Pet Friendly Pros vs Cons

Scott E.
Contractor · Scottsdale, AZ · Member since 2010 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
3y
One of my short term rentals was pet friendly. I had three at the time all in the same area, and the pet friendly home did have a lower vacancy rate compared to the others. There was more wear and tear on the furniture though... and sometimes deeper cleaning required.
Only horror story is a guest brought a dog who chewed up the legs of some furniture. They were charged for the damages.
I only allowed dogs. Cats are no good because some people are very allergic. If you have a guest stay with a cat, that'll end up being a miserable experience for the next guest if they have allergies.
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John UnderwoodPro Member
Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
3y
Pros are we make several thousand extra dollars per year in pet fees.
We caterer to the more than 50% of population that travel with their pets.
We don't have any negative experiences with pets, just humans.
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Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
3y
We are 95%+ pet friendly portfolio wide, and I am 100% pet friendly on the ones I own.
I forget the exact stat but it is something like 50% of people travel with pets. Especially in this more competitive landscape you do not want to turn people away.
If this is a straight investment I cannot think of any reason not to. You will have lower vacancy, and can charge fees. There will be more wear and tear and occasional damages but you can usually recover them from guests and the extra money you make will more than cover it.
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Michael BaumPro Member
Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
3y
We are dog friendly only. 2 dogs max but I do make exceptions from time to time.
Never had a real problem. We do have a hand held Bissel that people have used in case of accidents. No chewing damage.
I think it is a pro as many families travel with their dogs.
No cats.
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Monique P.
Member since 2023 · 88 posts · 62 votes
3y
Hi Salvatore,
About 50% of our guests bring their dogs. It's been a positive experience over the years. However, accepting a cat once didn't work out so well. Dogs only now. ;-)
We offer milk bones, tennis balls and dog waste bags.
Guests sign rental agreement with all the dog rules, it's included with check in notes, also shared in guest welcome book and guests know they can contact me any time with questions.
These guests have been very respectful or we would have stopped long ago.
Good luck!
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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
3y
Most STR in my market do not allow pets, so it opens us up to a wider market.
I had one dog chew some area rugs. Guest paid for the damages. My wife loves to change the area rugs often, so it actually made her happy.
We do charge an increase to the rent and the cleaning fee.
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Eliott Elias
Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2021 · 9k+ posts · 5k+ votes
3y
Pets are more dangerous when they are in the property long-term. I have bought many houses where the pet smell was basically impossible to be removed without removing the drywall. If you regulate the weight and number of pets, you should be fine.
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Sarah KensingerPro Member
Real Estate Consultant · OH · Member since 2023 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
3y
I haven't really heard of any horror stories and many actually cater to pets by providing pet items for guests. You can make some extra money by charging a pet fee which guests now expect and are willing to pay. The worst that can happen is your cleaner may have extra cleaning to do, but that is why you would charge extra for a pet. I would suggest limiting the size of the dog and how many stay at the property, and definitely no cats! My father and sister are very allergic to cats and wouldn't even be able to stay at the property if a cat had been there previously. That is no joke for the next guest to experience if they are also allergic to cats!
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JD MartinBusiness Member
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Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
3y
We use our STR so we don't allow it (because we have a dog). We allow pets in all of our LTRs but none of them are furnished, none of them have carpeting or other soft surfaces, and we have a lawn care company that cuts all lawns and reports properties where clean up is not taking place. In my STR I don't have a cleaning crew that is going to pick up dog waste in the yard and I have a lot of carpeting, and of course all of the furniture.
I would make some extra money by allowing pets but the tradeoff is not worth it to me. If the property were strictly an investment - ie I never used it - I would harden it and allow pets for the extra funds.
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