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Accept Dogs in your Holiday Home and Increase your Bookings

March 27, 2019

Did you know that on Airbnb, ‘pet-friendly’ is the fourth most popular request when looking for an apartment or a villa?

The top three in order are:

  • Free parking
  • A full kitchen
  • Pool

Being dog friendly ranks even higher than wifi.

Accepting dogs in your vacation rental will increase your income.

For many, dogs aren’t seen as pets but as family members. They are often our best friends, they bring joy wherever they go. No home feels quite right without your pet, so why not bring them with you?

48% of American families own a dog.

The number of guests traveling with dogs is increasing every year. According to a TripAdvisor survey, 53% of pet owners take their furry friends on the road with them. However, less than 25% of vacation properties welcome pets with their owners.This ratio plays a big role in favour of those who open their holiday home to dogs. With so many potential customers looking for pet-friendly properties, offering this service is likely to increase your bookings and will allow you to increase your stay costs.

Being pet-friendly when renting out your home or villa means that your potential clientele will increase greatly, resulting in a higher occupancy rate.

After analyzing the statistics of our partners, such as Airbnb and Homeaway, we found that pet-friendly vacation rentals generated higher rental income and occupancy than those that did not accept dogs – between 10% and 20% more.

Accepting dogs will generate repeat rentals from the customers.

Paying someone to feed, walk and watch your dog every day can be very expensive for the owner, not to mention the anxiety and stress of separation for both parties. By providing dog-friendly accommodations, you allow patrons to create memories with the whole family, which is likely to generate a return for your visitors in the years to come.

Man’s best friend will also allow you to increase the length of the stays of the travelers.

When a traveler wants to relocate for a long time, it becomes essential for them to find a property that will accept their faithful companion. Asking their friends and families to keep Fido for a week or two, can work, but when the stay stretches over 3 weeks or more, family and friends become scarce and the cost of institutional care becomes prohibitive.

Do not worry about the condition of your property.

Worried about the damage that Fido could cause you to your rental property during his visit? Statistics show that tenants of short term rentals that accommodate dogs and those who refuse them show the same cleanliness score and the same house conditions when the visitors leave. Dog or no dog, you won’t tell a difference.

You will increase the off-season rental occupation.

Looking to fill slow rental periods? Opening your doors to pets will increase rentals during times of low traffic. We found that occupancy rates were much higher in dog-friendly houses during the slow season. Note that guests book more last-minute trips out of season. With a small window between the reservation and the stay, it can be difficult to find a place to keep the dog. Competition for dog-friendly homes is lower at this time of year, guests can both book the perfect accommodation and be accompanied by their dog.

In conclusion

Open your doors to pets, especially dogs. By accepting dogs in your holiday home, you will increase bookings throughout the year and you will also see increased returns from past clients. The risk of damage is far outweighed by the increase in income, which in addition will not prevent you from increasing cleaning costs when a client reserves with a pet, a practice widely accepted by dog owners.

So, make the right decision and increase your income, say: Good boy Fido, good boy!

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