Can Airbnbs Refuse Service Dogs?
Can pet-free Airbnbs refuse service dogs or charge extra fees? Short answer? No. There are a few exceptions, but the Airbnb service dog rules align with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This means that, generally, Airbnb hosts can’t refuse service dogs, and they’re not allowed to charge pet fees, either. Here’s the breakdown of the Airbnb service dog policy.
Airbnb Service Dog Policy
What Airbnb Hosts Can Do When There’s a Service Dog
Airbnb hosts must welcome service dogs, even if the listing says “no pets,” but they are allowed to ask the two following questions:
- Do you require your animal because of a disability?
- What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?
Note: If the guest with the dog doesn’t answer these questions, hosts may take that as a “No” and decline to treat the dog as a service animal.
What Airbnb Hosts Can’t Do When There’s a Service Dog
Airbnb’s accessibility policy outlines multiple scenarios that hosts must abide by in order to protect service dog handlers from discrimination while staying at an Airbnb.
- Hosts can’t ask for documentation or medical details, and they can’t ask the handler to demonstrate the dog’s tasks.
- Hosts can’t refuse the reservation unless they have a formal exemption.
- Hosts can’t charge extra fees, like pet or cleaning fees.
- Hosts can’t enforce different house rules just because of the animal.
Additionally, if hosts offer additional services and experiences through their Airbnb, they must accommodate service dogs unless it would violate the law, be unreasonable, or out of their control.
What Service Dogs Handlers Can and Can’t Do at an Airbnb
Although Airbnb hosts can’t refuse service dogs, there are a few rules that service dog handlers must abide by in order to be protected under the Airbnb policy:
- The dog must be under control.
- The dog has to be housebroken.
- The dog can’t be left alone in the listing unless it’s approved by the host.
- The dog can’t go in restricted areas of the listing.
- The dog can’t go in shared areas (like a kitchen or backyard shared by other travelers) without a leash.
Airbnb Service Dog Rules: Exceptions
There are some situations where hosts are allowed to refuse service dogs. For example, Airbnb will grant a host an exemption if the service animal poses a direct health threat to someone who lives in the listing (like severe allergies). These exemptions are limited to specific listings, not the host’s entire account, and Airbnb suggests that hosts indicate these exemptions in advance. However, it is not a requirement for an exemption to be displayed on a listing.
Note: Guests are not required to disclose their service dog before booking, but Airbnb suggests doing so to prevent potential confusion. In situations involving pet-free listings that might have exemptions, doing so could help reduce stress for both the handler and the host.
What About Long-Term Airbnb Stays?
Some guests use Airbnb for long-term rentals, which could fall under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) rather than the ADA. The difference between ADA and FHA protections can be complex and context-dependent. The safest assumption is that short-term stays fall under Airbnb service dog rules and the ADA, while longer-term stays may fall under FHA rules.
While landlords must provide reasonable accommodations under the FHA, it’s important to note that in certain circumstances, they are allowed to ask for additional documentation. Learn more from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
What to Remember
In most cases, Airbnb’s service dog rules are closely aligned with ADA protections, and guests with disabilities can travel with their service dogs without extra fees, discriminatory questions, or unfair treatment. While there are a few narrow exceptions, hosts must welcome service dogs for stays and any extra services they provide. For long-term stays, things might get murky, and FHA laws may apply, but protections for service dogs remain strong under both federal laws.
Looking for more tips for traveling with your service dog? This previous post explains whether hotels can charge pet fees for service dogs.