If you’re considering making your Airbnb animal friendly, this article is a must-read! We’ll go over the benefits and drawbacks of hosting Airbnbs that allow cats. We’ll also discuss whether you should add an Airbnb pet fee to your listing. Finally, you won’t want to miss out on our tips to cater to guests that own cats!
What are the pros and cons of Cat Friendly Airbnbs?
An important decision hosts must make when setting up their listings as spoken about in Airbnb Host Step 1 – How to Get Started Hosting, is whether or not to make their homes pet friendly. When you open your home up to pets, you should consider what types of pets may be visiting. The most common pets guests have are dogs and cats. Be sure to read below to learn about both the pros and cons of hosting an Airbnb that allows cats!
Cat Friendly Airbnb Pros
Pet friendly Airbnbs Earn additional profits
Since Airbnb pet friendly listings are high in demand but difficult to find, you can increase your nightly rate! You’re also likely to get more bookings if you’re Airbnb pet friendly, so your earnings will increase.
Attract more guests with pets allowed
By making your listing Airbnb pets allowed, you’re able to market your property to a new group of potential guests! The more people you can appeal to, the more business you’ll bring in.
Stand out from similar properties
Make your Airbnb animal friendly listing stand out from the others by allowing cats! It’s difficult to find a listing that allows dogs, and an Airbnb for cats is even more rare. Therefore, advertising your property as a cat friendly Airbnb is a wonderful way to capitalize on your Airbnb pets allowed policy!
Enhance your guests’ experience
Advertising your listing as an Airbnb for cats and providing cat supplies such as food and cat litter is a great way to improve your guests’ experience! This will be sure to be reflected in your reviews.
Cat Friendly Airbnb Cons
Airbnb Pet Friendly = Additional cleaning
If you’ve ever had a pet cat, then you know that they tend to shed. If you decide to make your Airbnb animal friendly, then it’s important to be prepared to do some extra cleaning. Unfortunately, there is no way around this one. For more insight on how to clean your Airbnb pet friendly listing and get 5-star reviews every time, CLICK HERE to read “How to Clean your Airbnb.”
Damage to property
While cats are smaller than most dogs, they often have claws that can do some damage. In most cases, hosts of Airbnb animal friendly properties report that they don’t run into many issues. However, it’s still a factor to consider when thinking about hosting an Airbnb with pets.
It’s difficult to predict which cats will scratch your belongings or to know which surfaces attract cats. However, many cats prefer porous materials and are attracted to items with big stitching. For example, many frisky felines love the feeling of digging their nails into yoga mats. A preventative is to offer a scratching post as seen below. The extra tall ones help to cater to cats of all sizes.
Allergy issues
If you or any of your guests are allergic to cats, you could run into some problems hosting an Airbnb with pets. Even if the Airbnb animal friendly property is cleaned thoroughly, cat fur and dander could remain and cause allergic reactions.
Should I add an Airbnb pet fee to my listing?
You might be worried that an additional Airbnb pet fee will discourage guests from booking your Airbnb pets allowed listing. But this actually isn’t the case! Guests that travel with cats typically don’t mind paying a little extra to bring their furry friends along on their travels. Plus, an Airbnb pet fee is a good way to cover extra expenses and potential property damage.
Technically, Airbnb doesn’t provide a pet fee option. However, there are other ways to include an Airbnb pet fee in your listing. First, you can add it to your cleaning fee. You can also disclose the fact that you have a pet fee in your listing description. In order to figure out how much to charge for your pet fee, consider all of your costs that are associated with being Airbnb animal friendly. To give you a frame of reference, some hosts charge $20 on average for their Airbnb pet fees.
Since Airbnb doesn’t have an official option to make your listing Airbnb pet friendly, it’s very important to get in contact with your guests to ensure everyone is on the same page. If you run into issues regarding your pet fee, you may need to file a claim in the Airbnb Resolution Center. For more information regarding claims and disputes, CLICK HERE to read more about how the Airbnb claims process works.
How can I make my property more Airbnb pet friendly?
If you want to cater to cat owners, there are some extra steps you can take for your Airbnb with pets.
Offer Pet Supplies at your Airbnb Listing
It’s a great idea to supply a litter box and litter, a scratching post, cat food, and treats in an Airbnb with pets. Cat owners are sure to appreciate you going the extra mile to help their furry friends feel more at home! Plus, designating an area with a litter box helps to prevent potential accidents. It’s also smart to provide extra cleaning supplies so guests can clean up after their pets.
Add your Pet Policies to your Airbnb House Rules
If there are any specific guidelines you’d like cat owners to follow during their stay, make sure to include them in your House Rules. Perhaps you’d like guests to empty the litter box before checking out. Or maybe you require guests to stay on the property with their cat at all times. Regardless of what your rules are, it’s important to make them clear to your guests before they check in to your Airbnb with pets.
Animal Proof your Airbnb for Cats
The most important thing to remember when it comes to an Airbnb with pets is that many cats have claws, and they like to use them! In other words, an expensive leather couch is not the best choice for an Airbnb pet friendly property. Instead, invest in durable furniture covers. If you’re worried about cats using the bathroom outside of the litter box, choose easy-to-clean flooring such as tile or laminate over carpeting.
Main Takeaways for a Cat Friendly Airbnb
- The main benefits of hosting an Airbnb pets allowed property are increased profits, more guests, an advantage over similar listings, and an improved guest experience.
- The drawbacks of hosting an Airbnb pet friendly listing include extra cleaning, property damage, and allergy problems.
- Adding an Airbnb pet fee to your listing is a good method to protect yourself and your property against potential damage.
- In order to cater to cat owners, you should provide a litter box and other cat supplies. In addition, make sure to add any important pet guidelines to your House Rules, and invest in flooring and furniture that can’t be easily destroyed by cat claws.