Sarah-Jane White Earn more from your asset with these top marketing tips
Allowing pets to stay in your Airbnb could lead to more bookings and a higher average nightly rate. But how can you make your Airbnb more pet-friendly?
There are many reasons why you might choose to allow pets to stay in your Airbnb. You may be a pet lover yourself and want to cater to our four-legged friends as much as you do for their owners. On a more pragmatic level, it’s worth considering that a pet-friendly Airbnb appeals to a wider audience, which could lead to more bookings and allow for a higher nightly rate. In fact, according to Airbnb, ‘pet friendly’ is one of their most searched for amenities.
People love their pets and are always looking for ways to share experiences with them, and taking them on holiday is a great way to do that. Other times, it’s a matter of convenience — bringing pets along is often cheaper than forking out for a kennel, cattery, or pet-sitter, especially when it comes to longer stays. In a survey of UK dog owners, Away Resorts found that 85% would prefer a staycation with their dogs than to leave them behind and go abroad (Healthy Pets).
You will likely charge a pet fee, as many hosts do, to cover things like additional cleaning costs. From a business point of view, it’s therefore important to make each guest feel as though they’re getting good value for money to justify this charge. So, if you’re looking for ways to turn your Airbnb into a pet haven or simply make it more pet-friendly, below I’ll take you through five straightforward ways to do so.
Pet-proof your property
The first step towards a pet-friendly property is pet-proofing. This involves identifying hazards and problem areas in your home and removing the risk, ensuring your property is a safer environment for animals to be in. As an added bonus, pet-proofing can also protect your property from damage and help keep cleaning costs low, ensuring it’s in great condition for the next guest. So, it’s an essential step for any host planning on permitting pets into their property.
For example, you could start by sectioning off any dangerous areas of the property, such as stairs, with pet gates and pet-proof locks. For areas where they can roam freely, ensure wires and power cords are as hidden away as possible, ornaments and other decor are all secure, and clutter is kept to a minimum. If you have any plants in your property, ensure they’re non-toxic for cats and dogs.
You could also consider furniture covers made from pet-friendly materials, including wipe-clean fabrics, as well as rugs and throws to protect your soft furnishings and flooring.
Provide them with their own space
Another option for pet friendly properties is to give the visiting animal their own space to enjoy and relax in. This may be a specific room that you turn into a pet paradise, or simply a corner of the main parlour for them to call their own. Many pets, particularly some breeds of dogs, enjoy having boundaries. So, by keeping everything they need in one place, they can have a base to return to when they’re done exploring the rest of the home.
If you have the space, another pet-friendly amenity that your guests will appreciate is a boot room to dry off wet or muddy pets when returning home from a walk. A designated antechamber with towels and cleaning products can act as a barrier between outside dirt and the clean interior, protecting your property and allowing your guests to enjoy a tidy environment without worrying about any muddy pawprints that might occur. Similarly, a wet room or walk-in shower will be appreciated.
Leave them a welcome pack
If you’ve been hosting for a while, then you may already be familiar with welcome packs. Some guests like to keep it simple and provide a folder containing a list of house rules, important information, and useful advice regarding the property and the surrounding area. Other hosts also like to leave welcome presents such as snacks and drinks for guests to enjoy as they settle in and unpack. Whichever you choose, creating an additional version just for pets is a charming way to put their owners at ease and make them feel comfortable bringing their pets along.
In the pet-friendly welcome pack, you could include where in the property they can find food, waste products, bedding, and towels, plus a few of the best dog walking routes in the area as well as information about local pet shops, vets, groomers, and kennels. If you like leaving gifts for your guests, a tasty treat or even a new toy can help welcome the pet into the property. This pack is also a good opportunity to communicate house rules regarding pets.
Include little extras
While a little present or two with their welcome pack is a sure-fire way to make everyone feel at home, gestures that are not quite as grand but no less thoughtful can really make a difference to a guest’s experience. Providing food (not just treats) plus bowls and dishes, dog waste bags and cat litter, extra blankets, bedding, and towels, toys, scratching posts, and other products specifically for pets are all small touches that will have a big impact. Even if your guests bring their own, a few extra packets of food or a spare towel or two will always come in handy!
Waive the pet fee
This option isn’t for everyone, as pet fees exist for a reason. In addition to general cleaning costs, pet fees can help contribute to maintenance from damage caused by pets such as scratched upholstery or wallpaper, stains, and so on. However, if you plan to cater exclusively to guests with pets, waiving the pet fee could certainly get their attention and encourage them to stay at your Airbnb. If you can’t get rid of the pet fee completely, you could try including it in your nightly rate as standard.
Lastly, the best way to ensure your property is as pet friendly as possible is to clearly communicate and set boundaries. When taking the booking, ask what kind of pet they’re bringing and any details like the breed, age, size, and any other details that will allow you to prepare your property for its arrival. Security deposits may put off some guests, but responsible owners and those with well-behaved pets shouldn’t be too discouraged. So, consider asking for a security deposit, especially if you have any concerns about the pet in question.
Wrapping up
As a nation of pet lovers, it’s no surprise that so many of us want to bring our pets along when we stay in an Airbnb. The tips above can help you decide what steps you need to take to create a safe, welcoming environment for dogs, cats, and other pets, and how to ensure your property is protected too.
Want to get away to Norfolk with your dogs?
Come to Ickle Cottage where you can spend hours exploring the Norfolk countryside in our beautiful house, complete with woodburner for cosy evenings and fireside reading.
Read the rave review of Ickle Cottage here on Dotty4Paws. And thank you to Kate, Gertie and Winnie for the wonderful photos.
This is a guest post written by Rachael Kiss, Marketing & Online Manager at Alliance Online.
