# Should I allow pets in my holiday flat? What you gain, what you risk and how to do it well

> Allowing dogs widens the audience and lets you charge a supplement, in exchange for more cleaning and some risk. How to decide according to the flat, what rules to set and what the association says.
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> Topic: Day to day · Reviewed: 2026-09-22 · URL: https://mipisoturistico.app/en/guides/should-i-allow-pets-in-my-holiday-flat
> Published by Mi Piso Turístico (Torremolinos Gestión Vacacional), a holiday-rental management company on the Costa del Sol.

**Short answer:** there is no obligation to allow pets, but there is an obligation to **say clearly whether they are allowed or not**. Allowing small or medium dogs, with a **supplement of €10-20 per stay** and clear rules, widens the audience (many families travel with a dog) and usually pays off in flats with a terrace or on the ground floor and without carpets. It does not pay off in small studios, with light fabric sofas or in associations that restrict it.

## What do you gain?

- More bookings out of season: those travelling with a dog have fewer options and book earlier, for more days and with less haggling.
- A supplement per stay, or per night, that covers the extra cleaning.
- Very loyal reviews: the guest with a pet who finds a place that accepts it comes back.

## What do you risk?

- Hair on sofas and mattresses, scratches on doors, the odd accident on the rug. Longer cleaning.
- Allergies for the next guest if the cleaning is not thorough.
- Barking and neighbour complaints.
- Some platforms have their own policy (Airbnb, for example, requires assistance animals to be accepted with few exceptions, even if the listing says "no pets").

## How to decide?

Yes, if the flat has **tiled or wooden floors**, a **leather sofa or one with washable covers**, a **terrace or is near walking areas**, and the **association** has no rules against it. No, if it is a carpeted studio with light textiles, if the communal pool or garden forbid animals or if you do the cleaning yourself with barely enough time.

## What rules to set?

In the listing and in the house rules:

- Maximum number and size (for example, "one dog up to 15 kg").
- Supplement and what it covers.
- Not on beds or sofas (or covers mandatory).
- Not leaving the animal alone in the flat for hours.
- Guest liable for damage and noise.
- Common areas according to the association's rules (many forbid animals in the pool and garden).

## And assistance animals?

Accredited guide and assistance dogs have a right of access by law; they cannot be refused or charged for. The platforms apply this with their own rules.

## What does the association say?

The Horizontal Property Act does not allow pets to be banned inside a home, but it does allow their presence in common areas to be regulated. If you are going to allow animals in a holiday flat, check the by-laws and tell guests the building's rules.

## How much does it change the business?

Little, but in a good way: 5-10 % more bookings in weak months and a supplement that pays for the extra cleaning. It is not a money decision; it is one of flat type and tolerance for hair on the sofa.

## Sources

- [Junta de Andalucía: obligation to inform about whether pets are allowed (FAQ, in Spanish)](https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/organismos/turismojusticiadesregulacionyadministracionlocal/areas/turismo/registro-turismo/establecimientos-servicios/paginas/faq-viviendas-turismo.html)
