Help! Currently in an air b&b and having a dispute with the host!

[UpsetMummyofOne]

Hi all, advice much needed ! Currently in an air b&b, a whole flat rental, with my family and two dogs. The listing said dogs and small pets would be considered. I booked this back in November as soon as we got the save the date, and in my very first message to the host I said we had two dogs. Since then, we have had messages back and forth about the keysafe, provision of towels, linen, amenities etc. We arrived earlier this evening and settled in, met the neighbours and let the host know we had arrived via message on the app. A few hours ago I have received a message from the host saying that we have been seen with dogs that we didn't declare and she has respectfully asked that we don't leave the dogs alone in the property while we are here as previous guests dogs have whined when they have been left. I have wrote back apologising that she didn't realise we were bringing dogs and that wasn't my intention and I mentioned them in my very first message to her ! We are here for an event which takes place tomorrow that the dogs will not be able to come to and I am not prepared to leave them in a car for hours, especially with this heat we have been having. Any advice where I stand with this ? I am tempted to open a dispute with air b & b - not familiar with this process. The property was described as modern in the listing - it is farm from modern, quite worn and dated like a lot of dog friendly accommodations are that we have been to before! I am upset that the host thinks I tried to sneak dogs in behind her back. I have looked back at our correspondence and the dogs have definitely been mentioned. Where do I stand and what should I do next ?

Have a good read of the t&c for the venue and see what it says about dogs. If they say about not being left alone then that becomes tricky and you have to decide whether or not to stick with your original plan.

If it doesn’t mention not leaving them alone then screenshot the t&c first, continue with your original plan and if anyone complains point out the booking was made so that you could leave the dogs there whilst at the wedding and the host told you too late to do anything about it. Then don’t look at any communication from her until the next day. Much easier to apologise after the event (when it has hopefully been a non issue) than to miss out on the wedding.

Agree with @wibbletooth

I'm increasingly put off by AirBnB, especially after the host who called a group of black men monkeys

@Bandara, No, everyone does not leave their dog alone when on holiday. I don't and none of my dog owning friends (of which I have a lot) do.

Of course I bloody realise dogs are not children but you still don't leave them alone in a strange place. Even the best behaved dog could be upset being left alone in a place they don't know and bark, cry, howl or even chew something.

Some people really should not have dogs.

@mydogisthebest I have left my dog alone loads of times, and I love my dog and she loves me. And she is very happy and healthy. People are really being over the top. It is not a baby!

I absolutely hate air b and b and I think it is not safe or regulated at all. I tried to make one booking on it. I booked a place, and it took all of my money instantly. The owner then messaged me and said that someone else had already booked for the same dates, and due to a problem with airband she had not been able to update the calendar. It took me a long and stressful time to get my money back

I think it's very rude to leave dogs unattended in an Air B&B, they could do a lot of damage as well as bark/howl and disturb the neighbours!

So, sorry to hijack the thread, but we are first time dog owners and have a dog-friendly cottage booked in summer as we want to take our daft lad with us. Is this "dogs not to be left alone ever" a general rule for all self-catering accommodation or just an Air BnB thing? I can't see anything in t and cs of cottage that mentions not leaving him alone - but are they just assuming we would have the common sense not to do that then? As I say, we're new to dog-owning so we probably haven't got common sense with regard to these things.

We do want to take him out with us most of the time, but just thinking there might be times when we can't - eg going to a restaurant or something.

I would take the dogs for a very long walk before you leave them, so they are nice and tired. Pop back as often as you can and enjoy the wedding.

Once home I would complain, she shouldn't have her property listed as able to accept dogs if it isn't. She is in the wrong here, not you.

Air B and B should be banned. No regulations. No inspections re food etc. A friend recently got food poisoning from the breakfast served at one turns out they didn’t have a food and hygiene certificate I would never even look at them.

I’ve stayed in loads of dog friendly places and never come across any that let you leave your dog - sorry.

I think the not leaving dog unattended means not to leave them if they make a mess, destroy anything or make a noise. If - for example- your dog does none of the above and you go out for an hour or so, nobody will know, and based on our mutt if they've been sufficiently exercised and fed and you don't do it the minute you get there, they're hardly going to be traumatised by a couple of hours on their own snoozing on a floor. Far less scarred than they would be for having to go to kennels for a week, for the sake of a few hours.

A lot of the confusion could be cleared up if the op posted the rules about dogs

Indeed - and just as a PP was right that the owner might have fudged things to avoid losing the booking, OP could equally have glossed over their part in the hope of getting away with it

The point is that we can't know, so while all the shared experienced are interesting, they don't really help us to advise OP in this particular case

It's industry standard that dogs can not be left unaccompanied in holiday lets so I'm surprised you didn't know that. But the airbnb person should have had something about that in their house rules.

I'm a holiday let owner and have that same rule (advertised upfront though!). However, in all honesty, I'm happy for dogs to be left if they will be calm/not whine/no damage (after all, how would I even know?). People know their own dogs the best and I myself have left my dog alone in a holiday let with that same rule, as I know 100% he would be fine.

So I think it comes down to whether the owner will find out (by purposely calling around) or not. Where does she live?

PuppyMonkey - we've stayed in lots of dog-friendly self-catering cottages, all of them stated dogs must not be left alone in the property.

Thanks for the heads up on this, just totally never entered my head to check. With us, once he's had a walk, he'll go to sleep for hours and not get into any bother, so we were assuming we'd check out a safe space for him and see how we go. Oh well, luckily there's a dog friendly pub nearby so we'll just eat there all the time.

Actually, have just remembered we've got our old puppy crate - if he still fits in it. That might be a solution for you too, OP?

Oh, sorry it won't help with whining and barking will it? I was just thinking of keeping him from chewing the skirting boards etc.

Stick to your plans. As you say, the property is close by to the venue and allows you all to take turns in popping back to check/walk the dogs. You know your dogs, and in the unlikely event of them whining you would soon be able to deal with it. Doesn't sound like you are planning a long night either so i don't think it is worth the effort and expense of kennels or a dog sitter/walker when you are clearly able to pop back frequently.

It's particularly tricky when your mutt is used to lying on the bed at home! We've had to create all sorts of dog proof fences on stairs in self catering cottages, generally cobbled together from cardboard boxes and bits of furniture. We really should buy a baby gate!

I booked this back in November as soon as we got the save the date, and in my very first message to the host I said we had two dogs
THAT is when the host should have made you aware of her request/rule so you could book/cancel accordingly.

I would respond along those lines.
Then i'd carry on as planned and open a dispute if you get anymore hassle.

Some people are just greedy for the money and will pull shit like this on you at the last minute.
God forbid she be honest with you from the beginning and risk you not booking with her!

@Pasithea why should Airbnb be banned just because someone has had a bad experience with them?

Me and DH use them all the time. At least once a month. In the UK and abroad. We think they are brilliant. So much better than a hotel. We get a whole flat or house for less than a hotel costs. So we get a proper sofa to sit on rather than just a bed or, if we get lucky, a chair. We get a fully equipped kitchen so we can choose to cook for ourselves if we want plus not being tied to hotel breakfast times. We can stay in the place all day if we want rather than having to go out as hotels usually insist.

I don't see the point of taking a dog on holiday if you are going to leave them alone. So you can't go to a restaurant! Big deal. We find someone that allows dogs in or sit outside and eat regardless of the weather or else eat at the cottage.

All the rubbish about dogs not being children or babies. No but they are a member of your family. As I said, I don't know anyone who would leave their dog alone on holiday and most of my friends, family etc have dogs

Air B and B should be banned. No regulations. No inspections re food etc. A friend recently got food poisoning from the breakfast served at one turns out they didn’t have a food and hygiene certificate I would never even look at them.

And that's your prerogative, I think they're fab.

Just to agree with what others have said, I have never stayed in any self catering property where you have been allowed to leave dogs unattended. I'm surprised you thought it would be ok. Book them into kennels for the day.

Didn't know air bnbs offered food. Thought they were self-catering.

The last Airbnb I stayed in was fine with us leaving the dog alone. We have a holiday with the dog at least once a year and I've never come across this rule. I know my dog is fine to be left for a couple of hours while we go for a meal/ go shopping after a huge holiday walk (much better leaving her asleep at home in her basket than in the car). It sounds reasonable to me to pop back from the wedding every now and again for a walk/ play.