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Category: Design & Furnishing
By: Brittany Simmons
Reply by David Okafor:
I've been pet-friendly across 3 properties for 2 years now. Here's what I've learned the hard way. Crypton fabric sofas are the real deal. I have IKEA KIVIKs with Crypton slip covers and after 2 years there's zero visible damage — pet hair, scratches, accidents, nothing phases them. LVP flooring if you don't already have it. A dog pees on hardwood and you're refinishing. Dog pees on LVP and you grab a paper towel. Not even a conversation. Ruggable washable rugs (https://ruggable.com) have been a lifesaver. They're $150-250 each but consider that I was replacing regular rugs every 3 months with pet guests. The Ruggables just get thrown in the wash. Metal or solid wood bed frames only — I had a dog chew through a particle board bed frame corner in one weekend. And leather/pleather accent chairs wipe clean and don't absorb odors or collect hair. Things that did NOT survive: velvet anything (hair magnet), jute rugs (cats shredded one in a single stay), light upholstered headboards (paw prints everywhere), and wicker/rattan furniture (gets chewed and scratched). For the money side: I charge a $250 non-refundable pet fee per booking. Covers the extra cleaning (pet hair removal is real work) and minor damage. For major stuff, Proper Insurance (https://properinsurance.com) explicitly covers pet damage from guests, which is huge because AirCover claims for pet damage are a nightmare. Stock a few basics: pet bowls, waste bags by the door, a lint roller in every room, and enzyme cleaner under the kitchen sink. A laminated card with pet rules doesn't hurt either. None of this costs much and guests appreciate the thought. The amenity ROI calculator at https://strspecialist.com/tools/amenity-roi-calculator can help you figure out if the pet-friendly premium covers the extra costs in your market.
Reply by Anika Sharma:
The Ruggable recommendation is spot-on. I have 6 of them across my pet-friendly property and they're game-changers. A guest's dog threw up on one last month — I pulled off the top layer, threw it in the washer, and it was back on the floor in 2 hours. Try doing that with a Pottery Barn rug. Also: **get a robot vacuum.** I leave a Roomba in a closet with a note: "Feel free to use the robot vacuum during your stay!" Pet guests LOVE this. It also means less work for my cleaner between stays. The iRobot j7+ ($400) specifically avoids pet waste. Worth every penny. One more thing: Create a "pet welcome kit" — treats, a toy, those bowls, waste bags, and a local dog park map. Gets mentioned in reviews constantly and costs maybe $10 per guest. The house manual generator at https://strspecialist.com/tools/house-manual-generator has a pet-specific section you can customize.