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Who this is for: front desk staff, night auditors, and owner-operators at pet-friendly independent hotels, hotel groups, motels, resorts, bed and breakfasts, and parks or campgrounds.
Most pet policy templates hand you a blank form and stop there. This one gives you the policy wording, a signable pet agreement form, and the front-desk checklist your team actually works from: how to set the policy, disclose it at booking, sign and charge at check-in, enforce it during the stay, and reconcile the deposit at check-out. Copy the wording, fill in your own fees and limits, and print or attach the checklist to your front-desk SOPs.
What You Get
- A ready-to-use pet policy you customize by replacing the bracketed terms
- A pet agreement form the guest signs at check-in
- A five-stage front-desk checklist covering the whole guest journey
- Property-type versions for motels, resorts, bed and breakfasts, and parks or campgrounds
- Downloadable PDF and Word files, with the policy and agreement ready to brand
The Hotel Pet Policy
Replace every bracketed value with your property's own terms before you publish or print it.
The Pet Agreement Form
Have the guest complete and sign this at check-in, then keep it with the reservation.
Guest and Pet Details
Fees and Acknowledgment
The Front-Desk Pet Policy Checklist
Work through this once when you set the policy, then run the booking-through-checkout steps for every guest arriving with a pet.
1. Set the Policy
- Allowed pets and limits: Define which animals are allowed, the weight cap, and the maximum number of pets per room.
- Breed and size restrictions: List any restricted breeds or sizes, and note where local law limits what you can restrict.
- Pet fees and deposits: Set the pet fee, its basis (per night or per stay), and any refundable damage deposit.
- Designated pet-friendly rooms: Assign which rooms and common areas allow pets, and which are off-limits.
- Service animal rules: Document that service animals are exempt from pet fees and restrictions under applicable law.
2. At Booking
- Disclose the policy: Share the full pet policy and fees before the guest confirms the booking.
- Capture pet details: Record pet name, type, breed, and weight on the reservation.
- Confirm vaccination requirement: Tell the guest which vaccination or health proof to bring.
- Pre-authorize fees and deposit: Note the pet fee and refundable deposit to be collected at check-in.
3. At Check-In
- Sign the pet agreement: Have the guest read and sign the pet policy and agreement form.
- Collect fees and deposit: Charge the pet fee and pre-authorize the refundable deposit.
- Issue the "Pet in Room" sign: Give the guest the door sign so housekeeping knows a pet is inside.
- Review house rules: Explain leashing, permitted areas, and restricted areas in person.
4. During the Stay
- Enforce leashing and control: Confirm pets stay leashed, carried, or crated in all common areas.
- Coordinate housekeeping: Service the room only when the pet is absent or the guest is present to monitor it.
- Monitor conduct: Address excessive noise, aggression, or soiling promptly and document it.
- Handle unattended pets: Follow up on any pet left unattended against the policy.
5. At Check-Out and After
- Inspect for damage: Check the room for damage, soiling, or odor before releasing the deposit.
- Reconcile the deposit: Release the deposit or apply charges for any documented damage.
- Log incidents: Record any incidents or complaints for future stays and policy review.
- Reset the room: Deep-clean and de-fur the room before returning it to general inventory.
How Do You Write A Hotel Pet Policy?
- Decide what you allow: species, weight cap, and number of pets per room.
- Set your money terms: the pet fee, whether it is per night or per stay, and any refundable deposit.
- Map your property: which rooms and areas are open to pets, and which are off-limits.
- Write the guest rules: leashing, unattended pets, housekeeping, conduct, and damage liability.
- Add the legal lines: vaccination expectations and the service-animal exemption.
- Turn it into an agreement the guest signs, and put the checklist above in front of your front desk.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Leaving the pet fee vague. State the amount and whether it is per night or per stay, and say clearly if it is non-refundable.
- Treating service animals as pets. They are exempt from pet fees and restrictions under applicable law, and charging them is a compliance risk.
- No signed agreement. Verbal policies do not hold up when there is damage, so get initials on the fee and a signature at check-in.
- Skipping the housekeeping rule. Staff need to know a pet is in the room before they enter, so the "Pet in Room" sign matters.
- Forgetting to reconcile the deposit. Inspect the room and release or charge the deposit at check-out, not days later.
- One policy for every property. A motel, a resort, and a campground enforce pets very differently, so use the version that fits yours.
By Property Type
Each version keeps the same five stages, adapted to how that property actually operates.
A. Motels (Drive-Up, Ground-Floor Rooms)
Use a flat pet fee per stay the front desk can add fast. Assign ground-floor, exterior-entrance rooms, capture the guest's vehicle make and plate on the agreement, and point out the outdoor pet relief area and waste station at check-in. Watch for barking between adjoining rooms and follow up on pets left in rooms or vehicles.
B. Resorts (Multiple Amenities, Restricted Zones)
Set a pet fee, a refundable deposit, and an optional pet amenity package. Map the areas pets cannot enter (pools, dining, spa, beach or activity zones) and walk those boundaries with the guest at check-in. Have them sign a restricted-area acknowledgment, deliver any package items, and monitor conduct across the amenities during the stay.
C. Bed and Breakfasts (Small, Host-Run, Shared Spaces)
Keep the fee modest and confirm the guest's pet is comfortable around people and any resident house pets before booking. Explain quiet hours, dining rules, and garden access in person, make house-pet introductions calmly, and keep common areas considerate of other guests. Record temperament notes for return visits.
D. Parks and Campgrounds (Outdoor, Site-Based)
Charge a per-site pet fee and lead with leash, waste, and wildlife-safety rules. Capture the number of pets per site, show the pet relief areas and waste-bag stations, and enforce leash-on-site and cleanup throughout the grounds. At check-out, inspect the site and any cabin for waste, digging, or damage before you reset it.
Stop Chasing Paper Pet Agreements
A pet template gets you started, but managing printed forms, fees, and deposits by hand is slow and easy to get wrong at a busy desk. Missed fees, lost agreements, and mismatched OTA rules cost real money. With roommaster, guest details and signed pet agreements are captured against the reservation, roommaster Payments collects pet fees and pre-authorizes deposits automatically, and your channel manager keeps the pet policy consistent everywhere. The result is a pet program that runs itself, with every fee and agreement tied to the guest. See how it works on the roommaster platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the rules for dogs at hotels?
Most hotels require dogs to be leashed or carried in common areas, house-trained, quiet, and never left unattended unless crated. Owners clean up after them and cover any damage. Specific weight limits, fees, and allowed areas vary by property.
2. Should the pet fee be refundable?
The pet fee is usually non-refundable because it covers extra cleaning. A separate refundable damage deposit is pre-authorized at check-in and released at check-out if the room passes inspection. Keep the two clearly separate on the folio.
3. Can guests leave pets unattended in the room?
Set one rule and state it plainly. Many hotels prohibit unattended pets entirely, while others allow it only if the pet is crated and quiet and the front desk is notified. Whichever you choose, write it into the policy and the signed agreement.
4. Are service animals subject to the pet policy?
No. Service animals are not pets and are exempt from pet fees and pet restrictions under applicable law. You can still hold the guest responsible for any damage the animal causes. Do not charge a pet fee for a service animal.
5. Can a hotel restrict certain breeds?
Some properties do, but breed restrictions can run into local laws and insurance terms. Check what your jurisdiction and insurer allow before you list restricted breeds, and note that limit in your policy.
