Woman blasts ‘pet-friendly’ Airbnb host for refusing to let her leave two dogs alone in the property while she attends a wedding – and only tells her after she’s checked in
- Mumsnet user sparks debate over the rules surrounding pet-friendly Airbnbs
- She says a host banned her from leaving her dog unattended during her stay
- Responses were torn, as many said hosts often refuse for pets to be left alone
A dog owner has hit out at an Airbnb host who refused to let her leave her dogs unattended in the property while attending a wedding.
Writing on Mumsnet, the British woman explained how her host, who was listed as ‘pet-friendly’, firstly claimed that she didn’t know she was bringing two dogs, despite mentioning it in her very first message to the owner of the property.
She added that the dogs couldn’t be left unsupervised, as neighbours had previously complained about pets whining when left alone in the property.
The woman who was visiting the area to attend a wedding said she’d been planning to leave the pets there during the festivities and pop back regularly to check on them, but the host’s ban had left her in the lurch.
She asked if she should open a dispute with Airbnb, but responses were mixed, with many siding with the Airbnb host.
A British woman sparked a debate after being told that she’s not allowed to leave her dogs unattended while staying at an Airbnb (file image)
The woman vented her frustration in a post where she explained that the host accused her of bringing the dogs without declaring it first
A flood of responses to the thread declared that it’s common for pet-friendly hosts to refuse for animals to be left unattended.
One person wrote: ‘I take my dog away several times a year (lucky dog!). You can never leave them unattended in holiday lets! It is standard rules. It’s not the host’s problem, you need to find a kennel for them.’
Another added: ‘Personally I think you’re massively unreasonable for booking this accommodation knowing you were going to leave your dogs all day without asking the owner first – that’s cheeky.
‘Dogs are a tie and you should have arranged for them to go to kennels, or had one of you stay with the dogs during the day.’
A flood of responses to the thread argued that it’s not uncommon for Airbnb hosts to have a rule against pets being left unsupervised
Meanwhile, others urged the woman to ignore the host’s requests as she hadn’t been given much notice of the ban on animals being left alone.
One person said: ‘Leave the dogs. The owner should have made it clear to begin with so you could make alternative arrangements. It’s perfectly fine for hosts to request that dogs are not left alone, but these rules should be in the terms and conditions before you book.’
Another wrote: ‘Leave the dogs. I’d say that it was obvious from your first message that you would be leaving the dogs while at the wedding. At that point it was up to the owner to clarify that they couldn’t be left and refuse your booking.
‘It’s their mistake and there’s nothing they can do about it. I would state this all in the review and how this should be made clear in the house rules, and how stressful they have now made your trip.’
A third added: ‘Surely though, if you told them that you were bringing the dogs and you told them you were there for a wedding the owner should have put 2+2 together and realise you would not be taking the dogs to the wedding, and therefore raised this earlier. Seems very unfair to raise this now while you are already there.’
Many people urged the woman to ignore the host’s restrictions and to continue her plan as normal, while leaving the dogs behind unattended
A number of contributors attempted to give the woman practical solutions for how to overcome the host’s rule.
A user writing under the handle ‘Knitclubchatter’, suggested that she and her partner should take turns dog sitting.
She said: ‘I travel with a dog and same as the others most state upon arrival they are not to be left unattended. You and your partner will have to take turns dog sitting.
Another wrote: ‘Join a local Facebook group to find a local dog lover who will watch the dogs either at the flat or in the car park (in shade of tree etc) at the wedding.’
A number of Mumsnet user suggested the woman could use a kennel or try to find a last minute dog sitter