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The Pros and Cons of Allowing Pets at Your Vacation Home
Some considerations when deciding whether to make your vacation rental pet-friendly.
| When faced with the decision of whether to accept pets at your vacation rental, some owners see dollar signs, others see pet hair. Before you choose whether or not to accept pets, you should carefully weigh the pros and cons. You should first take into account what suits your own family, but should also consider the potential effects on your vacation rental business before ruling it out entirely or checking that “pet-friendly” box on your listings. |
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The Benefits
In some vacation rental markets, it's dog-eat-dog, and accepting pets might be just what you need to get a “leg up” on the competition.
Here are some benefits to accepting pets:
• Expand your traveler base. Consider the sheer number of people in the US that own a pet. And perhaps more importantly, many of them love their pets so much that they bring them along on family vacations. According to the Travel Industry Association, 14% of all American adults have traveled with a pet at some point in the past three years. What does 14% translate to? About 29 million travelers.
• Increase bookings. When demand exceeds supply, you have a promising business opportunity. Less than 22.5% of the properties on HomeAway.com accept pets. Furthermore, most of these properties only allow dogs, and even fewer allow big dogs. When you consider the demand for pet-friendly accommodations compared to the number of rentals available, your decision might just be a bit easier. Yes, it's true that not all pet-owning travelers are concerned with bringing a pet along, but those that are look for that pet-friendly icon.
• Fill off-season openings. When it comes to those dog days of…fall, young couples, empty nesters and retirees are more likely to travel than families with children who are restricted by school calendars. And just because these travelers won't have children in tow doesn't mean they won't have their other “babies” to bring along. If you're on the fence about accepting pets, give it a try in your off-season to help fill the weekends in your slower months.
• Earn extra income. When you allow guests to bring pets to your vacation rental, it is completely reasonable to charge a fee. Just think, if your guests couldn't bring their pet along, they'd have to pay to board it anyway. We recommend charging $10-$25 per night. You should also compare your pet fees with other rentals in your area to make sure they are competitive.
The Drawbacks
For some, accepting pets isn't all puppy love. However, most owners that accept pets are quick to tout the benefits and quickly dismiss the potential negatives. That being said, you should still consider the “risks” of accepting pets.
Running a pet-friendly vacation rental could potentially:
• Add to wear & tear. The risk of damage to your property is slightly greater when you allow animals in your home. However, most people that travel with their pets are confident in their pets' behavior – if they weren't, do you think they'd want to bring the pets along for vacation? Either way, some owners charge a pet deposit in addition to the pet fee in case of damage. You may also want to set some restrictions when it comes to the age of the animals. A puppy is probably more likely to cause damage than an older dog that has been trained, so be sure to communicate to your guests any age minimums you have set for the animals.
• Alienate some travelers. If you choose to start accepting pets, you might be concerned about pushing away potential bookings from travelers with allergies. This is a valid concern, but you have to weigh what makes sense for your family and your business. According to the Humane Society of the United States, about 15% of the population is allergic to dogs or cats. Some might still be willing to rent your home even if you have allowed pets; just be sure to disclose this at the time of booking and include a clause in your rental agreement. (Otherwise, you could find yourself in the doghouse.)
• Increase expenses. Allowing pets in your vacation home might increase some cleaning and maintenance expenses for your vacation rental business. You will likely have to book pest control appointments and clean your carpets more frequently (homes with other types of flooring are more ideal for accepting pets.) Nevertheless, you will probably be able to recoup these expenses with one or two additional bookings.
• Create more work for your housekeeper. Remember that accepting pets will probably increase the amount of cleaning needed between guests. Be sure to have clear communication with your housekeeper if you start allowing pets in your rental, and make sure to allow enough time between guests checking out and checking in. You will probably also need to compensate him/her for the extra cleaning time.
If you're still a bit unsure, you might be able to test the waters by accepting pets only in your off-season. If you find that it's causing more wear and tear than you'd hoped for, maybe it's not right for your home. But if you notice that it helps to increase bookings, you might extend your pet-friendly season.
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Do you allow pets at your vacation rental? Why or why not?
"I travel with two Great Danes and know how difficult it is to find accommodation with them. At my rentals, I allow pets, but make certain that renters know they need to have flea/tick/heartworm medications and rabies innoculations. Also, pets must bring their own beds and towels, and have their nails trimmed. Renters must agree that any extra costs due to damage/cleaning/etc. will be held back from refundable damage deposit and that deposit is increased by 50% when pets are in the party." -Lynda, Cape Cod (HomeAway #186664, #190653)
"I have three vacation homes in Lake Havasu. One of the houses is mostly carpeted (not tile). I was allowing pets at all my properties for the past two years yet I recently stopped allowing pets at one of my houses which mostly carpet for two reasons. I was finding stains on the carpet about half the time I rented to a client with a dog. I was having to have the new carpet cleaned fairly often ($125 each time) and was afraid of losing customers due to the house having an odor of pets. Another reason I stopped allowing pets at one of my homes, is that I had a few renters tell me that they would never rent a house that they knew allowed pets since they assumed the house would smell like pets. They only searched for houses with NO PETs in the ad. So figured by allowing pets I may be losing potential bookings from customers without pets. I have never allowed cats since many renters are allergic to cats (much more than dogs). I have been renting my homes as vacation rentals for several years and probably the main thing I take into consideration is the 'age of the dog' and secondly my 'gut feeling' as I have the potential renter tell me about their pet. I will not allow a dog under the age of 2 in any of my homes and potential renters have to "sell" me on the fact that their dog is completely housetrained. And another important tip I can offer; last year I put a clause in my rental agreement that if a renter brings a pet (or anyone's pet) onto the property without "prior approval" (and without a "pet fee") then they agree (by signing) that their FULL security deposit will be forfeited. Often renters will attempt to sneak their pets in without the additional security deposit or pet fee. Since I have added this to my rental agreement this is happening MUCH less often and I am collecting more pet fees. Hope some of you find this helpful !" -Cyndi, Lake Havasu (VacationRentals.com #3412)
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