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Service Dog Rules for Staying in Hotels
Service dogs’ access rights to hotels are part of the public access rights bestowed on service dogs and their handlers under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This means they cannot be treated as pets and can generally go wherever their handlers can at no additional cost. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop certain hotels and staff from infringing on these rights. The following information is a thorough overview of the main points to know about service dogs and hotels.
Can hotels charge for a service dog?
No. Under the ADA, the hotel cannot charge an extra fee for the service animal as they would a client with a pet. This also means you and your dog will be allowed in public areas of the hotel, as well as to a room and floors not normally designated for people traveling with pets.
What to expect from hotels and service dogs
Verification questions: When traveling with a service animal, according to the ADA, the hotel staff only has the right to ask you two questions:
- Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
- What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
If the task is apparent (seeing-eye dog, wheelchair-related), the staff has no right to inquire about the service dog or your disability. When dealing with ignorant hotel staff members, presenting your service dog certification and identification card can help alleviate tension. Remember, the staff members are only employees and might not be properly trained in dealing with service animals in the hotel. Keep in mind, however, that under the ADA hotel staff cannot insist on seeing documents as a condition of entry.
In addition, the hotel staff still has to act according to the rules of conduct the general public should adhere to concerning a service dog. These include:
- No petting the dog
- No speaking to, teasing, or distracting the dog
- No feeding the dog or interfering with its work
The staff is also not required to help you perform any tasks related to the service dog, such as taking it out to relieve itself, feeding it, handling it, etc.
Following the rules of the hotel
Under the ADA, persons with disabilities have several rights. However, you will still be expected to follow the rules of the hotel as they are set forth for all their visiting clients.
Your service dog must be under your control at all times, whether this is by means of a leash, hand gestures, or voice control. Your dog cannot become unruly. In addition, if your service dog were to damage anything in the hotel room, you are still liable for the cost of those damages.
Staying at an Airbnb with your service dog
With Airbnb as a popular hotel alternative among travelers, the application of the ADA is crucial. Airbnb hosts in the United States must allow service animals if they rent out the entire home or apartment to an Airbnb guest. Airbnb’s nondiscrimination policy requires hosts to allow all service animals into their homes. Please research your specific destination before booking an Airbnb that you plan on staying at with your service dog.
The history of service dogs under the ADA
The ADA was established in 1990 and was put into place to prevent establishments from discriminating against people with physical or mental disabilities, extending the protections to any companion that may accompany them for support. Over time, “companions” began referring less to humans and more to members of the animal kingdom. Many people used this policy to treat exotic pets, such as reptiles, ferrets, pigs, and parrots, as “service animals.”
To stop people from taking advantage of the intended scope of the ADA, amendments have been made to these rules. These changes state that only dogs are considered as service animals.
Order your Service Dog ID
Service Dog Identification
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Distinguish your Service Dog from a Pet
Many hotels have policies against pets, but service dogs are not pets. An ID can help distinguish your service dog from a pet, ensuring you get access to your room and other hotel facilities without hassle.
Under the ADA, hotels can’t require documentation for service dogs, but having an ID card can simplify interactions with hotel staff who may not be familiar with service dog laws.
Remember, while ID cards, certificates and other documents can be helpful, they do not convey any rights under the ADA.
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About the Author: The writing team at Service Dog Certifications is made up of folks who really know their stuff when it comes to disability laws and assistance animals. Many of our writers and editors have service dogs themselves and share insights from their own experiences. All of us have a passion for disability rights and animals.
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The Marriot hotel in St. Louis declined me saying they don’t accept service animals.
We suggest speaking with a manager regarding your situation – hotels are subject to ADA rules on service dog accommodation. You may have just run into a representative who was uninformed about service dog rules.
Hotel Manager in Williamsburg, VA
As a hotel manager myself, it just annoys me how ignorant the general public is. I mean, people are willing to just about sell their soul and lie to your face that their dog is a service dog. For what? To get out of paying the pet fee? Jesus Christ! You know what I do, I have a copy of this at my front desk https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html.
As soon as they start spouting off at the mouth at what questions I can ask or the definition of a service dog, I show them this information in writing. See, the thing is….It’s fear that has kept people from truly enforcing what a service dog is. Fear of lawsuits. You gotta be able to know your job and be able to challenge them, especially the Whole PTSD thing. According the the ADA, an emotional support dog is not the same as a service dog.
As long as you know your job and are able to train your staff, the fear is gone. I once had someone call the police on me because I asked is the service dog because of a disability. I didn’t even get to my second question before i heard the word lawsuit.
People truly annoy me. Don’t let them run over with fake service service dog claims.
I’m going to be staying in an Airbnb. The local laws say I can bring my service dog with me. However, the Airbnb has given me a lot of rules about my stay. This is what they told me: “That sounds fine.make sure you keep your dog on a leash(as we will have our dog loose around the yard sometimes. brush him so we don’t have hair everywheren.also no dog on the bed,sofa,blankets and please do not use our towels and bowls for your dog.thank you and have a bless day.”
I told them my service dog is Hypoallergenic before they sent me this. I’m wondering if they really do have the rights to tell me to do all these things. I’m willing to follow their rules but if a person was having a seizure the dog would be trained to jump on the bed to assist. I’ve been training service dogs for 12 years and I can name a dozen other reasons why they get on the bed. Even if the dog is trained to sleep on a dog bed they can still be trained to assist people. The best example would be when a person stops breathing in their sleep the dog can pull the pillow out from their head or wake them up.
According to American Kennel Club “there is no specific breed that is truly hypoallergenic” just some are less than others as to that statement. Why should I stay in a hotel room that has had a dog in it when I have severe allergies to Dogs and most animals? The hotels ask if you want smoking or non-smoking, are they going to do that for animals??
The hotel should be responsible for making sure all guests are properly accommodated. People with disabilities who require a service dog as well as people with allergies should both be taken into proper consideration.
A hotel we have to stay at because of insurance is asking what training my service dog has. And then said we cannot accommodate your supposed service dog. I showed her ID and made no difference. Additionally, it was the manager.
It was stated that the owner has a very strict no pet policy. I responded that she’s not a pet she’s a special trained OTSD service dog.
Mind you, she’s a whole 2 pounds.
Third parties cannot require IDs in order to verify a service dog. They are however allowed to ask what work or task the dog has been trained to perform.
As a motel manager, what do I do when the guest cannot tell me which task the dog performs?
They said “he helps with my PTSD,” but she gave absolutely zero tasks it could perform except “sitting with me to comfort me.”
From what I have found, this is the definition of an emotional support animal.
How do I deal with this? Guest got out of control- I offered to cancel her reservation, that didn’t help! Lol
Service dog owners must be able to answer the two questions allowed under the ADA. They do not have to demonstrate the task, but they do need to let third party verifiers know what the task or job is. If they are unable to do so, you may be able to deny accommodation.
I understand your frustration with the people who fake the service dog qualification, but my son, who has PTSD after 2 tours in Iraq, needs his dog. He went through special training and now is working on recognizing the triggers in my son that need to be met by calming him down. The dog is quick to learn these, but it’s a continual learning thing. If a veteran shows his military ID and has a service dog for PTSD (which is a mental thing, but causes emotional outbursts and anger fits if not controlled, which the dog does), would that make it better for a hotel manager?
I have a family of four, all disabled. We have 4 service dogs, 1 for each of us. We stayed in hotel 6 and they tried to extort money from us stating 3 options. 1. that we must pay 20 dollars for each pet dog over their 2 pet limit per room and the service dogs can stay in the room if we pay, or 2. buy an additional room for 90 dollars and they won’t charge for the service dogs, and if we don’t take those options to, option 3 get Out!
Sorry to hear about your troubles. Hotels are not allowed to discriminate against legitimate service dog owners by charging any type of fee.
The other issue is: so many f*ing people claim their dogs are service dogs for psychological issues- how the heck do we have any idea when it’s real and not just someone making claims to avoid pet fees?
Psychiatric service dog owners are not exempt from having to prove they own a service dog. They must also be able to answer that they have a disability that requires a service dog, and that the dog has been fully trained to perform a task or job relating to a disability. Falsely misrepresenting a psychiatric service dog is also a crime in many jurisdictions.