Here are some tips on how to secure pet-friendly Airbnb accommodations, get great reviews, and have a stress-free stay. When we’re not camping we often choose to stay with our dogs in Airbnb rentals and we’ve found some amazing ones in both the US and Canada. We’ve had excellent reviews so far, thanks to choosing pet friendly Airbnbs with great hosts, and by doing our best to practice what we do everywhere, when we travel with our dogs, which is to “leave no trace”.
Step 1. Finding a Dog Friendly Airbnb
On Airbnb, we generally set our search filters for: “entire place” and “pet friendly”. Be sure to check for extra fees, especially the “per dog” ones as these vary widely and can get quite expensive. You’ll also want to carefully read the property description to get clues about how well the environment might be suited to your particular dog. For example, we tend to avoid places with descriptions such as “working farm with a flock of happy chickens” and Airbnbs where dogs will share a common yard or entry with the owner’s own pets. We also look for properties that have hard surface floors and little or no carpet.
Once you’ve made a reservation, send the host a friendly message letting them know in advance you will be a great guest. Here’s an example of one that we’ve sent before.
Step 2. Get Ready for an Awesome Stay
If your host doesn’t supply cleaning products, consider bringing your own so you can be a “leave no trace” kind of guest. There are the kind that are always welcomed back! We always travel with our own cleaning wipes, a microfiber cloth floor cleaner (we like the O-Cedar mop with removable pad and spray bottle), lint roller, unscented or low scent safe home cleaning products (Lemi Shine is a favorite), an eco-friendly floor duster and extra towels and old sheets to cover things such as chairs and sofas. We tend to pack our own duvet and pillows as well as the doggie beds, along with a water resistant cover that measures 10′ x 16′ and which can cover most sofas. One more thing, don’t forget to bring to bring plenty of poop bags as well as a good supply of your pet’s favorite treats. New places can make some dogs anxious and a little positive reinforcement with something yummy can make things go more smoothly!
Step 3. Arrive!
Because we typically travel together, we usually have one person wait in the vehicle with the dogs while the other goes and checks out the Airbnb for pet readiness. Here are some tip for your arrival:
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Take some photos of the rooms so that you can restore everything to its original condition.
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Check the yard for hazards – such as open hot tubs, holes in fences, bones and sticker burrs.
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Cover any furniture and chairs that your pet might try to climb on. (We do this along with placing our luggage on sofas and love seats to further discourage our dogs from getting on them as seen the the photo above.)
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Remove decorative pillows and replace the duvet with the one you bring, then place the owner’s items in a closet where they’ll stay clean.
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Close off any rooms that you’re not going to use so you’ll have less cleaning to do when it’s time to check out.
Step 4. Follow Your Host’s Rules
When you stay in an Airbnb with your dogs, make sure that you follow the host’s rules, especially if they don’t allow unattended pets. If they do allow well-behaved dogs to stay unattended, make sure you take them out to potty first, leave them water and a comfy dog bed, and limit the amount of time you’re away. If you do step out for any amount of time, you may want to leave a TV or radio on at low volume to help distract your pet from new and unfamiliar sounds as well as your absence.
Just to be on the safe side, we carry with us a wireless dog cam to watch our guys if we go out to dinner. After pairing it with the Airbnb host’s WiFi, we can pull up the camera on our phones wherever we go, although we never go very far. These handy little devices have two-way audio (Stevie, get off that sofa!)
Step 5. Get Ready to Leave
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Take a look at the photos that you took when you arrived and restore the rooms to their original condition.
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Pack the dogs in the car, if it’s safe to do so. Never – not even for a short time – leave a dog untended in a hot car! We normally have one person wait with the dogs in the vehicle while the other tidies up.
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Clean the floors and check for dust (and dog hair)
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Give the yard a thorough inspection and pick up all poop as well as check for holes your dog might have dug, etc.
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Review your Airbnb host’s checklist and take care of any other items that are required, such as putting out the trash and recycling, locking doors, turning off lights and AC, etc.
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When you think you’re done, trade places with your partner and have them make the rounds to see if there’s anything you’ve missed. Another pair of eyes can be very helpful!
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On your way out, send your hosts a message to let them know which rooms were unused and where you stored the bedding you did not use.
Step 6. Write a Kind Review
If you left the place as you found it and followed your host’s rules, you should receive a good review in return. So far we’ve had all positive reviews from the more than thirty pet-friendly Airbnbs we’ve stayed in across the US and Canada.
Happy travels! Remember…leave no trace – whether it’s on the trails or when staying with your dogs at your favorite pet-friendly Airbnb.
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