Pet-friendly Airbnbs generate revenue, but is it worth the hassle?
BY MIKEL HUBBARD
FORMER HGTV PRODUCER | CO-FOUNDER, THE HOST CO |
OWNER, TIMES EIGHT PROPERTY & DESIGN
There are plenty of reasons NOT to allow pets in your Airbnb: You live in a condo building and don’t need a stranger’s dog barking at all hours. You have really nice furniture that’s already hard enough to keep clean. You have vintage rugs that - if they got really soiled - would break your heart. And maybe your cleaner would quit.
But there’s one REALLY good reason to allow it: an increase in bookings!
We know all the reasons not to allow pets, so let’s talk about why you SHOULD be pet-friendly and how to handle it if you do it.
You’re cute, but what’re you worth?WHAT TO CHARGE?
Some people do pet fees. You can ask for $50/stay or $25/night or really whatever you want. We advise going cheaper than hotels. It’s harder to collect separate pet deposits on Airbnb but pet fees are one way to upcharge and make it worth your while. You can split it with your cleaner or just discuss making that part of their job.
Get ready though, because people will often “gloss over” or “forget to mention” bringing a pet because they don’t like paying pet fees. This can lead to disagreements with the renter and your cleaner trying to prove a pet was present (or not). Another way to tackle it is just build the pet fee into your price whether they have a pet or not. An extra $25/night across the board is one way to avoid confrontation but assure you’re getting paid.
PROVIDE FOR PETS
Provide dog bowls, dog beds and poop bags for your renters when you allow pets. Why? Not everyone can pack those things when they travel or will remember to do so. If you don’t have them, you’ll have dogs eating our of YOUR dishes, sleeping in YOUR bed and maybe even relieving themselves on your neighbors lawn.
You got time to lean, you got time to clean.PROVIDE CLEANING SUPPLIES
Pet owners don’t want to leave the place messy, but they will if you don’t give them an option. Leave out a vacuum cleaner, sticky pet hair lint brushes, a broom and dust pan. You can tell people they can’t let their animals on the furniture. Ever try to tell a dog who’s spent their life sleeping on the sofa that they can’t in this house? Yeah, it doesn’t work. Let them clean up after their pets and you or your cleaner will be a lot happier in the end.
Run free little one… well, not that free.FENCED IN YARD
People want their pet to feel like they’re on vacation too, which means providing a fully fenced in yard for their pups to run around. This is highly sought after for longer stays in vacation areas, though not as necessary in a city. If you can make it happen, cha-ching!
Wanna share your pet-friendly hosting experience? Here we go… We know you got a nightmare story in you (or even better, a great tip)! :) Comment below.