In most cases: yes. You can increase your AirBnB revenue by 11% by allowing pets.
But there are some exceptions. And it can be fairly marginal. Certainly it’s not as huge as adding a hot tub.
But common sense says that accepting people with dogs increases your income – and the numbers back it up.
How much extra do pet-friendly AirBnBs earn?
Across the UK, average earnings are 11% up. This translates to £3.9k in additional revenue. Even accounting for cleaning costs, it’s a no-brainer.
People adore their dogs. And holiday kennels are often eye-wateringly expensive. This means you can charge more per night, and get higher occupancy rates too.
11% is an average, and actually the range is from -5% to +28%, depending on where your property is.
I took a sample of 12 markets (out of 52 in the UK). Out of these, I saw the following:
- The Peak District had the highest increase in yield at +28%
- London was negligible
- Anglesey dropped 5%
This largely makes sense. If you’re going to the hills, you really need a sodden dog bounding along beside you. Whereas dogs don’t really care for London.
Anglesey… I have no idea. Maybe just a low sample size.
Here’s the full list:
| Pet-friendly Impact on AirBnB listing | ||
| Market | Annual Uplift (£k) | Annual Uplift (%) |
| Peak District | £10.0 | 28% |
| Highlands | £8.1 | 21% |
| Norfolk | £6.2 | 16% |
| Stirling | £6.2 | 17% |
| Cornwall | £4.4 | 12% |
| Edinburgh | £4.4 | 9% |
| Chester | £3.3 | 11% |
| Manchester | £3.0 | 12% |
| Surrey | £2.9 | 9% |
| Lake District | £0.8 | 2% |
| London | -£0.5 | -1% |
| Anglesey | -£2.0 | -5% |
| AVERAGE | £3.9 | 11% |
I got this data from AirDNA, by the way. It’s a useful (but pricey) tool that gives AirBnB information to hosts.
How much does cleaning after hosting pets on AirBnB cost?
It depends on the animal. By which I mean, it depends on the dog (if guests are bringing anything bigger than a dog, good luck).
Some dogs shed fur, some don’t. If they do, you’ll have fur everywhere. According to this professional cleaner, It’ll take 2-3 extra hours to hoover up.
On average, AirBnBs in the UK have 57% occupancy, and 4 days average stay, equalling 52 stays. Over the course of a year, with 52 stays, that’s 130 extra hours of cleaning, or around £1300-£2600, depending on the rate.
This means that in 9 out of 12 of the sample markets, you’ll easily cover your costs. You can also add a pet fee, just to be sure.
