Pet-proofing your holiday let

A quarter of all British adults have a four-legged friend in their lives, and when it comes to holidays,  58% of them base their plans around their pooch. If you’re a holiday home owner, accepting pets can make a real difference to your earnings and you only need to make a few small changes to benefit.

The advantages of being pet-friendly

Pet-friendly holidays in Britain are booming and it’s not just because people love spending time with their pooch. The cost of kennels and travelling internationally with a pet can be significant and it’s often cheaper for holidaymakers when their dog tags along.

cottages.com owners who welcome pets to their holiday home receive, on average, 3 booking weeks more per year. If you have a holiday home close to a dog-friendly beach or that has easy access to countryside you could experience even greater demand.

Dog owners are more likely to pay a premium to stay in a pet-friendly property too, which means as an owner, you’ll earn more from each booking. cottages.com owners who welcome pets usually earn 17% more per year.

Pooch-proofing your property

Inquisitive, hilarious and bursting with energy, dogs are brilliant companions. But they can act differently in new places and sometimes they get into trouble. Which is why it’s worth taking the time to pet-proof your property so that everyone has a hassle-free holiday experience. Here are our top tips:

• Make your four-legged guest feel welcome by providing a dog bed, food and water bowls.
• Provide lots of waste bags so guests can clean up after their pet. A hosepipe is useful for cleaning paws.
• Our guest instructions explain that dogs aren’t allowed on furniture or upstairs and that they should always be supervised. But you can add some small reminders around your holiday home too, just remember to keep the tone warm and friendly.
• Check your furnishings, are any of them valuable or delicate? If so, it’s worth moving them so that they’re well out of reach from dogs and small children.
• Consider your flooring. Laminate and wooden floors are very practical while areas with deep carpets will be more difficult to keep clean and may need to be identified as no-go areas for pets.
• Add pet-related damage cover to your insurance policy. It’s unlikely that you’ll have a major mishap but insurance gives you added protection and peace of mind.

Promote your new pet-friendly property

Once your holiday home is ready for furry guests, you’ll want to promote it to their owners. We’d suggest you:

• Update all your marketing materials to include “pet-friendly”, which is among the most searched for features on cottages.com
• Add a list of pet-friendly places to your welcome pack, so your guests can find the best spots to walk and play with their dog.
• Tell your letting agent so they can update your details and add you to any relevant marketing activity. At cottages.com, for example, we have a special partnership with the Dog’s Trust. 10% of each booking made on their website goes directly to the charity, which is invaluable to their rescue dogs and a great way for owners to showcase their pet-friendly holiday homes to animal lovers.
• Ask your letting agent if they have a special dog-friendly collection you can join. Here at cottages.com our ‘More than Dog Friendly’ range features properties that have enclosed gardens and offer special doggie welcome packs. Owners in the collection achieve over 90% occupancy in peak summer weeks.

If you’d like more information on making your holiday home dog-friendly or would like to learn how cottages.com can promote your property to a wide audience of pet owners, then get in touch on 0345 268 1846 or visit www.cottages.com/let-your-property