What you need to know about hosting pets
Many guests travel with their families, which often means bringing along pets. We know that hosting pets isn’t always possible. But if you’re able to make your space pet-friendly, you can choose to add a pet fee to your nightly price.
Adding a pet fee
You can use a pet fee to cover the cleaning you’d expect to do after hosting guests with pets, such as vacuuming fur off the furniture and wiping nose or paw prints off sliding glass doors.
When you add a pet fee, it’s added into your nightly price and spread evenly across the nights of a reservation. At checkout, it’s included in the guest’s total price, not charged as a separate fee.
Setting up a pet-friendly space
Many pets are accustomed to travelling with their owners and don’t require much additional hospitality. However, if you allow pets in your space, it may be helpful to supply:
- Bowls for food and water
- Pet-friendly furniture covers
- Plenty of designated towels to wipe off paws at the door
- Scratching post and litter box (the cardboard kind will do)
- Extra cleaning supplies
Updating your listing
Guests travelling with pets may want to know what to expect at your place, such as whether it has a fenced-in yard or a private patio. Be sure to include any pet-friendly features and amenities in your listing.
Other things you can do to make your listing pet-friendly:
- Update your House Rules. Tell guests how many pets you allow per stay, from one to five. In your House Rules, clarify things like what types of pets you accept, whether it’s okay to leave a pet unattended in your space, where a pet isn’t allowed on the property, when a pet needs to be leashed, and where to properly dispose of pet waste.
- Update your guidebook. Include recommendations for local dog parks, veterinarians and pet supply stores. Consider suggesting pet-sitting services and kennels, too.
Getting reimbursed for pet damage
Cleaning fees and pet fees are meant to cover expected costs. But no matter how well-trained or well-behaved a guest’s pet may be, accidents sometimes happen.
For unexpected costs like scratched upholstery or stains caused by pets, there’s Host Damage Protection, a part of AirCover for Hosts. Be sure to document any damage with photos and request reimbursement through our Resolution Centre.
Guidelines for Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals
It’s important to understand that Service Animals are not pets. A Service Animal is generally a dog that’s individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with disabilities.
An Emotional Support Animal is an animal that provides emotional support or assistance to a person to help manage the symptoms or effects of their disability. Emotional Support Animals are generally animals commonly kept in households, such as dogs or cats. Unlike a Service Animal, an Emotional Support Animal doesn’t need to be trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with disabilities.
Even if you have a no pets rule, you must allow a Service Animal to accompany its owner unless you are granted an exemption, and you can’t charge the guest a pet fee.
These guidelines also apply to guests with Emotional Support Animals in any place where applicable law requires hosts to accommodate Emotional Support Animals. If your listing is not in one of those places, then you can charge a pet fee for an Emotional Support Animal or apply your no pets rule to them.
Host Damage Protection isn’t an insurance policy and is subject to these terms, conditions and limitations. It doesn’t protect hosts who offer stays in Japan, where Japan Host Insurance applies, or hosts who offer stays through Airbnb Travel LLC. For hosts whose country of residence or establishment is within Australia, Host Damage Protection is subject to the Host Damage Protection Terms for Australian Users. Keep in mind that all coverage limits are shown in USD.
For listings in Washington state, Airbnb’s contractual obligations under Host Damage Protection are covered by an insurance policy purchased by Airbnb. Host Damage Protection isn’t related to Host liability insurance. Under Host Damage Protection, you’re reimbursed for certain damages caused by guests to your home and belongings if the guest does not pay for those damages.
Information contained in this article may have changed since publication.