Seems like about half the population has pets these days, so by NOT allowing them, you are cutting potential bookings by half - maybe more, since a pet owner is more likely to go STR versus hotel.

At most I would allow a small dog (less than 25 pounds, full grown) and charge a pet fee (pet rent) 

As a broker, my biggest pet peeves are hard money lenders circumventing to my clients, not being upfront about fees, asking for a commitment fee prior to issuing loan docs, and "matching" my broker fees, even though I underwrote the file, got the client, and did all of the processing work. 

The Results:100% - AT A MINIMUM, "Flexible" cancellation is being promoted and strict cancellations are being punished.POSSIBLE - Listings that accept Pets without fees are ALSO promoted.I had 4 properties to test with.Thinking like Airbnb, I guessed the things that would make the user have the best experience is to be able to cancel and bring pets.

Tenants tell me about lease prep fees deducted from security deposits, annual financial suitability reviews with an added fee, yearly tenant insurance checks with an added fee, pet registration fees (separate from pet rent or pet deposits), annual inspections charged to tenants and other small add-ons that feel like nickel & diming.Are margins really so tight that landlords have to manufacture revenue through these junk fees?

Also, as a preventive measure in our property managment business, we started to implement checks in place to avoid this from happening in the future such as no undisclosed pets allowed, tenant is responsible for all pet related damage including odor remediation costs are billable in the lease, we charge pet fees as well and periodic inspections. 

Do you allow pets?

That’ll help you stay competitive and attract qualified tenants faster.Also, make sure you’re very clear about your rental requirements in your listing — things like minimum income, credit score, move-in date, and pet policy.

I charge a pet fee and allow them to use the backyard with the understanding that poops get promptly picked up.As you might guess, that's not happening in one case.

We focus on materials that can survive kids, pets, and long-term tenancy.