Holiday let does not allow dogs…

[ChristmasCameEarly]

…but it states twice on the booking that the owner stays there and does have a dog, that you cannot complain afterwards that there was ‘dog paraphernalia’ in the house?!

Aside from the fact that ‘paraphernalia’ is almost always applied sexually, if there’s clear warnings (including on the booking email!!!!) that the owner has a dog and so the property is not suited to those with dog allergies or sensitivity, surely if you have such allergies or someone you are bringing with you does then you would not book?!

YABU: they have a right to book.
YANBU: they are idiots and didn’t read the note properly.

Confused- so you are the owner and your dog is there sometimes?

I find your posts confusing.

They found a dog bowl in the cupboard under the stairs. Dog is not Harry Potter (just on the off chance anyone thinks I keep her under the stairs). House was vigorously cleaned (by the company I use to manage it). They had no complaints about the houses cleanliness, only the fact I had a dog!

The dog bowl belonged to you.
You manage the cleaning for the property ?
Can you explain?

If you're writing the descriptions and rules around this property it looks as if you need to employ someone to write clearly.

Your voting options are backwards.
You would be unreasonable to book against the conditions of the let and you are very unreasonable to assume a sexual connotation with ‘paraphernalia’! WTF?

But hasn't the OP said she is the person with the dog and the house she lets is hers?

I don't think you could make it any clearer, looks like they've selected pet free and then just looked at photos.

I did once book somewhere "pet free". It absolutely stank of dog. It's vile when you're not a pet owner, so it's on them for missing it so I get why they've probably complained and it won't be the bowl, that will have just confirmed their suspicions. The best cleaner in the world won't have got rid of the smell.

Presumably they stay between lets. The dog bowl was found in an under the stairs cupboard not left out unwashed.

Exactly.

But the OP has written this as if she is a pissed-off holiday guest and has found evidence of a dog.

No wonder her guests are confused as she can't write simple facts.

@StrawberryFields4Now I’m annoyed they felt it necessary to leave a 2/10 review for a cleaned dog bowl under the stairs, when they had three warnings that the owners had dogs. Their entire review praised the cottage, including how clean it was and how good the appliances were etc. Then they referenced ‘dog paraphernalia’ and gave me 2/10!

I think most people would be annoyed by that.

It’s sexual paraphilia, not paraphernalia!

Kindly, I think you should have started your thread in a very different way.

You should have said 'I own a holiday property. I rent it out but in between lets stay there with my dog. I advertise this property as 'dog free'. I've now had a complaint from guests because they found evidence of my dog living there.

Your description of the property is confusing.

You have to appreciate that some potential guests might only read 'DOG FREE COTTAGE'. Not the small print that you, the owner, allow your dog there when you live in the house between lets.

Your listing for the property is confusing , potentially.

You could potentially be called-out for breaking advertising law as it's not 'dog free'. It's only dog-free for guests.

What you have is a property that is used by a dog (yours) but does not accept guests' dogs.

Get your T&Cs sorted!

they felt it necessary to leave a 2/10 review for a cleaned dog bowl under the stairs

Then they are silly twots. If they have an allergy it's incumbent on them to read the property listing carefully! Or is it they are just pedants who dislike your slightly ambiguous description? Not sure why some PP can't get it either. Some generally don't understand the distinction between 'a dog never sets paw here' and 'guests can't bring their dogs here but the owner can and does sometimes and he may have been anywhere in the house' so no guarantees about allergens.

You've got to make it very clear and assume that guests will not always read the small print.

It's not Dog Free.
It's only dog-free for the guests.

Your dog's hair etc will be in the house.

One of family has a huge allergy to pet hair and gets terrible asthma etc within minutes of being in a house that has pets.

Choosing 'takes dogs' or 'not taking dogs' is usually a drop-down tick box option on agency websites. If yours is listed under 'no dogs allowed' that's what people expect, no matter what your small print says.

If a dog stays there sometimes then it's not dog free, you just don't allow guests to bring dogs.
Also, paraphernalia isn't remotely sexual.

OP should make the listing clearer then . "Dogging is free , but supply your own paraphernalia"

I'm glad it's not just me that's confused! 😕

I have dog bowls and no dog.
they are for visiting hedgehogs, random stray dogs I pick up and any other random creatures I pick up on my travels!!
they are being unreasonable.

As a matter of interest, why do you not allow dogs if your own dog lives there sometimes?

Maybe you need to consider changing your listing to 'one small well behaved dog allowed.

@ChristmasCameEarly could you list your advert so we can read it?
You can blank out anything too identifying.

Yes I think your listing looks very clear and even gives people an out in case they missed it … some pple are just dumbos.

Phew! I use that word all the time. If anything, don't they use it often with reference to drug use 🤔

Where is the listing? You say you've seen it @Kisskiss

@ChristmasCameEarly I think you need to appreciate that not all guests are literate. (rather than dumb.)

There are many people in the UK who are not functionally literate and have reading ages below 11.

Having a no dogs, except my dog, in the small print is not helping your business.

If the booking information is as ill-written as your OP, I’m not surprised there has been confusion.

Even with your updated comments, I’m still confused.
Do you mean that guests can’t bring dogs but that they can expect your own dog to wander into the property (from next door maybe?) during their guest booking period including upstairs in the bedrooms. And the reason you don’t want guests to bring dogs is because the guest dog might not be happy with your own dog taking precedence? That would be bizarre but I can’t rule it out with what you have written. So I wouldn’t book.

Or are you and your dog both well away from the property for the entirety of the guest booking, leaving behind only the dog bowl in the under the stairs cupboard by mistake?

I see where they are coming from. If I book dog free I expect dog free. Most dog owners are completely nose blind

Exactly. I had to read the 'unrestricted access' part several times as it implied that her dog wandered willy-nilly in the house when guests are there. That's what it says!

Although this property is dog free, pleased be advised the owners have a dog which has full, unrestricted, access to the property.

OP- you need to get a copywriter, or someone more literate to write your advert.

Maybe read the ops post where she explains what's on her booking form. I don't know how much clearer people need it. Although sering how a lot of mn users can'tcomprehend things it's maybe not surprising that a lot don't get it.
Sorry quoted wrong pp and now can't find the right one.

Pots and kettles.

You clearly haven't understood what she says here Although this property is dog free, pleased be advised the owners have a dog which has full, unrestricted, access to the property.

That actually says that the owner's dog has access to the property that is 'unrestricted'.

I took that as meaning it can be in the garden or the house at any time.

Having worked as a proof-reader and editor I could tear her writing to bits as it's so unclear.