone in a strange place for minimal amounts of time - my guideline is 4 hours. If you plan on leaving your dog longer than 4 hours you must use an off-site pet sitting service. There are highly rated Rover hosts - an online pet setting service similar to Airbnb - within 15 minutes of Green Cottage who would love to spend quality time with your dog.
I use smartbnb to send an automated email to everyone to actually books that includes ALL my rules, because AirBnb does NOT show all rules to a potential guest by default. The burden is on the potential guest to click on READ MORE, which we know they rarely do.
I do not collect a fee in person. I modify any reservation involving an animal to include the pet fee and they must Accept within 24 hours.
I also allow pets (except kitties). I don’t allow cats because I have 2 regulars who have allergies and I think I’m the only pet friendly listing in my area that does no kitties, so it’s also a good niche. There are a couple of hosts to whom I refer the requests for kitties.
I handle the pets yet another way. I have in my house rules that Pets Must be Pre-Approved Prior to Booking. Oddly, this has a side-effect that showcases the people who don’t read: “Hi looking forward to our stay, it will be me, my husband and our darling little terrier mix. Thanks!”
People who do read and do reach out and ask if they can bring their dog are already demonstrating that they read and are respectful of house rules. My favorite version is: “We’d like to bring our 4 year old terrier-mix rescue, she’s traveled a lot with us, has stayed in other airbnbs, is house-trained and only barks if someone knocks. She’ll be with us most of the time but if we need to leave her, we can use a crate if you prefer, though she is trustworthy in the house. Pease let me know if you want more information or have any other questions or need a picture. Thank you!”
Of course I don’t always get this ideal request to bring the dog but I have some questions I ask (I have a copy and paste list that I can customize to make it easy) to get the same information from them. Only one time, I didn’t hear back from someone when I asked and that’s okay with me. As long as people are cooperative and conscientious and willing to have the conversation, I will work with them for their dogs to come (I have crates to borrow, I’ll do check-ins on them, I give a list of dog friendly places to go). It’s been a very successful approach for me. And ultimately, everything agreed to in the message stream is on the record, for Airbnb’s sake. The only actual rule is that they must be pre-approved.
I don’t charge an actual fee for the pets, but it’s ultimately considered in my rates and I get enough good business from it to make sense for me. Also, dog people are my preferred demographic For high-demand days, I will run searches to see what pet-friendly listings are available and raise my prices accordingly sometimes. I also get a lot of return business and referrals from my dog-parent guests.
This sounds like a great system! How many pet friendly hosts allow dogs on furniture and in beds? I would not want the extra clean up and want to be conscientious of my guests (I’ve had many) with allergies or sensitivities. I’m a big dog fan but my dogs throughout my life have always been trained to sleep in (open) crates or dog beds. It seems most peoples fur babies have sofa/chair/bed privileges.
I don’t try to police this and honestly don’t mind. My dog sleeps in the bed with me and has full furniture privileges Once I already have conscientious pet-parents in my apartments, it’s just not an issue. They tend to bring covers for the couch and stuff. Also, I give a special “Dog Manual” that includes dog friendly places, a list of the dog stuff we have available, etc but also some requests including to cover the white duvet cover with the bedspread “if you think your dog will get on the bed” and that there is a dog bed and an old-but-clean sheet in the closet (hint hint). I haven’t had issues. Most people are really grateful to stay in a nice place where their dogs are as welcome as they are and they leave the apartment cleaner than my guests without pets.
This why I have the “no cats” policy but if you’re allergic to dogs, my house is just a no-go for you anyways.
This x100. My pet owning guests have left the house nice and clean every time.
I provide fleece blankets, tied with a pawprint ribbon and with a note on them asking pet owners to spread them on couches or beds before allowing pets on the furniture. Every guest group that brought pets has used these.
I also provide pet cleanup bags in the backyard and special dog towels (so they won’t use people towels on the dogs). I try to make it easy for people to follow the rules and have had good luck so far.
Yes, we put in a set of dog dishes with a placemat to go under them and fill the dishes with a roll of poopy bags, a ball and some treats. We have poopy bags in a dispenser by the front and back doors and a special can in the backyard for the used ones. We also have an outdoor pet bed and a basket of “dog towels” and a chuck-it handle!
If you’re interested we got these cute dispensers they are called Poop Chutes (I guess it’s the name that is cute ,) We get a lot of compliments on them.
The other thing I put in our Dog Manual that the pet owners get in the apartments is a note that the de-icer we use is “paw friendly”. I know it’s not an issue for a lot of hosts (@KKC ,) but we’re in New England and get real winters. It’s something I always worry about with my dog.
I tried being dog (only) friendly very briefly, but without getting into the details, I had a couple of bad owners, and many requests for people to bring their cats(?) Is this is a thing? Other than people moving cross country, do people travel with their cats regularly?
I quickly went back to “not suitable for pets”. I think being super prepared as are @JJD and @georgiahost is definitely the key to setting up both dogs and owners for success!
I have this exact one! You can see it in my listing photos of the backyard.
I also provide dog bowls (large or small, depending on dog size) with a mat, a basket full of dog toys, dog beds (again different sizes depending on the dog/dogs), and a special giant dog biscuit in a welcome basket with the towels. I have two pages of dog-friendly restaurants and businesses and a one page blurb about the best day trip for your dogs.
For cats I have beds, toys, a bag of treats, and a litter box with litter and scoop. Haven’t had a cat guest yet though.
I truly welcome pets here because I travel with my two large dogs and appreciate hosts who welcome us.
For high-demand days, I will run searches to see what pet-friendly listings are available and raise my prices accordingly sometimes. I also get a lot of return business and referrals from my dog-parent guests.
Once I already have conscientious pet-parents in my apartments, it’s just not an issue. They tend to bring covers for the couch and stuff. Also, I give a special “Dog Manual” that includes dog friendly places, a list of the dog stuff we have available, etc but also some requests including to cover the white duvet cover with the bedspread “if you think your dog will get on the bed” and that there is a dog bed and an old-but-clean sheet in the closet (hint hint). I haven’t had issues. Most people are really grateful to stay in a nice place where their dogs are as welcome as they are and they leave the apartment cleaner than my guests without pets.