“No smoking, no pets” is a common mantra for Pretty Picky owners.
Not renting to the Marlboro Man probably won’t cost you many bookings, but you might want to rethink barring those four-legged family members categorically.
Less than 10% of Pretty Picky Properties accept pets and almost never have a problem booking all summer weeks, often earlier than “No Pets” properties. That’s because probably 20 or even 25% of our inquiries have a Muffy in their vacation plan.
Of course, every dog owner says his dog never barks, never sheds and will never get up on the furniture. We had one dog’s master confide to us that his dog is so smart that he actually talks. The pup was indisposed, however, when we asked the guy to put him on the phone for a brief interview.
Not only does leaving the dog at a kennel during the family vacation cause separation anxiety, it costs some serious shekels. So families are motivated to find a rental home that accepts pets. Sometimes, they’ll pay extra for the privilege.
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Pet owners frequently will pay a higher security deposit to give you greater peace of mind. Fine, and let’s remember, every Pretty Picky guest signs up for damage protection insurance that pays up to $1,500 for accidental damage (even more in some cases) that might be caused by you-know-who.
There’s also nothing wrong with adding a special pet fee for any guest with four legs and a tail.
We have to admit that in our experience, the impact of a pet, including any damage or even extra dog hair for the turnover day cleaning, has been next to nothing. Pet owners are almost universally good about picking up after the pooch, and they understand that most beaches do not allow dogs at all in the peak summer season.
“Pets Considered” might be something for you to consider. It could mean booking weeks sooner, filling stubborn weeks, or even increasing your rental revenue a bit.
