There’s No Pet Fee, But Host Asks for a $20 “Pet Donation” When You Get to the House
Well this is an interesting pet policy I’ve never seen before!
https://www.airbnb.com/room /45976700?source_impression_id=p3_1675175697_abGHwY3xYRJfYTcD
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Strange. And it’s not in the listing anywhere. Maybe that’s why she has a 4.87 rating. It looks like a good value.
I hate that Airbnb has moved “house rules” to a nearly invisible spot.
I’ve always been irritated when there is some event and it is advertised that there is a specified “donation” to attend. When it is in fact an entrance fee. I always considered “donation” to mean the donor gives whatever they choose to give, not a proscribed amount.
Just seems like marketing gimmick language.
At least years ago there was a difference. In my younger days when I saw this I simply didn’t pay. They would ask for a donation and I would thank them and say I am not making a donation today. Sometimes they would press the case, but I would press mine and I’d get in.
I think the idea is that most people just wouldn’t do that, so they attempt to ‘shame’ the person into paying, and I suspect that most do.
Yes, it might be. I am hoping to meet the host (often this doesn’t happen) but if I do I am definitely asking him what his thinking is.
When we stayed at an AirBnB in Costa Rica there was a donation can for the housekeeper and a very strong message on the can suggesting you absolutely need to put some cash in that can. She did my laundry without asking, saving me time, so I was happy to donate.
Perhaps the host is trying to accommodate folks whose dogs leave hair all over and feel guilty, or guests who can’t afford another dime, or guests who leave with no visible trace that a dog was there. I just don’t know.
I don’t see where she is calling it a donation? She says to leave a $20 pet fee in the listing if you bring a pet. That is how it used to be at many listings before Airbnb added the pet fee to the pricing, which wasn’t that long ago.
All I see is:
if you bring your pet leave a $20 fee to use for the extra cleaning and wear & tear associated with allowing your additional family member in our home! This can done with cash at your stay, just leave it on the bookcase near the house manual.
No mention of it being a donation or even technically voluntary. I imagine it’s just easier than trying to collect it. It makes sense to me.
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I messaged the host and these were his exact words–$20 DONATION that can be left in the house.
Where did you see the pet policy in the listing?
Hardly anyone does that. I do. Meanwhile hosts have size and breed restrictions and pet fees can be per dog, per night, per stay…
Ok! I understand now. She doesn’t use the word donation in her house rules, it’s described as a fee in there. It’s likely just easier than hassling someone for a fee, I suppose. I don’t know. I have never charged a pet fee - dogs stay free 
I find that really tacky. What it indicates is that the host isn’t paying their cleaner a living wage. If staff is especially helpful, then plenty of guests will tip without being pressured to. There’s ways to encourage that without strong-arming, like a note in the house manual. “If you feel our staff has been especially attentive and helpful, they will be very grateful to accept any tip you care to leave”.
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This is the second thing in 2 days you’ve said “hardly anyone does”, the other being changing the door code for each guest. Perhaps not in your experience, but I don’t think “hardly anyone” is accurate. Plenty of hosts do both of those things.
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Hardly anyone doesn’t mean no one, it means not most people. And it really does depend where you stay.
In places that are perceived to be low crime, people are more lax about security, for sure. I don’t like it when they are lax but it’s common.
IMO, hosts are at least as bad at reading as guests are 
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There are millions of airbnb listings. Where is your source for these comments and statistics? it would be extremely helpful to us on this forum to know where to look - it would certainly save a lot of time.
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This makes no sense. Low crime areas might exist because people are LESS ‘lax’ in security - a neighborhood with ring doorbells on every door, for example, would make a neighborhood a low crime area simply because it was known to have much more security.
Who are these ‘people’ you keep mentioning?
Well, obviously, no one has paid me to do a study. AirBnB might know, and probably does know, a lot more than Air lets on.
I did see a video by a PhD describing his dissertation about AirBnB. He said he found the biggest weakness in the AirBnB business model is Air’s inability to ensure quality hosts. I agree.
Exactly.
20202020202020202020
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For example, I stayed at an AirBnB on a farm in Asheville, North Carolina, USA, last summer. I was traveling alone to a wedding, no dogs with me. Farms all around.
The main house was not very close to the house I was in–mine was probably a converted tack room or barn. The chicken and cow barn was nearby. Somebody yelling full voice (I have a big voice) could have been heard from the AirBnB to the house, but again, not close.
The large window next to the bed wouldn’t close completely and certainly could not lock. The lock on the door could have been defeated with a credit card if you know how to do that. No deadbolt.
That’s what I mean about lax security. Residents feel safe there, so they don’t bother.
Thank you very much for pointing these rules out! I overlooked them. I failed to scroll down to see the rest of what they wrote.
Guests 
Hahahaha.
(I’m just teasing!)
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