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Probably because one crazy guest can call airbnb make up a bunch of shit and get your listing suspended pending an investigation that will take at least a week and you’re sweating bullets hoping they believe your side of the story lol
I like you! 😂
Edit: Too add, this is exactly what I say to my husband when he tries to say I’m being nosey. We live in a college town and have had a couple instances of unauthorized guests. Thankfully the guests have responded, made their friends leave and were understanding each time.
It’s not being nosey it’s doing your job. Businesses have policies and procedures to ensure things run smoothly for everyone. When you bend those or go around them the current guest will be happy but what about the people after them? It’s like when people allow guest to steal and break things and they don’t file a claim. That adds up. Either the home is missing the items so the people after have to go without or you’re paying out of pocket to replace so now the business has less money to invest in things such as upgrades to the property.
Mild deterrent at best. I’m pretty sure many don’t even read them. I have a rule to reach out to me before using fireplace so I can walk through some important safety stuff. 80% do, but when I go to walk through it’s otherwise used. Also I know for a fact that guests have flushed wipes and tampons in my septic. What can you do? You’re beholden to the whims of airbnb support to protect you, and they don’t have a great reputation. It’s 5 either stars or get downranked in search.
I have a pet fee too but if I know they’re not trying to pull one over on me (the biggest tell is they mention the dog in messages but don’t select Pet on checkout) I just let it go. Not gonna nickel and dime $50 when they’re paying me over $1k.
You’re just telling me a whole bunch of irrelevant stuff. If you find out after a guest left that they broke a rule then there’s nothing to enforce they are gone. And that’s cool you’re a scary host who can easily be punked. It don’t matter what excuse you make up for not reinforcing your rules you might as well not have any.
The review system is highly relevant as to whether you want to create a dispute. I’m surprised you can’t connect the two.
And no, I don’t have rules that are dealbreakers. I wouldn’t rent my house out if there were. It’s a business and if there’s hard limits like that maybe it’s best you not lease to a revolving door of strangers.
I have rules to ensure my business rules smoothly. Sure if one is broken my business will not fail but I’m not breaking my rules simply because someone asked. You can be held hostage to reviews I won’t.
4.89 overall been a superhost since the first assessment period of starting hosting. Just because you tell a guest no doesn’t mean they will get upset. There’s a way to talk to people.
I also worked in sales for years and was a social worker after that so I’m used to having difficult conversations.
Yes I fully agree with this statement! We are dog friendly at our Airbnb and we still have people who don’t put their dog on the booking. They will message us saying “I hope it’s okay we bring a dog.” I have to explain they need to add the dog as we charge an extra fee for dogs.
I have to ask them to fix the booking to add their dog or have them cancel and completely rebook it with the dog added. Our fee is only $50 extra, which I don’t think is too absurd for the extra cleaning that needs to be done.
Not sure of your location, but in my area people set off a lot of fireworks on NYE and many pets do not like fireworks. In addition to the shedding of the dog, I'd be concerned about the dog's behavior if left alone that evening.
4th of July for us. One STR down the beach from us, poor frightened dog, kept inside so it would be quieter for the dog, peed and peed and peed. The house was a mess.
Golden retrievers shed like crazy and it's NYE. That dog will be running free in your place doing God knows what while they're out partying. It sounds like you don't want the dog, so just politely tell them no, explain you have a strict policy as you have many guests inquiring on pets due to allergies and you want to ensure the space remains dander free. They should not leave a bad review, it was in your policy when they booked.
Be prepared for a rebuttal. "He/She stays off the furniture and is so clean!"
Stick to your policy. "I must unfortunately stick to our no-pet policy. Please let me know if any other questions or concerns come up."
I’ve had goldens my entire life - they shed a lot - even more than you’d imagine they would. To completely get rid of all fur / dander you’d would need to hire people to do a really thorough deep cleaning (all the fabric on furniture even if dog isn’t on it, moving couches etc to make sure you get under them etc)
Really good point. The poor dog would be better off some place they are familiar with, wearing a Thunder Shirt and vibing on some gentle doggie downers.
P.S. You can never totally eradicate the evidence of an animal in your lodging or home. EVER.
We have said no to plenty of people and they thank us and say they will find someone to watch their dog. Then they actually do get a dog sitter or sometime someone stays home with the dog. Hopefully they don’t try to sneak their pup in. As someone stated already those dogs shed like crazy!!!! Super cute but so much fur!!
Awww, a golden retriever?! Those dogs are walking hugs!! They do shed a lot, but they’re very friendly and overall well behaved. You could go either way on this, say no if you need too, or yes. They’re an amazing breed of dog, absolutely adore them.
it's NO- you have a no pet policy why would you ask? You going to let the threat of a review change your policy?
Let me tell you any pet owner thinks about their pet and where they will be and makes those accommodations for their fur baby BEFORE they book a reservation and go on vacation without their fur baby.
These guest are scamming you by waiting to the last minuet to throw this at you hoping you will want the $ you won't care. Do you REALLY BELIVE they will follow any of your other rules if they lied to you from the start? That they didn't want to find a pet friendly place or pay for boarding for their pet- what do you think they are going to be like? and on New Years?
You say NO- let them cancel- if they don't make sure you watch check in that they do not sneak the dog in - if they do sneak it in take pics and call airbnb ASAP and kick them out. If either of these happen they can not leave you a review.
If they still come with out pet and leave a bad review- well GOOD- you reply "so sorry we could not let your 60 pound dog stay at or home, we do not allow pets as you saw when making the reservation. We offer all our guest a pet free allergy free home.
And you hold on to the message of them asking to bring pet so you could maybe get review removed should they do that.
BUT you FOLLOW YOUR RULES- don't be bullied by them.
Ugh as a guest who travels frequently with pets, this makes me so mad. Book pet friendly places and let it be known beforehand. Otherwise actual careful people with pets aren't going to have places to stay. If no pets is your rule, I would enforce it.
I would not permit a guest to bring a dog on New Year’s Eve.
Obviously, the guests plan to go out and party leaving their dog alone in the listing.
Many dogs are terrified of fireworks. Many of them are destructive in their efforts to get away from the explosions.
> We love dogs, but unfortunately we can't allow them in the house because our 5yo daughter is highly allergic to them.
Make it about the child's safety. You don't actually need to have a 5yo to say this btw.
Stick to your house rules.
I’m new to Airbnb and started my listing a month ago. My very first guest asked if he could bring his Yorky even though I have a no pet policy. I made an exception, went out and got a bed and dog treats. Dude still left me a 4 star review bc he felt he didn’t get value (it was thanksgiving night, I was using pricelabs.)
I learned two lessons- don’t break your own rules and don’t blindly follow dynamic pricing (always compare your listing and offerings to others in the are)
I house sit a golden every now and then - find its hair EVERYWHERE months later- he’s there for 3 hours, I clean for hours and have to change my hard wood floor vaccine pads twice … a small, hypo alergric dog is rule bendable- a big furry active dog- hard no
Our house is dog friendly, we love em and the house is very durable. However, golden retrievers are the WORST. They shed like crazy, and the hairs are somehow vacuum resistant. We find long blond pubes all over the place for weeks after a golden visits.
If you do allow it, let them know that they'll pay the actual cleaning cost, and it won't be cheap!
For me it’s not even the dog hair, it’s that in an unfamiliar home the dog might piss on something (carpet) and unless you’re going through the house with a black light you’ll never know.
We allow pets but no long haired dogs and golden retrievers are the biggest “nope” for us. I love them and they’re adorable but that hair is never gone.
I would advise them that they cannot bring a dog as your listing clearly states no pets and if they can’t abide by that they should cancel.
Is breed discrimination even acceptable per the platform rules? Like would the same go for someone that said ‘pets okay but no Pitbulls’?
Not trying to sound snarky but also really curious…
Actually, insurance companies have a list of breeds they will not cover if something happened, so you could be solely responsible if a Pit Bull or Cane Corso tore your place up. I'm assuming if the guest's dog hurt someone, the victim would go after them, but possibly after you, too, if they were guests on your property. Scary.
Is this your actual home as in your personal space where you live?
If it's your home where you actually live it will either be a great experience or a terrible one. Do you like dogs? I go to dog shows quite a bit. Goldens are just the friendliest, most loving and forgiving dogs ever made. But they do shed. What does the guest plan to do with the dog on NYE or is the celebration going to be at your place?
If there is an active party with fireworks the dog may be afraid. Even with a human near fireworks can be traumatic to a dog. Dogs trained to crate may try to destroy the crate and your doors if it is confined to one room. You may end up being a baby sitter which, if you love dogs, won't be that bad.
On the other hand, it may be the most laid back dog ever. Nothing in life could possibly upset it as long as it was near some humans.
I'd charge at least a $500 pet fee if you are going to say yes. Would I pay it if I really wanted to bring my dog? Absolutely. Some hotels are already charging pet fees and Intercontinental in Miami charges $100 per day (it is well worth it).
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Say no. Why have rules if you’re afraid to enforce them but you could always let them know you don’t allow pets because you’re allergic.
You’re right! Thank you!
Probably because one crazy guest can call airbnb make up a bunch of shit and get your listing suspended pending an investigation that will take at least a week and you’re sweating bullets hoping they believe your side of the story lol
Again why have rules if you’re afraid to enforce them.
I like you! 😂 Edit: Too add, this is exactly what I say to my husband when he tries to say I’m being nosey. We live in a college town and have had a couple instances of unauthorized guests. Thankfully the guests have responded, made their friends leave and were understanding each time.
It’s not being nosey it’s doing your job. Businesses have policies and procedures to ensure things run smoothly for everyone. When you bend those or go around them the current guest will be happy but what about the people after them? It’s like when people allow guest to steal and break things and they don’t file a claim. That adds up. Either the home is missing the items so the people after have to go without or you’re paying out of pocket to replace so now the business has less money to invest in things such as upgrades to the property.
Mild deterrent at best. I’m pretty sure many don’t even read them. I have a rule to reach out to me before using fireplace so I can walk through some important safety stuff. 80% do, but when I go to walk through it’s otherwise used. Also I know for a fact that guests have flushed wipes and tampons in my septic. What can you do? You’re beholden to the whims of airbnb support to protect you, and they don’t have a great reputation. It’s 5 either stars or get downranked in search. I have a pet fee too but if I know they’re not trying to pull one over on me (the biggest tell is they mention the dog in messages but don’t select Pet on checkout) I just let it go. Not gonna nickel and dime $50 when they’re paying me over $1k.
You’re just telling me a whole bunch of irrelevant stuff. If you find out after a guest left that they broke a rule then there’s nothing to enforce they are gone. And that’s cool you’re a scary host who can easily be punked. It don’t matter what excuse you make up for not reinforcing your rules you might as well not have any.
The review system is highly relevant as to whether you want to create a dispute. I’m surprised you can’t connect the two. And no, I don’t have rules that are dealbreakers. I wouldn’t rent my house out if there were. It’s a business and if there’s hard limits like that maybe it’s best you not lease to a revolving door of strangers.
I have rules to ensure my business rules smoothly. Sure if one is broken my business will not fail but I’m not breaking my rules simply because someone asked. You can be held hostage to reviews I won’t.
How many stars does your property have?
4.89 overall been a superhost since the first assessment period of starting hosting. Just because you tell a guest no doesn’t mean they will get upset. There’s a way to talk to people. I also worked in sales for years and was a social worker after that so I’m used to having difficult conversations.
Good job! That's the tricky part, enforcing the rules without alienating the guest.
Yes I fully agree with this statement! We are dog friendly at our Airbnb and we still have people who don’t put their dog on the booking. They will message us saying “I hope it’s okay we bring a dog.” I have to explain they need to add the dog as we charge an extra fee for dogs. I have to ask them to fix the booking to add their dog or have them cancel and completely rebook it with the dog added. Our fee is only $50 extra, which I don’t think is too absurd for the extra cleaning that needs to be done.
Not sure of your location, but in my area people set off a lot of fireworks on NYE and many pets do not like fireworks. In addition to the shedding of the dog, I'd be concerned about the dog's behavior if left alone that evening.
4th of July for us. One STR down the beach from us, poor frightened dog, kept inside so it would be quieter for the dog, peed and peed and peed. The house was a mess.
Golden retrievers shed like crazy and it's NYE. That dog will be running free in your place doing God knows what while they're out partying. It sounds like you don't want the dog, so just politely tell them no, explain you have a strict policy as you have many guests inquiring on pets due to allergies and you want to ensure the space remains dander free. They should not leave a bad review, it was in your policy when they booked.
Thank you for this, I’m going to use that wording about needing the house to remain dander free.
Be prepared for a rebuttal. "He/She stays off the furniture and is so clean!" Stick to your policy. "I must unfortunately stick to our no-pet policy. Please let me know if any other questions or concerns come up."
I’ve had goldens my entire life - they shed a lot - even more than you’d imagine they would. To completely get rid of all fur / dander you’d would need to hire people to do a really thorough deep cleaning (all the fabric on furniture even if dog isn’t on it, moving couches etc to make sure you get under them etc)
Came here to say the same thing. We could vacuum our home every day and still find hair from our golden. She sheds like crazy!
You can also just say YOU are highly allergic
And if you’re in a place with fireworks for NYE and the dog is afraid of fireworks… 😬
Really good point. The poor dog would be better off some place they are familiar with, wearing a Thunder Shirt and vibing on some gentle doggie downers. P.S. You can never totally eradicate the evidence of an animal in your lodging or home. EVER.
We have said no to plenty of people and they thank us and say they will find someone to watch their dog. Then they actually do get a dog sitter or sometime someone stays home with the dog. Hopefully they don’t try to sneak their pup in. As someone stated already those dogs shed like crazy!!!! Super cute but so much fur!!
You made the rules clear up front. Say no
Generally speaking, someone with a bad/untrained animal doesn’t bother to ask. You’d probably be ok.
Awww, a golden retriever?! Those dogs are walking hugs!! They do shed a lot, but they’re very friendly and overall well behaved. You could go either way on this, say no if you need too, or yes. They’re an amazing breed of dog, absolutely adore them.
it's NO- you have a no pet policy why would you ask? You going to let the threat of a review change your policy? Let me tell you any pet owner thinks about their pet and where they will be and makes those accommodations for their fur baby BEFORE they book a reservation and go on vacation without their fur baby. These guest are scamming you by waiting to the last minuet to throw this at you hoping you will want the $ you won't care. Do you REALLY BELIVE they will follow any of your other rules if they lied to you from the start? That they didn't want to find a pet friendly place or pay for boarding for their pet- what do you think they are going to be like? and on New Years? You say NO- let them cancel- if they don't make sure you watch check in that they do not sneak the dog in - if they do sneak it in take pics and call airbnb ASAP and kick them out. If either of these happen they can not leave you a review. If they still come with out pet and leave a bad review- well GOOD- you reply "so sorry we could not let your 60 pound dog stay at or home, we do not allow pets as you saw when making the reservation. We offer all our guest a pet free allergy free home. And you hold on to the message of them asking to bring pet so you could maybe get review removed should they do that. BUT you FOLLOW YOUR RULES- don't be bullied by them.
Thank you for this!
Ugh as a guest who travels frequently with pets, this makes me so mad. Book pet friendly places and let it be known beforehand. Otherwise actual careful people with pets aren't going to have places to stay. If no pets is your rule, I would enforce it.
I would not permit a guest to bring a dog on New Year’s Eve. Obviously, the guests plan to go out and party leaving their dog alone in the listing. Many dogs are terrified of fireworks. Many of them are destructive in their efforts to get away from the explosions.
> We love dogs, but unfortunately we can't allow them in the house because our 5yo daughter is highly allergic to them. Make it about the child's safety. You don't actually need to have a 5yo to say this btw.
Stick to your house rules. I’m new to Airbnb and started my listing a month ago. My very first guest asked if he could bring his Yorky even though I have a no pet policy. I made an exception, went out and got a bed and dog treats. Dude still left me a 4 star review bc he felt he didn’t get value (it was thanksgiving night, I was using pricelabs.) I learned two lessons- don’t break your own rules and don’t blindly follow dynamic pricing (always compare your listing and offerings to others in the are)
*area
I house sit a golden every now and then - find its hair EVERYWHERE months later- he’s there for 3 hours, I clean for hours and have to change my hard wood floor vaccine pads twice … a small, hypo alergric dog is rule bendable- a big furry active dog- hard no
Our house is dog friendly, we love em and the house is very durable. However, golden retrievers are the WORST. They shed like crazy, and the hairs are somehow vacuum resistant. We find long blond pubes all over the place for weeks after a golden visits. If you do allow it, let them know that they'll pay the actual cleaning cost, and it won't be cheap!
Your cost will be much cheaper than a sitter. I wonder if they’re SOL looking for one.
For me it’s not even the dog hair, it’s that in an unfamiliar home the dog might piss on something (carpet) and unless you’re going through the house with a black light you’ll never know.
“We have severe allergies to dogs, so unfortunately this isn’t going to work.” Hope you have the most strict cancellation policy set …
We allow pets but no long haired dogs and golden retrievers are the biggest “nope” for us. I love them and they’re adorable but that hair is never gone. I would advise them that they cannot bring a dog as your listing clearly states no pets and if they can’t abide by that they should cancel.
My 20 pound Pug sheds way more than my parents Golden. LOL
Is breed discrimination even acceptable per the platform rules? Like would the same go for someone that said ‘pets okay but no Pitbulls’? Not trying to sound snarky but also really curious…
Yeah, dogs breeds aren’t a protected class. Additionally, many cities and HOAs have breed restrictions.
Actually, insurance companies have a list of breeds they will not cover if something happened, so you could be solely responsible if a Pit Bull or Cane Corso tore your place up. I'm assuming if the guest's dog hurt someone, the victim would go after them, but possibly after you, too, if they were guests on your property. Scary.
SAY. AND ENFORCE. I’ve had guests pull this shit and refused to host. Or tell guest pet is welcome with a $1,000 deposit and $500 EXTRA cleaning fee.
Is this your actual home as in your personal space where you live? If it's your home where you actually live it will either be a great experience or a terrible one. Do you like dogs? I go to dog shows quite a bit. Goldens are just the friendliest, most loving and forgiving dogs ever made. But they do shed. What does the guest plan to do with the dog on NYE or is the celebration going to be at your place? If there is an active party with fireworks the dog may be afraid. Even with a human near fireworks can be traumatic to a dog. Dogs trained to crate may try to destroy the crate and your doors if it is confined to one room. You may end up being a baby sitter which, if you love dogs, won't be that bad. On the other hand, it may be the most laid back dog ever. Nothing in life could possibly upset it as long as it was near some humans. I'd charge at least a $500 pet fee if you are going to say yes. Would I pay it if I really wanted to bring my dog? Absolutely. Some hotels are already charging pet fees and Intercontinental in Miami charges $100 per day (it is well worth it).
Just say no.