Airbnb Host Asks Guests To 'Leave Immediately' After They Brought Their Dog Despite The 'No-Pet' Policy — 'They Refuse To Leave'
Airbnb poorly supported the hosts in taking action.
evgenyatamanenko / Canva Pro After Airbnb hosts who are new to the app made it clear in their listing that no pets are allowed on their property, they realized how helpless they were in a situation where guests would actually disobey this rule.
The guests brought a dog to their Airbnb, so the hosts told them to ‘leave immediately.’
The host took to Reddit's r/airbnb_hosts forum seeking advice after feeling out of options.
In addition to their clearly defined no-pet policy, the hosts confirmed in writing that the guests understood this rule before officially booking the stay.
Unfortunately, when the guests arrived at the property, they had a dog with them.
“We sent our cleaning lady over to talk to them, and they denied having a dog,” the host wrote. “They even told her to search the property. We messaged the guest and said it’s not necessary to search since the dog is clearly visible on the security camera for the front driveway.”
The host then contacted Airbnb support to report the incident, requesting that the guests “leave immediately with a full refund.” Around 5:30 p.m., the Airbnb supervisor informed them the guests were in the wrong and that they would take action to find them pet-friendly accommodations.
“That ended up being a complete lie,” the host wrote.
An hour later, Airbnb informed the hosts that the guests couldn’t leave because they claimed their elderly parents and young kids had already gone to sleep.
“To add insult to injury, the Airbnb ‘supervisor’ accidentally messaged us a message she intended for the guests that encouraged them to keep asking us if they could stay,” the host revealed.
The guests ignored their hosts’ requests and refused to leave.
All Airbnb suggested was for the hosts to submit a claim to the Resolution Center to issue the guests a fee for bringing the dog.
However, the guests have ignored the hosts’ efforts to come to a reasonable solution for breaching their conditions.
“They have spent the night even though we agreed to a full refund if they left immediately,” the host wrote. “The police won’t do anything, and Airbnb is actively working to keep the guests there.”
Vesnaandjic | Canva Pro
Unfortunately, this host’s experience is a prime example of an Airbnb stay gone wrong, with the owners of the property having no power over guests who refuse to be respectful or communicate, and Airbnb offering no recourse.
The host later edited the post to inform users that they recently received a call from their doctor informing them they have Leukemia, and they won’t be actively engaging in the post as they have much more urgent matters to take care of.
Reddit users argued that the host shouldn’t have been generous enough to offer a refund.
They asked the host why they chose to do this, and the host explained that Airbnb encouraged them to do so.
“Airbnb isn’t your friend. Ignore their encouragements and requests,” someone commented on the post. “Know Airbnb policy so you can tell the rep what’s going to happen, and if they waffle, you can quote Airbnb policy to them. In this case, I would have had the reservation canceled immediately by Airbnb for rules violations, no refund.”
Others suggested the hosts consider charging the guests a “hefty” cleaning fee, as violating a no-pet policy means requiring a deeper clean for future guests expecting to stay in an allergen-free property.
RossHelen | Canva Pro
Most individuals offered their empathy to the host, not just because of their sour Airbnb experience but primarily because of their recently discovered health concern, which takes precedence over any discourteous guests.
“You have a bigger battle to fight, and life is full of [rude] people. You can't take them all on. Priority is you, not the Airbnb,” someone commented. “I'd let them stay their visit now, make an honest review, and then charge the invoice of a deep clean sanitize company to do the house top to bottom. That's fair.”
Guests should never act so ill-mannered when staying in another’s home.
While the host’s experience was certainly unfair and highlighted Airbnb's lack of support, as many pointed out, the host has more important things to worry about.
The hosts handled the situation gracefully, doing everything in their power to offer alternate solutions to the family, while some other hosts might have resorted to a less kind approach, knocking on the door and directly demanding they leave.
According to TripAdvisor, 57% of pet owners travel with their furry family members, and with numbers that high, you would think they have a better grasp at planning a pet-friendly stay. The fact is, Airbnb makes it about as easy as they can to find pet-friendly properties, so there is no excuse for showing up with your dog at a host's house that specifically has a no-pet policy.
Rather than respectfully seeking a pet-friendly stay, the guests exhibited unacceptable behavior by ignoring the owners who opened their homes to them. If they continue operating in such a way, they’ll find themselves with a low rating and no hosts wanting to approve their booking.
Francesca Duarte is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team based in Orlando, FL. She covers lifestyle, human-interest, adventure, and spirituality topics.