Pets, they’re awesome aren’t they? But sometimes they can become a hassle such as when you are renting out your space to visitors.
First and foremost, let your guests know that you have pets, even if you will not be keeping your pets at the unit. Some people are deathly allergic to dogs and cats, and these allergic reactions can be triggered merely by the pet dander left on the couch or floor. This disclosure creates transparency and helps build trust between you and your renters.
Next, let the renters know if the pets will be there or not during their stay. You can keep the pets there, but know that it can deter some visitors from renting your unit. If you are renting out a room of your home, it is more likely that you will keep the pets on the premises. If you are renting out your entire home or a dedicated unit, you will probably want to find other accommodations for your pets.
A pet that requires a relatively fair amount of upkeep such as a dog or cat, we suggest not keeping it in the unit unless you will be there. If you are going to be relocating your pets, some places to look for are dog boarding or even cat houses. Make sure to factor this cost into your budget.
Fish, reptiles or difficult-to-move pets, make sure to let your renters know that they will be there. If feeding them is easy like putting some fish food in, you can request that they help…put this in the description! If it’s a snake and you have to drop in frozen mice, then that’s an accident waiting to happen. Reconsider if you really want to rent or not at that point. Overall, use your best judgement and think what would your target audience prefer.
What experiences have you had with pets as a host or renter? Let us know in the comments below!
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I would have rented any number of places but no one takes pets. I have a very beautiful Trained Little Pom Pom(Pomeranian) and extremly loving dog named Maya. She gives free kisses.🦊She is so loving and adorable everyone falls in love with her. . But so far this site seems so wonderful but the no pet listing every single listing is very hard we are only going to be there a bit and if an extra deposit is needed of course it would be expected and honored. I’m suprises at the no pet all around the site. We rent at Comfort Inn Hotels with our 7lb little girl and there is no issues. I hope this can change, I know folks would make a lot more money, more pets are trained than not just make folks bring in their vet card showing they are free if fleas healthy and loving to be around. Also a pound rule helps knowing they are little lap dogs, my dog only speaks if someone knocks hard on the door otherwise she’s very quiet all day. She has never had an accident since she was a pup and she is less than two years old. She is 2 in July. Anyway if anyone reads this I know their are folks just like me who do not want to kennel our dogs. We are buying a new home, our home sold to the first looker leaving us in a hard way not wanting a lease but needing somewhere at least not more than an hour commute. You see already the transition is hard for everyone but knowing we are all together brings so comfort to all. Espcially to be in a happy spot where we can feel at peace and work go with the realtor to find a new home ASAP, I never leave my dog she and I are together always so maybe if folks have rules if you have a small dog it should be in a leash outside and a front pack if being carried to the door. There are always creative ways to make things go well! . ❤️🐶❤️🐶❤️🐶🦊❤️🦊❤️🦊🎶🎶🎶
This is good to know. I am in a process of buying a townhouse with extra room with private bath in Seattle area and was hoping to rent that room out. I was worried that having a dog (loving lab) will deter renters. Great to know that there might be a market for dog lovers, I will definitely welcome other dogs to come.
I am an AIRBNB host. What If I want to go away and invite guests to housesit my dogs. basically letting them stay in my home for free while caring for my pets?
I would suggest using couchsurfing for something like that.
This is a late reply, but this is actually a thing – it’s called house sitting. Trusted Housesitters is a great place for it and has the biggest market. There are other sites too, like Nomador, Mind My House, and House Sitters America. As I work remotely I’ve been getting into house sitting as a way to save on rent and cuddle some pets, and it’s great for both the owner and the sitter!
you’d trust someone that you don’t know with your pets as a means of free pet care while you’re away?????
this is not smart. & not something that a loving pet owner would ever consider. my dogs were stolen from me by a “friend” of 16 years … even those you think you know can cause you harm like this. i wouldn’t want to imagine what someone with no emotional connection to you or your pets could do.
please reconsider allowing strangers who are not certified or employed within a pet boarding career to watch your pets – especially while you’re away & unable to respond quickly if something were to go wrong.
I have a home I would like to turn into an Air BNB. However I keep some livestock (that I would care for on my own, not the guests) in the yard area but it is fenced in. Is this a problem? Can I still make the entire home an air bnb?
Yes, as long as your guests aren’t surprised when they arrive! Disclose clearly in your listing. In fact, maybe even make it a selling point to stay there! Some people love animals. But if you have unruly livestock that are big or aggressive and could injure guests, you’d have to be extra careful about potential liability risks.
I have a home I would like to turn into an Air Bnb. However; I run livestock (that I would feed and care for myself not the client). They are fenced in majority of the yard area. Can I still turn my home into a full home Air bnb?
As an AitBnB guest I actually look for rooms in houses with pets ;). Pet people are usually good people, plus I get to love on their pet while I’m away from mine. I’ve also seen traditional B & Bs where the inn pet is a special part of the stay. I used to have a small guest house, and I set that up especially as a pet friendly rental. I greeted guests with two welcome baskets – one for the people and one for the pets 🙂
So if I rented my home out and stated I have a cat that is very people friendly, and if they don’t want to feed him I can have my neighbor stop by to feed him, you would think that’s cool? He’s indoor/outdoor and everyone who meets him, loves him.
I’m thinking about renting out my entire apartment (but only for 1 or 2 months a year) because I’m sleeping at my boyfriends place a lot. But I have two cats who are extremely shy so i am afraid that it would stress them out too much if there are different people at my place all the time.
I would still come home after work every day to take care of them and make sure everything is ok but I’m still not quite sure if it’s he right decision.
Any thoughts on this?
Thanks 🤗
How does your cat react if you have a visiting friend or family member? Try that out first.
Hi I have a black lab and we air bnb our house out, the dog always comes with us but I’m just been marked a 3 for cleaning as they found dog hairs..how can I let guests know that we have a dog and although I always get it a very good clean some dog hairs do get away. Thanks
Put it in your listing description (“Lovely and friendly black lab who doesn’t clean up after himself. :)”)and put up some photos of your dogs. But also utilize lint rollers on the main areas where pet hair can be found that would annoy guests (e.g. couch, fabrics, etc…). If not already doing so, definitely keep the pup out of the bedrooms where the guests will be sleeping.
Hi there
I’m thinking of renting out my entire 3 bedroom house but we have two cats.
They are extremely friendly, they have a cat flap so come and go when they please.
Would I be able to list my property? If so would i be able to ask that the guests feed them? It’s only a case of a pouch each day. They have their own water unit that doesn’t need any attention.
Yes, plenty of hosts with pets host successfully on Airbnb. Just make sure to disclose that fully in your listings. In fact, include photos of your cats. Turn it into a point of attraction–some people LOVE cats and would prefer to stay where they can be in the presence of kitties. Try to get an auto feeder. While some guests won’t mind, you don’t want to rely on potentially forgetful/distracted guests on vacation to feed your kitties.
How exactly do I charge extra for the pet fee? There is no place under rates.
Really depends on the frequency of pet requests. If it’s quite infrequent but you just want to have it available for consideration when a guest requests it, you can require approval before they book with a pet. Just be very clear in your description that guests with pets must be approved.
Then you’d submit a special offer to the guest (normal rates + pet fee for the duration of their stay). This way the guest knows and pays the pet fee in advance.
But if you have Instant Book on, guest can book without pre-paying the pet fee. Then you’d have to go through Resolution Center to request the fee, which may be a pain, even if you have it clearly disclosed on your listing description.
Currently I can not stop sneezing. I’m unable to sleep bc my face, my eyes and my nose are so itchy!! I’m losing my voice… All because these super nice people did not tell us they have a cat. I’m extremely allergic. This sucks. Please inform your guests even if the pets won’t be there (the cat has been outside mostly, I think they have a kitty door). I love cats, but I can not sleep in a bed where a cat has been or this happens. And tomorrow it will linger after I’ve left so that’s cool, too! What a nice vacation. 😑🤧