Vrbo Service Animal Policy: Complete Guide for Hosts
Summary
This article from iGMS provides a comprehensive guide to Vrbo's service animal policy, clarifying hosts' obligations and rights regarding service dogs and emotional support animals. Hosts must accommodate service dogs but are not required to accommodate emotional support animals, although local laws may differ. Understanding these guidelines can help hosts avoid discrimination and potential penalties.
Key Insights
- •Hosts are not allowed to charge pet fees, cleaning fees, or a higher security deposit for service animals.
- •Guests with disabilities are not legally required to inform hosts about service animals before booking.
- •Vrbo requires hosts to allow service animals, specifically service dogs, regardless of pet-friendly status; this policy applies to properties in the United States and U.S. Territories.
Action Items
- ✓Check local laws and ordinances to determine if you need to accommodate emotional support animals, particularly in areas like California, New York, Quebec, and Ontario.Effort: lowImpact: medium
- ✓Consider adding amenities like water and food bowls for service dogs to make their stay more enjoyable.Effort: lowImpact: low
- ✓Update your listing, house rules, or pet policy to welcome communication from guests about service animals before check-in.Effort: lowImpact: medium
Tools & Resources
- →iGMS: Taking advantage of vacation rental software like iGMS is the easiest way to perfect your communication strategy.
Common Mistakes
- ⚠Violating Vrbo’s policy can lead to actions such as listing takedowns or being banned from the platform.
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