As a vacation rental homeowner you have many options to consider for your guests. Whether to allow pets in your home is an option that many homeowners debate seasonally. You realize that giving guests the option to bring their dog will have its pros and cons. On the pro side, you will likely have more exposure and thus more bookings. On the con side, you may have pet damage to your home which could cost more money in home maintenance. The tourism industry, in general, has become more pet-friendly in recent years, with popular hotel chains and airlines adapting to allowing pets. Since the Outer Banks is primarily a drive-to destination and the typical length of stay is 7 nights, many guests prefer to bring their dog rather than boarding them. If you are considering whether to allow pets in your vacation home, you probably have questions about the performance of pet-friendly homes vs. non pet-friendly homes. You've got questions, we've got answers!
How many pet-friendly homes do you have?
- 46% (196) of our homes are pet-friendly.
- 54% (229) of our homes do not allow pets.
How many more bookings will I get if I go Pet-friendly?
These are average numbers based on 2021 reservation data.
In 2021 pet-friendly homes had an average of 24% more reservations than non pet-friendly homes.
- Pet friendly homes are averaged 26 reservations per unit
- Non pet-friendly homes averaged 21 reservations per unit
In 2021 pet-friendly homes had an average of 43% more rental revenue than non pet-friendly homes.
- On average, pet-friendly homes have 7% higher rates than non pet-friendly homes.
- On average, pet-friendly homes average rental rate was $229 above non pet-friendly homes.
If I go pet-friendly, what percentage of guests will bring a pet to my home?
- On average, 64% of reservations in pet-friendly homes bring a dog.
- On average, 36% of bookings in pet-friendly homes do not bring a dog.
Pet-friendly bookings accounted for 32% of total reservations in 2021.
How many guests search for pet-friendly homes when booking their vacation?
Our vacation rental search allows guests to filter their search results by pets allowed and no pets. Pet-friendly is the 3rd most common filter on searches (behind 1. Oceanfront, 2. Private Pool).
From January 1st, 2021 - December 31st, 2021: our website received 128,450 searches for Pets Allowed, vs. 9,225 searches for "No Pets" as a required amenity.
Our guests receive a pet gift when they add the pet free to their reservation. It comes with a collapsible water bowl and a small container of waste bags reading, "Thanks for keeping our beaches clean!"
