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.

It is slightly odd that the owners have a dog but don't let it out to other dogs. People with dogs will be less fussy about finding a few dog hairs than non-dog owning people. But they'll have their reasons and each to their own. It does sound weirdly as if a dog might be coming and going during your stay "full, unrestricted access."

I stay regularly in a cottage with a 'no dogs' rule.

The owner says they were OK with 'well behaved' dogs for the first year but then considerable damage was done to decorations and furnishings. Best to have a thick red line that says no dogs.

I'd agree that I'd probably expect no dogs to = dog free which might be an issue where allergies are concerned.

No the real issue is op doesn't know what paraphernalia means which makes the post confusing

Maybe a mix up with dogging paraphernalia? Is there pampas grass in the front garden?

I think of paraphernalia in relation to kit for drugs!

It's a word that can be used in relation to all sorts.

It's fine for an owner to choose to not take dog bookings but warn of previous dog presence due to allergies. Not wanting dogs is probably a cleaning/furniture issue whereas warning about allergies is a protection for bookers with allergies who might assume non dog accommodation would be safe...and this one won't be.

This wording is so confusing. How is it “dog free” if a dog has unrestricted access to it. And the second part makes it sound as if the dog will be coming and going during their stay! Which I don’t think is what you mean at all. It needs to be amended, made really clear, placed near the top of both the listing and the booking email, in bold and underlined. And I agree a hearing of “allergy advice” would also help.

With important information always assume that people will be reading quickly and are unlikely to read much beyond the first couple of lines.

i haven’t seen it, but OP does quote it. It even says if people missed it they have a certain amount of time to back out without playing the deposit which is fair.

This confusion could all be avoided if the words “dog free” - which is obviously not the case - were replaced with “guests’ dogs not permitted”. If I had a dog allergy I’d expect a property which never has a dog in it if it was advertised as dog free.

The wording is confusing. Easy to fix as suggested above.

You could just stick a pineapple in the window to make it clearer?

It all makes sense to me - I’m happy with my own dog, who I know and have trained, but less keen on other dogs coming in my house.

my dd has hairdressing paraphernalia … not sexual, just means stuff relating to. Drug paraphernalia is probably the most commonly used but swapping dog with drug works to set the context.

Yeah sorry - I had only read the OP and the first couple of responses - I misunderstood. But even so the OP is wrong to state that the property is dog free as from the POV of someone with allergies it obviously isn’t.

Maybe needs to say something like

‘We do not accept visitors’ dogs. However, please note that the property may not be suitable for those with a dog allergy due to owner’s dog staying here at times.’

I do think though, @ChristmasCameEarly, that you are offering the worst of both options - the possibility of doggy smells and hair but not allowing customers to bring their own dogs.

A mix up with the word ‘paraphilia’ maybe?

I read it as meaning the owner stays there sometimes and brings her dog, not that the owner's dog might come in while guests are staying.
It's not that confusing, I don't think.

But it does state that on the website, apparently.

I don't think @UltraProcessedLifeGoals was suggesting that you use crass language. Rather I think they were suggesting that you use plain and clear language so that other people can easily understand what you are trying to convey.

Can't you see from the number of posters asking what your opening post means that you weren't clear what you were talking about? (I certainly couldn't understand it at first reading and neither, it would appear, could a lot of others. Might also explain why other people were confused by your rental advert).

That and your confusing paraphenalia with paraphilia doesn't help

@ChristmasCameEarly I think that given this is not the first time something like this has happened, the wording on your advert on the booking channel COULD be and IS confusing, at least to some people and needs to be redone.

It needs to specifically say at the top of the listing in bold/large letters something along the lines of ' NB! Holiday Guests are not allowed to bring any pets, however, you should be aware, that the owner has a dog and lives in the property when it is not being let out, so although the house gets a thorough clean between guests, it will probably not be suitable for anyone suffering from dog allergies etc. I would also put it in bold, as I have done.

Unreasonable on the face of it to score 2/10 if they didn't actually HAVE allergies but maybe the house did smell of dog, even after cleaning? You probably don't smell it but they probably could?

Do you have a right of reply to the listing. If so I would be polite, point out what the current listing and the booking email say, but add that you are sorry the listing wasn't clear and you have taken their review on board and will change the wording to make it clearer. That style of reply will not put others off booking whereas being angry in your reply will!!

And yes - next time maybe remove the paraphernalia altogether?

It's not that confusing, I don't think.

No, it isn't and the OP has already said she'll speak to the management company to improve the wording.

Is this a shared space where the guests book a room or the whole property?

Personally my parents booked a property once on similar grounds where it wasn't mentioned that the dog was actually in the property (they said the owners had a dog in an adjacent property but actually the properties had shared spaces) and me and my sister have severe allergies and actually had to leave because we both had asthma attacks. I think you should mention very clearly in the top of the listing if a dog is staying some of the time.

Also I can't stand the smell of them and can instantly tell when I enter a property where a dog has been, even if thoroughly cleaned.

It could be religious reasons. It could be severe allergies. You do need to actually state that your dog does go into the property.

This.

I would assume dog free meant dog free and not expect dog paraphernalia there when I arrived . Saying the owner stays and that she has a dog wouldn't lead me to think that the dog's things would be in the house.
If the house is not suitable for people with animal allergies they should be clearly stated

Yes, that is the context I most often see it used in.

But I use it generally for all sorts of contexts. It’s a great word!

Yeah, I've heard it applied to drugs, never sex.

@LittleBitofBread, the OP posted the following paragraph and the words in bold, I find, made it even more confusing. I would wonder if the owners dog, not understanding that it didn’t live there that particular week, might wander in from outside …maybe from a house nearby, and that the OP considers the potential guest to be advised that the dog ‘has full, unrestricted access to the property’.

“In the description of the house (where it details rooms and appliances) the first line in it’s own paragraph reads:
Although this property is dog free, pleased be advised the owners have a dog which has full, unrestricted, access to the property.”

The OP does say this in the booking email that she shared, alongside mentioning it on the description. What more shoukd she do?!