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Welcoming dogs into your holiday home is possibly one of the best decisions you’ll ever make! Why? Not only will you immediately increase your pool of potential guests, but you are likely to increase your number of bookings too. For example, during the period November 2019 - March 2020 the average number of bookings for properties that did accept dogs was 21% higher when compared to those that didn't accept dogs.*

What’s more, if other holiday properties in your area don’t accept pets, yours stands out as the perfect choice. Did you know that 40% of our bookings in the last 12 months have included a dog? That’s a market worth tapping into!
Imagine the holiday home market as a giant game of ‘Guess Who?’ – the potential guests have a set of criteria in mind, and the more you can say ‘yes’ to, the more likely your property is to stand out at the end.

As you are reading this article, hopefully you’re on board with the idea that welcoming guests with four-legged friends is a great move. However, you may be wondering if there’s anything you need to do to make your property dog-friendly. The simple answer is not a lot.
You could start accepting dog bookings tomorrow, there’s nothing special you need to do.
That said, to make your canine guests’ stay as comfortable as possible, you may wish to think about some of the following things:
How many dogs will you allow in your holiday home?
People with more than one dog often struggle to find suitable accommodation, so if you can solve their problem, you’re very likely to secure their booking. Of course, if space is an issue, you might decide to limit guests to one dog per booking – it’s your decision entirely.

Accepting dog breeds
We accept all dog breeds at holidaycottages.co.uk, but if you have a small property or limited outdoor space, you may only be able to accept smaller breeds – simply let us know if this is the case.

Rules for dog owners
In our experience, dogs make fantastic guests, but it helps to have a short list of rules to make sure everyone is on the same page. At holidaycottages.co.uk, we make guests aware of our rules as part of the booking process (scroll down to part 7 here) and find that most of our owners are very positive about their guests with dogs. What’s more, we charge a fee of £20 per week or part week for bookings with dogs, so you can earn yourself a little extra too.

Dog safety
Inside your house, look around and see if you can identify any areas that may be harmful to dogs. Keep any cleaning products up high and tuck away any cables which may be nibbled if left within sight. It’s a good idea to leave a vacuum cleaner accessible for guests, as they will often give certain areas a once over before they leave, especially if they own dogs that moult. Some vacuums come with pet hair attachments, so this may be something you want to consider.
In the garden, make sure that you don’t use pesticides, weed killers or slug pellets which would be harmful to dogs. There are also some species of plant which are poisonous, some of which you wouldn’t expect like daffodils and hydrangeas. There are many dog-friendly alternatives that will keep your garden looking equally vibrant.

Insuring your property with pets in mind
When you are insuring your property, make sure that the policy you choose includes cover for damage caused by domestic pets. This puts your mind at ease when it comes to (unlikely) accidents involving your four-legged guests.

Dog-friendly enclosed gardens
It’s preferable to have an enclosed garden or separate space where dogs can safely wander around outside without escaping. Leave a poop scoop somewhere obvious so that guests can easily clean up after their dogs.

Dog welcome pack
If you’re providing a small welcome pack for your guests, it will go down a treat if you include a little something for their four-legged friends too. Some doggy treats, an inexpensive toy, and a few essentials such as poop bags are all you need to provide to help your furry guests feel at home. Not only is it a lovely welcome on arrival, but you can include the doggy welcome pack in your advert which will definitely appeal to dog owners. You can also claim tax relief on welcome packs.

There are hundreds of dogs across the country whose owners are looking for a property just like yours. You’d be barking mad to miss out on this valuable market!
If you would like to talk to one of our friendly advisors about becoming a dog-friendly holiday property, give us a call on 01237 459951. Find more handy articles on holiday letting in our Owner Advice Centre.
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*There are of course other factors to consider when viewing this statistic, e.g. the property location or any special features a property may have (hot tub, games room).