By the Unity Stays directors, Marcus Chong & Gadir Al-Khatib · Last updated 12 August 2026
In short: Allowing pets reliably increases demand — the pet-friendly filter narrows competing supply and attracts longer, out-of-season stays — but profit depends on the property: hard floors, a garden and robust furnishings suit it; small carpeted flats do not. Set specific rules and a per-stay fee covering extra cleaning, and remember assistance dogs are not pets in law and must always be accepted.
What allowing pets actually gains you
Pet-friendly is one of the most-used filters on the booking platforms, and the supply of properties that allow pets is much smaller than the demand for them. Switching it on reduces the number of properties you are competing against on any given search.
It also skews towards longer stays and out-of-season travel. People travelling with a dog drive rather than fly, book self-catering rather than hotels, and often travel in the shoulder months precisely because it is easier.
For rural properties, coastal properties and anywhere with walking nearby, it is usually one of the highest-return settings available.
What it costs, honestly
Extra cleaning time on every pet stay, and occasionally a deep clean. Hair on soft furnishings, which is slower to remove than owners expect. Scratches on doors and floors. Occasional accidents on carpet. Faster wear on anything upholstered.
There is also a knock-on: a subsequent guest with an allergy in a property that has had pets in it is a complaint you cannot easily answer. If you allow pets you should say so prominently, not bury it.
A pet fee helps but rarely covers a bad case. The realistic position is that pets pay for themselves through occupancy, not through the fee.
Rules that hold up
Vague pet rules are unenforceable and platforms will not support them. Specific ones do work.
- How many, and what size — "pets welcome" without limits invites three large dogs
- Never left alone in the property, which is what prevents most damage and most noise complaints
- Not on the beds or the sofa, with a throw provided so the rule is realistic
- Owner responsible for any damage, stated explicitly
- Where to toilet the animal, especially in a flat with communal grounds
- The pet fee, per stay or per pet, stated before booking rather than requested after
Assistance dogs are a separate matter
Assistance dogs are not pets in law, and a blanket "no pets" policy does not lawfully extend to them. Refusing a guest with an assistance dog risks a disability discrimination claim as well as a platform policy breach.
This applies whether or not the property is otherwise pet-friendly, and it is worth understanding before setting the policy rather than discovering it during a booking dispute.
The practical answer is to state the pet policy and note that assistance dogs are always welcome. It costs nothing and avoids the problem entirely.
The properties where it works best
Hard floors rather than carpet. A garden or an enclosed outdoor space. Ground floor, or at least a straightforward route out. Robust furnishings, and washable covers on anything upholstered. Somewhere to walk within a few minutes.
It works least well in a small carpeted flat on the third floor of a block with communal grounds and a managing agent, which is also where the lease is most likely to have something to say about it.
If you are unsure, allowing pets is easy to trial and easy to reverse — turn it on for a season and compare occupancy and cleaning cost against the one before.