Service dog arrived without notice--right to be irked?

61

I see you are still a bit challenged in the condensing information dept. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

You don’t need 12 points, each with complete sentences.

And over-the-top controlling and micromanaging- “You can walk the dog outside but not on the property or adjacent parkway for defecation or urination. The animal must stay on the pavers.”

This is not something you or the dog owner can control. If the dog has to pee as soon as it gets outside, it’s going to pee. And you can only make rules about your own property, you can’t tell guests what to do on “the adjacent parkway”.

And how do you see your second version as any shorter than the first? It isn’t. At all.

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62

True enough.

How’s this?

Service Animals: In Massachusetts a service animal can only be a dog or in rare circumstances, a miniature horse. Because of allergies we do not allow any animals on the property. However, if a service animal were permitted to enter the property the Guest must proactively answer the following two questions within 48 hours of the booking (or immediately after booking if the reservation begins within 72 hours of the booking) by sending a message on the platform:
Questions:

  1. Is the service dog required because of a disability?
  2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
    Failure to send a message with the answers to these questions may result in a cancellation of the booking without refund.

Related Rules for Any Service Animal or Animal Permitted on the Property

  1. A service animal staying on our property is not allowed to be left unattended, must be on a leash or under control of verbal or sight commands at all times, and housebroken,
  2. You are liable for any damage caused by your accompanying service animal.
  3. We will cancel your reservation of you and your service dog if we discover misrepresentation of a pet as a service dog; no right to a refund.
  4. Provide in advance of stay a copy of your service dog’s rabies vaccine (current through your stay).
  5. Walk your service dog outside for bathroom needs. We prohibit indoor piddle pads. You can walk the dog outside but not on the property or adjacent parkway for defecation or urination. The animal must stay on the pavers.
  6. Bring your own disposal bags; Defecations are to be picked up immediately.
  7. Don’t let your service dog sit on furniture or counters unless it is specifically needed for your disability.

I might not have a legal right to say not to defecate/urinate on the adjacent parkway, but I don’t know why it couldn’t be a house rule. As to the dog being unable to ‘hold it in’ and so peeing/pooping on our property, the idea is to take the dog out with such frequency as to avoid that. Maybe #6 could be eliminated as it is so obvious to bring bags and if the dog is not peeing/pooping on my property I won’t be enforcing or noticing anyway. Agree?

Anyway, too long still?

The substantive issue is whether the rule requiring someone bringing a service animal to proactively send a message with the answers to the two questions is a good one for the Host and a fair rule for the guest. Such a rule would have avoided the surprise that @KimF had AND provided the Host the ability to cancel the reservation without refund.

AND the rules would importantly set some limits, like #7 or #5. Without those the Host has no limitations beyond being the service animal being housebroken, not being left alone or our of control on what the service dog can do.

63

Well, not to be a smart ass but the original version was 440 words. That second one above is 324 words. So it’s about 25% shorter.

So, your statement:

Really should be: It is. But not enough. [You could go on to say ‘not nearly enough’ but then your statement might be a little long, though perhaps the emphasis is warranted.]. Anyway, I get that your saying that the shortened version is still too long and doesn’t ‘feel’ any shorter.

The latest one is 295 words. That’s only about 10% shorter than the previously shortened version, but with just seven points it feels much pithier, doesn’t it? :rofl:

64

No.

(Above is an example of short/concise/pithy)

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65

Seriously? You can’t make a “house rule” about areas that aren’t your property.

And what do you mean about the dog staying on the pavers? You want the dog to poop and pee on the paved path?

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66

Exactly the sort of pass-ag rules which get screen printed and circulated on web sites to show why some people shouldn’t be Airbnb hosts. Your aim seems to be: “I can’t stop disabled people staying here with their service animals but I can sure as heck let them know I don’t want them and their animal here by treating them like children who I just know are going to poop on the carpet the minute I shut the door and leave.”

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67

I don’t think that’s fair. But is your objection to #6? Maybe that should be eliminated. :rofl:

#1 just reiterates the Airbnb policies in case the guest hadn’t read it.
#3 is intended as a deterrent
#4 is a safety thing; some people don’t vaccinate their animals.
#5 is important clarification not to use those pads, Our property including the parkway does not have grass but succulents that are more vulnerable.
#7 is the type of guideline that Airbnb recommends providing.

But I think – and I raise this – that there is a legitimate question on whether the requirement that the Guest send a proactive message answering the two questions that can be asked of an owner of a service animal is likely enforceable and whether it’s a fair rule for the guest. Is that the heart of your objection?

So far most objections have been to its length and wordiness but I’m most concerned on whether it’s likely enforceable and fair to the guest. There’s also a question of ‘tone’ – for example, that #2 and #3 might seem to some to suggest a belief that service animals are fake but my intention is quite the opposite: to deter people who game the system, which makes it harder for people who really have and need service animals.

68

I think that there is a common sense feeling that the parkways in front of people’s homes are ‘theirs’ even though they’re not. People maintain these parkways often beyond what the law would require because of that feeling. But I understand that that rule might be unenforceable. I think the typical animal owner would respect it once they understood that the landscaping is sedum (succulents) not grass.

On your second question, because we have no lawn and the landscaping is mostly sedums, the idea is that the animals would use the grass on another parkway.

69

On another parkway.
Exactly how far would a disabled person have to walk their dog for it to acceptably, to you, do its business? Do you expect the dog handler to put a diaper on the dog, or what?

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70

Well the next property’s parkway is about ten feet away,

71

I think what it really comes down to is unless you actually are attempting to keep your place safe for allergic guests, and have that in your listing, any type of service animal only rules will be an avenue for discrimination complaints.

If you are attempting to keep your place safe for allergic guests you can add a house rule saying animals, including emotional support animals are not allowed to keep the place allergen free. Add a hefty fine in there in case you catch someone with one. Then add that service dogs and service horses will be welcomed according to the laws and Airbnb rules but we ask that you tell us in advance, so we can make additional cleaning arrangements for after your departure to return the property to it’s original allergen free condition.

If someone still wants to bring their service animal at least you’d be warned.

72

I see. So you consider the parkway in front of your house yours, and want the dog to do its business on the parkway in front of your neighbor’s house that is “theirs”.

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73

Yes, because our parkway is covered with succulents while theirs is covered with grass.

74

Well, if I was your neighbor, and saw that your guests were walking their dogs over to my area to do their business, and they told me the host instructed them to do that, I would consider you to be a very nasty neighbor.

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75

So, you might suggest a rule that states simply “If the Guest intends to bring a service animal to the property the Guest must disclose that on the platform in a message within 48 hours of the booking, but at least 24 hours prior to the stay.”

What do you think of that? Wouldn’t that be a useful house rule to all Hosts who don’t want to be surprised when a Guest brings a service animal, like @KimF was?

I do think that rule #7 is useful.

76

I would hope that they would understand that succulents are less hardy than grass. But I understand that it ‘sounds bad.’

77

I am not a lawyer and don’t feel comfortable advising you but you need to be very careful because it could be discrimination.

Also, some of what you wrote is not true.

Item 12 - Part of my dog’s training is tactile stimulation and pressure. His training includes laying on me while I’m on a coach, chair or bed.

78

Right. I don’t know if requiring the Guest to proactively send that message is unenforceable, or worse, discrimination.

But the proposed rule does say: “Don’t let your service dog sit on furniture (sofa, chairs, bed) or counters unless it is specifically needed for your disability.”

So that would cover your situation, right?

79

You obviously don’t understand anything about dogs or dog owners. If the dog is accustomed to lying on the sofa, chair, or bed, it will do that everywhere. As a host, you need to provide some old sheets or towels for the guest to spread on the furniture, not create an unenforceable rule.

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80

@HostAirbnbVRBO - You need to chill and stop trying to micromanage guests. It is a fact of hosting that people don’t read - and they are less likely to read something that is long than something that is short.

Remember the KISS rule - “keep it simple, stupid” (and, no, I am not calling you stupid - it’s the saying)

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