Are ESAs Allowed in AirBNBS & Vrbo Vacation Rentals?

AirBNB and Vrbo vacation rentals have risen in popularity across the world, providing convenient, affordable accommodations for every occasion from solo travelers to family vacationers. For those hosting, it provides an extra stream of income via an unused basement or under used summer home. As you plan your next adventure, you may be wondering if ESAs Allowed in AirBNBS are possible and can accompany you at an AirBNB or Vrbo vacation rental. Here are some guidelines as you plan your getaway.

Emotional Support Animal AirBNB Guidelines

Emotional support animals are only protected by the Fair Housing Act, meaning you can live in a house or apartment regardless of pet policy without any extra pet fees. However, emotional support animals are not allowed to accompany you in public the way a service animal can, and now airlines qualify them as pets, meaning pet rules, restrictions, and pet fees apply to them. The same goes for AirBNB. An AirBNB’s pet policy applies to your emotional support animal, so if they do not allow pets, you cannot take your emotional support animal, and if there are any pet fees you must pay those. However, many AirBNBs allow pets fee-free, so just keep an eye out for pet-friendly AirBNBs when booking your stay.

Service Animal AirBNB Guidelines

Service animals are considered necessary medical equipment under the ADA and are allowed to accompany you under almost any circumstance. This includes being allowed in AirBNBs and Vrbo rentals without any pet fees. If you have a registered service animal, it is good practice to contact the place you are staying in advance and let them know you are planning on coming with a service animal. You do not have to answer any questions that you do not want to about your service animal, other than the fact that you have a service animal which performs certain tasks in relation to a disability you have.

Psychiatric Service Dog AirBNB Guidelines

If you have an emotional support animal, you are may be able to register it as a psychiatric service dog. A psychiatric service dog is defined as dog that performs certain tasks in relation to your mental disability or illness. An example of psychiatric service dog task would be if your dog was trained to stand on top of you to hit certain pressure points when you are having a panic attack in order to calm you down. Psychiatric service dogs enjoy all the same benefits that service animals do, meaning they can accompany you to an AirBNB or Vrbo without any pet fees, regardless of pet policy.

As you plan your next adventure, follow these guidelines on whether ESAs Allowed in AirBNBS or Vrbo vacation rentals are possible. Every location is different, so always contact the AirBNB or Vrbo owners directly for more specific guidelines. It is always helpful to have an emotional support or service animal letter of certification on hand. Contact the experts at United Support Animal today to get your letter.