We rent out our holiday home near Riberac in Dordogneshire. We have done so for the past 18 years with very few problems. The most remembered issue was the renter who decided that it would be great fun to use the 3 metre pole (used for vacuuming the swimming pool) for pole-vaulting into the pool. The end of the pole punctured the pool liner! We did manage to repair it and actually changed the liner 3 years later.
We have until now allowed renters to bring their pet dogs, having determined the breed and size of the dog, and taken an extra security guarantee payment to cover any extra cleaning needed after the renters stay has finished. Until this year there has been very few dogs staying at the house and never any problems. The dog’s owners have ensured that no evidence of the dogs stay is left when they leave. Or so we thought!
This year we decided to update the bathroom and whilst replacing the bath tub noticed a few scratches on the base area that we suspected were put there by a dogs claws whist being bathed/showered. also this year we have 3 different parties of renters bringing their dogs on holiday. We won’t stop them coming now, and will ask them to not wash their dogs in the new bath. but have been wondering if continuing to allow dogs to be included in the rentals is a good idea or not?
Has anybody suffered any serious issues from having a dog or dogs staying in their rental property?
We look after a couple of rental properties that allow dogs and in ten years there have been no real problems, in fact the acceptance of pets can aid bookings as the majority of gites don’t.
It’s only a thought Paul … is there an outside tap…or some such… where you could put a dog-bathing area (eg a deepish shower tray)…which might ensure the owners clean the dogs outside and not in your bath ??
Thanks Stella, yes we do have that sort of facility outside and dog owners are asked to use it. Maybe the renters dog had been outside in pouring rain and mud and the bath was the preferred option?
And, of course we were quick to blame the scratches on dog claws whereas somebody with long curling toe nails!!! or a kiddies toy could have been the culprit?
We never know what goes on in our rented property, and can only safeguard our interests with the decisions we make based on experience, a security guarantee and ‘trust’.
Trust includes believing somebody telling us that their dog is a well behaved miniature poodle, when in fact they might turn up with a water loving labrador that jumps straight into the swimming pool etc!
Hi Paul. We are aiming to sell up in the UK and move to France next year and we hope to rent a property and use it as a base for several months so we can have a good look around the areas we have chosen to buy our new home in France and then keep renting until our purchase is completed. We have two smaller breed dogs - a Jack Russell and a Chihuahua - so it’s good to hear there are some rental property owners who would be willing to take dogs in rental properties. 
If someone decided to use a pole to vault across one of the pools I look after I will be inserting it into their handy pole holder half way up their bodie on the reverse side!
Some of our owners let dogs stay and it has not been a problem although I could do without dog hairs in the pools.