How To Make Your Airbnb Pet Friendly

How do you make your Airbnb pet friendly? Have you ever thought about allowing pets in your Airbnb unit? By not allowing pets, you are closing down your Airbnb unit for 68% of the US households and 46% of UK households. Did you know that?

These numbers are according to the American Pet Products Association and its UK counterpart. Simply put, pet owners like to travel along with their pets. If your rental unit does not permit the same, you’re losing out on a large number of guests. That is why; it is time to make your Airbnb pet friendly.

Once you make this decision, the next question which you would have is where to start?

Worry not! We will share with you a step-by-step procedure to make your unit pet-friendly. You need to follow the guide below to achieve the same.

1. Induce Clarity Into The Rules & Guidebook

Guidebooks have saved us in the past and we use them in all our listings now. Most hosts think that by just adding pet-friendly to the listing will get the work done.

However, it is not so. In addition to letting guests know that your property is pet-friendly, you need to add some rules to your listing. Some rules which you need to add are:

These are just some of the additional guidelines that you need to add to your listing. Thus, you will find it easier to recover damaged property or incidents if they occur.

2. Choose Airbnb Pet-Friendly Flooring

Sure enough, you would have to make some changes to your property, as well. The primary being the flooring. You have to choose a flooring type that is stain-resistant and scratch-resistant. Some of the options are:

If you already have one of these in your units, there is no need to change. Otherwise, you might have to opt for newer flooring.

Do not want to change the flooring?

You can go with a carpet or rug to cover the flooring. It will help you avoid most of the flooring problems in your unit.

3. Set Boundaries Using Child Gates

In spite of your best intentions, certain areas need to remain out of bounds for the pets. The question is, how can you pet-proof your unit in that case?

The best way to do so without spending a lot of money is to opt for child gates. You need to also add out of bound areas to your welcome kit or guidebook for the guests. Child gates are the most affordable way to pet-proof your property.

4. Ditch The Blinds

Before you start worrying about privacy, we are not asking you to take away the privacy of the guests. We are just asking you to go for affordable curtains rather than blinds. Blinds are expensive and more susceptible to chewing damage by dogs and other pets.

On the other hand, you can get affordable curtains, which are aesthetically pleasing, as well. These curtains can provide proper privacy to your guests without experiencing the same amount of chewing damage as blinds or shutters.

5. Go With Airbnb Pet Friendly Furniture Covers

This doesn’t include purchasing brand new furniture. Remember pets just like to sit on or be around your furniture. These include:

We understand that replacing these pieces of furniture might be expensive. Our solution has always been affordable pet friendly covers that are thick and sturdy.

You can easily buy sofa covers, comforter sets which are not just aesthetically pleasing but affordable as well. Even if they undergo wear and tear, replacing them is more affordable.

6. Do Not Forget To Stock Pet Supplies

If you want glowing reviews from pet owners, you need to be pretty generous with the pet supplies. In addition to snacks and supplies for pet owners, you need to stock your unit with pet supplies. These can include:

However, one precaution which you need to take is to ensure that all of them are hypoallergenic. It will ensure that you receive no complaints from the pet owners and get glowing reviews in return. Even add that into your guidebook as a courtesy.

7. Make Sure There Are No Loose Ends

You might be thinking, what do they exactly mean by the loose ends?

You need to ensure that any items which are dangerous for pets are out of their reach. These include cleaning solutions, detergents, and other such supplies.

Also, you need to keep electric cables and wires out of their reach. It is one of the primary steps that you need to undertake for pet-proofing your unit.

8. Do Not Shy From Charging An Airbnb Pet Fee

Lastly, in spite of your best efforts, wear and tear will increase in your unit once you allow pets. That is why, when modifying your listing to allow pets, you should include a pet fee.

It will help you cover the cost of pet supplies that you are stocking up on your unit. The quantum of the pet fee will be dependent on the price which you incur on following the above few steps.

These eight steps make it easy to get your unit ready for pets. However, before welcoming your guests, it is essential to find the answer to one crucial question. We will highlight it below.

How To Add An Airbnb Pet Fee

Airbnb doesn’t have a specific place for you to add an Airbnb pet fee. You can either add the price to your Airbnb cleaning fee or mention an extra charge for pets in your description.

How Much Should You Charge For An Airbnb Pet Fee

The average Airbnb pet fee is $20. This will cover the cost of pet supplies and the normal Airbnb damage that will occur over time.

Pro Tip: Remember if there is excess pet damage after a guest checks out then claim a report to Airbnb for a refund (pet fees are for standard cleaning/restocking). Always take pictures before any guest checks in especially if they travel with pets.

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Final Thoughts

So, if you want to increase your short-term rental earnings, it is time to make your Airbnb pet friendly. With the help of our step-by-step guide above, you can not only do so but also ensure that your maintenance cost does not increase significantly. You need to follow all the eight steps, and you can bump up your Airbnb earnings.