Don’t leave home without them
Many travelers love to bring their dog or dogs along with them when they go on vacation. it makes sense as no one cares about your dog better than you do. One way to get more business for your Airbnb property is to make it pet friendly.
Having more options means you get more inquiries and possibly more guests throughout the year. You know what that translates into- more extra cash for whatever you need it for.
To learn how to upgrade your Airbnb rental to a more pet-friendly location, just continue to read our article. It has the information to help you be more of a success when renting out your property.
Reasons to make your Airbnb rental pet friendly
The first thing you need to do is become aware of the amenities that guests treasure most. You may not be a dog or cat lover but about 27% of all travelers like to travel with their pets.
Having your property pet friendly is one way to attract more business. Here are some reasons to guide you in how to get your property ready for that extra family member that comes along for the holiday.
#1. Have a good attitude
When your potential guests are traveling by car it is easier for them to bring along their dog. They won’t leave home without him or her and one way to attract this segment of the travel community is to be prepared to host pets.
Being prepared helps make a good impression to your guests and you may get a better review and ranking because of this attitude.
#2. There is less competition
That is good news for you. Not everyone allows pets at their rental properties and part of the reason is the mess dogs or cats can create. What that means is that you have less competition for those potential guests and may make better reservations.
Long term guests will want to have their pets along with them and you can make their time away from home better by allowing them to bring those dogs and cats they love with them.
Also, you can charge a nice fee for that convenience which helps your bottom line.
#3. Influences reservations
Out of the top 10 amenities travelers look for when they are reading to book a rental location pet friendliness is #4. That means only 3 amenities top this criteria. Being pet friendly beats out air conditioning, wifi, washing machines, tvs and even heating.
When you are pet friendly, you get more inquiries and can possibly rent your property faster, even if it comes without heating. But do not turn the heat off to prove this point. Just be pet friendly and have some good rules for your guests to follow.
#4. You can add extra fees
Not everyone is a Mr Scrooge and when it comes to their pets, they are generally willing to pay an additional fee to make sure their beloved pet spends the vacation with them.
What that means for you is that you can add a pet fee on top of your rental price or increase your security deposit or add a cleaning fee. The choice is yours but do not go too high or you those pet owners may look for another place to stay.
#5. Travel trends are changing
Since the COVID outbreak travelers, are choosing more to stay local. Staying local means that they can travel in a car and the family pet in tow.
Tips on how to make your Airbnb rental pet friendly
As you can see, there are many good reasons why you should make your Airbnb property pet friendly. The next step is to implement different ideas to make your property pet friendly. here are some tips to guide you:
#1. Remove potentially hazardous plants form the property– Tulips and lilies are just two such plants that should be removed. Do a little research for other ones
#2. Place soft, comfortable and attractive covers on your furniture– these will help protect the furniture from dogs that chew or cats that scratch
#3. Cover wires & cables– along with other items that may bring harm to the pets. There are lots of options to choose from and which ones you use depends on the type of exposed cables and wires in your home/apartment, etc.
#4. Install ramps– This not only helps older pets walk around your property, but it also helps those guests that have disabilities and stairs are a little difficult for them to use
#5. Non Toxic toys– this is going the extra mile but these items help keep the pet from being bored and digging in your garden or chewing on your furniture. Keep the toys healthy for pets
#6. Erect safety gates– This helps keep the pet in approved areas of the property and from escaping from their owners
#7. Cleaning– Get your property a pet-friendly vacuum cleaner, that helps pick up hairs and does get tangled with the hairs. Finally, get some odour neutralisers to help remove some of the pet smells for future guests that do not have a pet with them.
Not every property is in a pet-safe location, i.e. busy cities, etc., so look at your property to see what alterations you can make so that your guests can bring their furry loved ones with them when they go on vacation
How to set the options for Pet Friendliness
#1. Edit you Property Listing
#2. Click Booking Settings
#3. Scroll down to locate the House Rules and select the Pets Allowed option
Some final words
As part of Airbnb’s commitment to non-discrimination, it generally required that you must accept guests that have assistance animal such as guide dogs, to learn more about assistance animals.
Turning your Airbnb property into a pet-friendly environment is a smart move to make. You open up your ability to attract more guests and possibly make a little more money.
Also, your guests will be happier which translates into better reviews and rankings. Think about it as it does cost some money to do this but the results may bring in even more money.