You've decided to take pets. Now the listing has to prove it. Pet-friendly vacation rentals are found through a filter, then judged on details: how many animals, what size, whether there's a fenced yard, whether the dog can stay alone for an hour. A listing that only says "pets allowed" leaves those questions open.
Start with one action today: search your own area on Airbnb with a pet added to the guest count, and check whether your listing appears and what a guest reads in its house rules. That's the view a pet owner gets.
This post covers setup and marketing. If you're still deciding, read should I allow pets in my Airbnb? first. For the number itself, see how to set a vacation rental pet fee.
How do you make an Airbnb listing pet friendly?
Change the pets house rule to allow pets and set how many you accept, then put the pet details guests look for in your description, photos and guidebook.
Airbnb gives guests two ways in. According to its guide to searching for pet-friendly places, guests can add pets to the "Who" field when they search, or open Filters and select "Allows pets" under Booking options. The same article tells guests to read the House rules section and contact the host to confirm, because restrictions such as no pets on beds or sofas may apply.
The setup, in order:
- House rules. Airbnb's house rules article lists pets as one of the standard rules. On desktop, go to Listings, pick the listing, then Listing editor, Arrival guide, House rules. Airbnb's hosting pets guide says you can allow one to five pets per stay.
- Additional rules. Anything the standard rule doesn't cover goes under additional rules: pet types, size limits, where pets can't go, leash rules, waste disposal.
- Pet fee, if you charge one. Airbnb's pet fee article says adding a fee to a "No pets allowed" listing switches it to "Pets allowed," and the fee can't be more than your nightly base rate.
- Resident pets. If your own animals live at the property, Airbnb's animal safety policy says hosts should tell guests, under Property Information in Guest Safety and in the description or messages.
Your house rules then show up in the listing description, the booking terms, automated guest emails and the Arrival Guide, according to the house rules article. So the wording you choose gets read at every step, not just once.
How do you set up pet-friendly vacation rentals on Booking.com?
On Booking.com you set the pet policy in the extranet first, then optionally attach a "Pets welcome" value add to a rate plan, which Booking.com says helps pet owners find you.
Booking.com's guide to accommodating pets describes two layers:
- The policy. Under Property, then Property policies, find the pet section (it sits under House rules or "Internet, Parking & Pets" depending on property type). Answer "Do you allow pets?" with Yes or Upon request, and say whether pets stay free or extra charges apply.
- The value add. Under Rates & Availability, then Value adds, create "Pets welcome," set the maximum number of pets (the default is one, up to five), and link it to one or more rate plans. It can't be bundled with other value adds.
Two details matter for setup. Booking.com asks you to keep at least one rate plan without the pets welcome value add, because in many countries you must accept assistance animals without extra charges. And if a channel manager or PMS manages your policies or rates, the guide says to update the policy there and map any new rate plan before setting prices.
How to price that rate plan, and how commission applies to it, is covered in the pet fee guide linked above.
What do pet owners check before they book?
Pet owners need two kinds of answers: the practical limits (how many animals, which kinds, what size, whether they can be left alone) and the setting, such as outdoor space, nearby walks and furniture rules.
Airbnb's hosting pets guide says guests traveling with pets may want to know about things like a fenced-in yard or a private patio, and suggests covering pet types, unattended pets, off-limits areas, leash rules and waste disposal in your house rules. Here's a checklist that turns those into listing edits:
| Guest question | Where to answer it | What to write or show |
|---|---|---|
| How many pets, and what kind? | House rules (count) plus additional rules | "Up to 2 dogs, no cats," and any size limit in plain words |
| Can the pet stay alone? | Additional rules | Yes, no, or "crated only, up to X hours" |
| Is there a fenced yard? | Description and photos | Fully fenced, partly fenced or none, plus fence height and gate type |
| Where can we walk? | Guidebook | Nearest park, beach access rules for dogs, quiet walking route |
| What if the pet gets sick? | Guidebook | Nearest vet and emergency vet, pet supply store |
| Can pets go on beds or sofas? | Additional rules | The rule, and whether you supply throws or covers |
| Do other animals live here? | Property info and description | Resident pets, and any shared outdoor space |
| What does the pet fee cover? | Fee settings and house rules | Extra cleaning, stated once, matching the platform's fee rules |
Our recommendation: be precise about outdoor space. A guest hunting for pet friendly vacation rentals with fenced yard access needs to know exactly what "fenced" means at your place. "Fenced garden" and "garden with a low wall on one side" attract different dog owners, and the wrong one arriving is a review problem. Photograph the fence line and gate, and the spot where water bowls and a bed would go. The vacation rental photography guide covers shot lists.
Consider a hypothetical two-bedroom house with a partly fenced garden. A useful description line reads: "Dogs welcome, up to two. The garden is fenced on three sides; the fourth side is an open lawn, so keep dogs on a lead there. A lake path with dog access starts 300 m from the door." Each clause answers a row of the table without promising more than the property delivers.
How should you prep the unit and brief pet guests?
Stock a small pet kit, put the pet rules and local vet details in your guidebook and pre-arrival message, and add a pet check to the turnover so the next guest never finds hair or smells.
Airbnb's hosting pets guide suggests bowls for food and water, pet-friendly furniture covers, plenty of designated towels for wiping paws at the door, a scratching post and a cardboard litter box, and extra cleaning supplies. It also suggests adding local dog parks, vets, pet supply stores, pet sitters and kennels to your guidebook.
The pre-arrival message is where rules get read. Repeat the three that prevent most problems: the pet count, the unattended-pet rule, and the furniture rule. Add the walking spot and the vet's address, so the guest doesn't have to search on arrival.
For turnover, give your cleaner a short pet list: lint-roll soft furnishings, check under beds and behind sofas for hair, wipe glass doors at nose height, and photograph anything damaged before it's cleaned. Those photos are what you need if you file a damage request; the pets in Airbnb guide linked above explains how AirCover and the Resolution Center handle pet damage.
Service animals follow separate rules. Airbnb's Accessibility Policy says a service animal isn't a pet, and hosts can't refuse the reservation, charge pet or animal-hair cleaning fees, or apply different house rules because of it, even on a no-pets listing. Its Nondiscrimination Policy prohibits imposing different fees or house rules because of a protected characteristic such as disability. Write your pet marketing so it never implies a service animal will be charged or restricted.
Pet owners who liked the stay may want to come back. On Airbnb, the off-platform policy prohibits asking or encouraging guests to move repeat bookings off Airbnb, including links and discounts to book elsewhere. Repeat pet guests who find your own website independently can book there; the repeat guest strategy covers what's allowed.
When this advice does not apply
- Private and shared room listings: Airbnb requires service animals in shared spaces to be harnessed, leashed or tethered, and your pet rules need to account for other guests and residents.
- Emotional support animals in some places: Airbnb's Accessibility Policy says hosts in California and New York must accommodate emotional support animals for home reservations, and hosts in Quebec and Ontario for all reservations. There, pet fees and no-pets rules don't apply to them.
- Buildings that ban pets: a lease, HOA or building rule overrides any listing setting. Check it before you switch anything on.
- Channel-managed Booking.com listings: if your provider manages policies, change the pet policy in its software, not the extranet.
What to do next
- Search your area on Airbnb with a pet added and confirm your listing appears.
- Update the pets house rule and write additional rules for count, types, size, unattended pets and furniture.
- Set the Booking.com pet policy and decide whether to add a "Pets welcome" rate plan, keeping one plan without it.
- Answer every row of the checklist table in your description, photos or guidebook.
- Add the pet items to your pre-arrival message and your cleaner's turnover list.
FAQ
Does Airbnb allow pets?
It depends on the listing. Each host sets a pets house rule, and guests can filter for "Allows pets." Service animals aren't pets, so a no-pets rule doesn't apply to them.
How do you add pet friendly to Airbnb?
Edit the pets house rule in the listing editor under Arrival guide, House rules, and set how many pets you accept. Adding a pet fee to a no-pets listing also switches it to "Pets allowed."
Should you call your rental dog-friendly or pet-friendly?
Use the term that matches what you accept. If only dogs are welcome, "dog-friendly" plus a clear additional rule avoids requests you'll decline.
About BookBed: BookBed's free Airbnb fee calculator shows what you keep from a stay after Airbnb's service fee. It has no separate pet line, so add your pet fee to the cleaning fee field to see its effect on your payout.
Sources
- Airbnb Help Center, "Searching for pet-friendly places" — Verified 2026-09-30
- Airbnb Help Center, "Add house rules to a listing" — Verified 2026-09-30
- Airbnb Resource Center, "What you need to know about hosting pets" — Verified 2026-09-30
- Airbnb Help Center, "Accessibility Policy" — Verified 2026-09-30
- Booking.com for Partners, "Guide on accommodating pets at your property" — Verified 2026-09-30