Table of Contents
- What Is The Pet Rule In Hotels?
- Can Hotels Charge Extra For An Emotional Support Animal?
- Can The No-Pet Policy And FHA Cancel Out One Another?
- Best Practices For Hotels.
- Training Staff To Handle Esa Accommodations Appropriately.
- Developing Clear Policies And Procedures For ESA Accommodations.
- Clarifying The Distinction Between Service Animals And ESAs.
Nobody will understand your emotional attachment to your pet other than you. Not even hotel laws. Besides that, focusing on the importance of the ambiance of the hotel, some guests are allergic to the pet hair they leave behind. Who’s at fault? Hotel laws or your pets? So, do hotels allow ESA animals?
To familiarize ourselves with hotel laws on ESA animals, read below to find out what the hotel laws state.
What Is The Pet Rule In Hotels?
Stay rest assured that there are hundreds if not thousands of pet-friendly hotels. Such hotels strictly follow laws for ESA animals and provide complimentary treats. As a hotel, promoting the well-being of humans and animals alike is the core of the Hotel’s brand image.
Not only does it make the hotel more approachable for pet owners, but it also provides easy accessibility to various entities. It includes animal-friendly food, separate baths, and promising culture that doesn’t danger the lives of other guests.
Is it as easy as it sounds?
We wish that too.
Hotels are not obligated always to allow ESA animals. It depends on the owners or managers if they offer minor favoritism to the pets. The owners are not allowed to leave behind their pets inside the room while out. Besides that, managers or hotel staff will take no responsibility in case of any negligence from the owners.
You might get some side eyes if your dog weighs over certain pounds. A puppy Labrador? No problem, everyone will come to pet it. A barbarian-looking Labrador weighing over 120 lbs., thick fur, and an intense look? That might be questioned.
So, how do you move around if you have pets? What about your traveling passion or business emergency?
Let’s dig deeper into this ‘Rubicon crossed’ between pet owners and hotel laws.
Can Hotels Charge Extra For An Emotional Support Animal?
You might have to add an extra deposit for every hotel you visit during your trip. This is because, under US Federal laws, hotels are not obligated to provide housing rights to ESAs. Reason? That’s obvious; not everyone can comply or get easy around your pet.
However, emotional support animals do have rights under Fair Housing Act. According to this act, the hotel owner cannot refuse the animal stay if they withstand the set rules as service animals.
Under this law, if the renter is disabled with ESAs, the owners must provide a hotel room and pet accommodation. However, it must be a service animal or a manager’s decision in other cases. Those who do not fall under the Fair Housing Act category can request managers to accommodate their pets by paying extra charges.
Can The No-Pet Policy And FHA Cancel Out One Another?
No-pet policy under strict rule applies to furry companions and their owners who,
- Are not service animals, and
- Do not fall under FHA law.
This doesn’t end here. The individual must fall under the criteria as regulated by the government.
- The individual must have a disability as defined by the FHA, and
- The presence of the animal must be necessary to provide equal opportunity to use and enjoy the dwelling
- The accommodation must not impose an undue burden or fundamentally alter the nature of the housing provider’s operations.
Besides that, the pet policy gets overridden if the animals qualify as service or assistance animals under the FHA. This includes the following two types,
- Some service animals, such as dogs and miniature horses trained to help disabled people with specific tasks,
- Assistance animals, including various types of animals not required to have specialized training but provide assistance or support to individuals.
In short, if the individual falls under the FHA category, the no-pet policy can be canceled.
Best Practices For Hotels
Now, let’s focus on how to deal with guests who come with a verified letter from a health professional for their ESAs. These guests can also ask for separate accommodation or unpaid services. How does one deal with such situations?
· Training Staff To Handle Esa Accommodations Appropriately
As a hotel manager, start by training the staff. How the staff treats the pet reflects the ambiance of the hotel. The most common ESA is a dog. Can you imagine feeling threatened by a dog? Not really, but some people do feel uncomfortable around them. So, the best step forward is to remove the pet from such a place.
A trained staff can do that as opposed to an untrained who will only worsen the situation.
· Developing Clear Policies And Procedures For ESA Accommodations
Some hotels offer clear policies on where and when the pets can enter the location. Like, some areas are strictly pet-free/no-pet. This includes food areas, sitting areas, and other hotel premises.
Besides that, the pet owners
- Cannot leave their pets roaming around the hotel,
- Must respect other people’s privacy,
- Follow hotel rules and
- Pay extra charges if required.
- Balancing the needs of guests with ESAs and other guests
Clarifying The Distinction Between Service Animals And ESAs
First, let’s understand that service and emotional support animals both fall under the category of FHA law. Now the difference!
Service animals are of physical service. A dog might be trained to help an individual with visual or hearing impairment. Besides that, it can also aid with pulling a wheelchair or calling someone during a seizure.
The ESAs, as the name suggests, are emotional supporters. For people who are undergoing PTSD, depression, and anxiety, ESAs provide comfort and emotional support. Such animals provide companionship and alleviate traumatic symptoms from which the individual might be suffering. Such animals are not granted public access as opposed to service animals which are permitted inside premises even with a no-pet policy.
