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Perhaps I can provide a perspective from the other side.
I can see both sides here because I am both a host and work with service dogs and handlers.
As a host, I used to always suggest to service dog handlers that they inform the host out of courtesy. I don’t do that any longer because of the terrible experiences handlers have had with hosts out there that will block the calendar, try to charge pet fees, and say no, even though it is the law in the US that they must accept the handler with the dog (with no advance warning required). The hosts that say yes can still make the guest feel uncomfortable and unwelcome by doing so reluctantly and making the guest feel like it is a big deal and that the host is doing them a favor. It is stressful on someone who already has a disability to have to fight to be able to stay in an Airbnb even though it is the law. Some of them just can’t deal with the stress and will stay in well-known hotels where employees have more likely been trained in the laws on service dogs. But really they should be able to have the opportunity to have the same experiences the non-disabled community has, as much as is possible.
While the handler has recourse to report the host to the Department of Justice after the fact, this does not help them in the moment. Handlers just want to be able to go about their day with the least hassle and stress possible. While a host is dealing with the situation and inconvenience for a moment, the handler is dealing with the stress of being disabled every day.
What I can’t understand is why service dog handlers do not press for some official paperwork which designates their service animal as such.
The main reason why hosts are opposed to having to accept service dogs is because so many people lie about their untrained pet being a service animal and there is no way to ascertain whether it is truly a service dog or not.
If the disabled had such documentation to provide, I think what you describe, hosts trying to keep someone who claims to have a service dog from booking, would not happen, or be quite rare.
It really isn’t the hosts who are to blame, it is the people who have no compunctions about lying, so they can bring their pet everywhere with them, who have created this situation. And I would venture a guess that more people lie about having a service dog than there are people who actually need and have them.
I did read an article in the last year that some people (without a profit motive to be the certifying organization) are working on this. Apparently it’s complicated and there are a number of constituencies and governmental organizations, federal and state, that need to get involved. I don’t recall all the complexities but I ‘got’ that it was harder to do than it looks – plus we don’t have a very unified federal government here these days.
It’s very unfortunate that some people game the system and then make everything harder for someone with a disability having to put up with more yet.
Having some kind of official service animal certification and submitting it if asked to for an otherwise no animals allowed rental , really doesn’t seem much different to me than being asked to show some proof of age if wanting a senior’s discount in a store, on public transportation, or to an event. In both cases, you are simply providing some proof that you qualify for an exception.
There are a number of reasons why certification, and identification is not required in the United States. It is complicated both in terms of logistics of how to mandate such a law, and how such logistical compliance places an additional burden on the disabled.
I will just note one thing here. Given the number of fake IDs and certifications that are available on the Internet, having such a certification would likely make no difference. People will just use fake documentation like they do now. Interestingly, in the service dog community, when someone flaunts certification, that is often viewed as a red flag since legitimate teams know that no such documentation is necessary.
It may be that changes will take place in the law in the future because fake service dogs have created a problem for legitimate teams. But because the solution may create even more problems, and because the solution itself can be easily faked, it may not solve the problem at all.
Allergies are only exempt if it is a shared space and if the other person in the shared space has allergies. Airbnb in its policies is only reflecting the law and in so doing is protecting, not only itself, but its hosts. A host that refuses a service dog in the US or makes requirements that are not supported by the law (such as requiring advance notice) can be reported to the Department of Justice and be personally liable.
Service dog handlers, by law, have to comply with local laws, which means the dog will be likely be vaccinated for rabies in the United States. Non-compliance with the laws for vaccinations is not an option for service dogs, no matter the personal beliefs of the handler. However, I do not believe you can require a copy of the rabies vaccination. That said, if this is a genuine concern for you, you can share your concern and ask nicely and many service dog handlers will probably be happy to provide you a copy. But as a requirement, I believe that goes above what the US laws say you may do as a requirement. What you may do is ask the two questions.
But many hosts do their own cleaning. So even if they don’t share space with guests, they can still be severely compromised if they have allergies, by having to clean after someone with a dog has been in residence.
Yes, that is definitely a problem. That would be another important thing for disabled organizations to work on- all these online sites offering fake service dog papers really need to be shut down. Needs legislation making such things illegal.
It is against the law already in many states to misrepresent a dog as a service animal when it is not. For example, in my state of California, it is a misdemeanor to falsely claim that you are the handler of a service animal. It is a considered a crime that is punishable for up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000.
The legislation is there but, like many of our laws, there is no enforcement.
I looked at the blog you referenced, which looks to be a copy from another blog, and they do give some bad advice, I’m afraid. For example, the blog implies that if it is a vacation rental that you only come to once in awhile, someone can refuse if they have allergies. That is not the case. The host/host’s family/person with allergies needs to co-occupy the space. So, even if someone had a vacation rental that they used themselves, for example, or cleaned themselves, that would not be an exemption. Also, even in the cases when allergies can possibly be an exemption, like in shared spaces that are co-habitated, the allergy has to be medically documented as serious enough that it would rise to the level of threatening health and safety.
Service dogs are everywhere and even if one is allergic, most people will likely have encountered dog dander without knowing it. For example, hotels are not allowed to force handlers with service dogs to lodge in rooms that they specifically designate, so without knowing it someone with an allergy may very well have stayed in a room where a dog has been. Service dogs are even allowed in hospitals with the exception of operating rooms or other places that may present a threat or danger to medical practices and where the presence of the dog doesn’t impede any services the staff is trying to provide (e.g. if they are trying to treat someone who is coding). So, if hospitals are not allowed to preclude service dogs, a place that has a lot of sick people, including some with allergies, then you can understand the extent to which the law accommodates service dogs.
LOL. At least the bad advice given here is free with minimal ads.
It’s been a few years but there was a host here who wrote firsthand about Airbnb giving her trouble because she tried to claim no service dogs could stay at her place because her daughter with severe allergies would help her clean. Eventually a tree fell on their rental and I think that was the final straw so to speak.
Thank you for sharing your research and knowledge.
I was trying to think of a way to avoid a Host being surprised with a service animal suddenly showing up, but it sounds like it’s not worth trying to do that. If If it’s truly a service animal it’s likely any procedure so far discussed is likely to be off-putting, burdensome, maybe illegal. Even the doggie treats offer might be seen as a welcoming and heartfelt gesture but dog owners can have strong food preferences too.
@muddy 's suggestion of keeping some old towels and sheets around so if a dog needs to/is accustomed to lying on beds might be my most practical ‘to do’ takeaway.
The more important takeaway is the mindset.
This whole discussion has been helpful to see both sides, not interpret barking as a ‘giveaway’ that the dog is not a real service dog, understand that while st first blush it seems a common courtesy for someone to give advance notice that they’re bringing a service dog that kind of courtesy has too often backfired for the handlers, and that the situation is not one to be managed as it is to be truly accepted and accommodated.
I remember the daughter situation but not the tree being the final straw…
If a host (or employee of the host) has severe allergies then a medical certificate proving it is all that’s needed.
I doubt the allergy excuse will work if the affected person just sneezes a bit.
But I don’t understand this absolute aversion to hosting dogs.
I’m not a huge dog lover but until our HOA put paid to renters having dogs, I must have hosted hundreds - no biggie and usually great reviews from happy dog-owning guests.
What a wonderful reply. Too often I’ve seen these conversations devolve and it is so refreshing to hear all sides without rancor. Because, I am on both sides, I am sympathetic to both sides. But I don’t want Airbnb hosts to get in trouble out of ignorance.
I can tell you that even if there are doggy treat preferences, the gesture of leaving even a small token for the dog, warms a handler’s heart, precisely because they have such a deep connection with the dog. When you show you care about the dog, you are affirming and recognizing both the handler and the dog.
BTW, if the dog barks in a sustained way, that is considered disruptive and you may exclude the dog. Most handlers use non-verbal alerts for dogs. In some circumstances, a bark can be preferred, but trainers usually train the handler’s dogs to be as non-intrusive as possible, and that includes verbal alerts. But if it does bark, it should not be sustained barking.
we send a message at 2pm letting guests know the cottage is ready, and it includes this info (I haven’t bothered to put it in the guest manual because it probably won’t be read).
