Host FAQ

DogsWelcome is Australia's dog-first travel platform. We connect dog owners with verified dog-friendly properties, and give hosts the tools to welcome dogs with confidence. It's not just a tick-box — it's a platform built specifically around dogs and the people who travel with them.

Any property owner or manager in Australia with a genuine dog-friendly property can list on DogsWelcome. Your property should be able to welcome at least one dog and meet our basic safety standards. We review listings before they go live.

Head to dogswelcome.co and click 'List Your Property'. You'll be guided through setting up your host profile and creating your first listing. The process takes around 20–30 minutes and covers your property details, dog rules, photos, pricing, and compliance requirements.

There's no upfront fee to list. DogsWelcome earns a small platform fee from each confirmed booking. The fee is deducted from your payout automatically — you never have to pay anything out of pocket.

Once you complete all required steps and publish your listing, it becomes visible in search. New listings are reviewed to ensure they meet our quality standards. You'll be notified once your listing is live and ready to receive bookings.

You'll need your property's address, a clear title and description, at least 5 photos, your dog rules (max dogs, sizes allowed, breed restrictions), pricing, availability settings, and compliance details for your state. We walk you through each section step by step.

Yes. During the listing setup, you can use our built-in AI description generator. It drafts a description based on your property details, which you can then edit or use as-is. You remain in control of the final wording.

We support houses, apartments, cottages, cabins, villas, farmhouses, bungalows, and townhouses. If your property type doesn't fit neatly into one of these, choose the closest match and describe your space in the listing description.

Yes. You can manage multiple properties from a single host account. Each listing has its own availability, pricing, and dog rules.

No. Your full street address is kept private. Guests searching for properties see only an approximate map pin — not your exact address. Your specific address is only shared after a booking is confirmed and payment is processed.

Yes. During listing setup, you can drag the pin to a nearby point if you prefer not to show your exact building location. The pin adjustment tool lets you place it within a short distance of your actual address.

Your full address is automatically included in the booking confirmation that guests receive after payment is successfully captured. Before that point, only the approximate map location is visible.

Only if you choose to share it. You can opt in to showing your phone number or email to guests after a confirmed booking. You control these settings in your host profile. By default, all communication goes through DogsWelcome messaging.

LGA stands for Local Government Area — the local council district your property sits in. In New South Wales, your LGA determines the maximum number of unhosted nights you can rent each year under short-term rental accommodation (STRA) regulations.

Only if your property is in New South Wales. For all other states and territories — VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT, NT — LGA is not required and you can proceed through the location step without it.

For NSW properties, we automatically look up your LGA based on your postcode. In most cases this happens instantly after you confirm your location. If we can't find a match automatically, we'll ask you to select your LGA manually from a list of NSW councils.

Yes, absolutely. If your property is outside NSW, confirming your map location is all that's needed. The Continue button becomes active as soon as your coordinates are saved. LGA does not affect you at all.

We'll show you a manual selection dropdown with all NSW councils listed. Select the one that covers your property and confirm. Once you confirm your LGA, you'll be able to continue with the rest of your listing setup.

We recommend at least 8–12 photos to give guests a clear picture of your space. At minimum, you'll need 5 photos before you can publish your listing. Always include outdoor and yard photos — these are especially important for guests travelling with dogs.

Natural light, clean spaces, and outdoor areas. Guests with dogs are particularly interested in fencing, yard size, and any dog-specific features like water bowls, beds, or dog door access. Cover photos make the biggest impression — choose your best shot.

Yes. You can upload photos directly from your device during listing setup. We support JPEG, PNG, and HEIC formats. Photos are automatically optimised for web display.

In the Dog Rules section of your listing, you can specify: the maximum number of dogs allowed, which sizes are permitted (small, medium, large, giant), any restricted breeds, behaviour expectations, whether dogs are allowed on furniture or in bedrooms, and whether you require a fenced yard.

Yes. You can add specific breeds to your restricted list. These restrictions are enforced by the platform — guests whose dogs match a restricted breed will be unable to complete a booking at your property. You don't need to manually screen for this.

The booking system will block the request before it reaches you. Guests are shown a clear message that their dog's breed is not accepted at this property. You won't receive a request you'd have to manually decline for breed reasons.

Yes. You can set a maximum dog count for your property. Guests cannot add more dogs than your listing allows when making a booking.

Yes. You can set a pet cleaning fee that applies to all bookings, and an extra dog fee for guests bringing more than one dog. These are shown clearly to guests before they book.

You set a base nightly rate in your listing's Pricing section. You can also set different rates for weekends, create seasonal pricing for peak periods, and add a cleaning fee and pet cleaning fee.

You can choose between Instant Book and Request to Book. With Instant Book, guests pay immediately and the booking confirms automatically. With Request to Book, guests submit a request and you have 24 hours to approve or decline before it expires.

You set your own minimum and maximum night requirements. There's no platform-wide minimum — it's entirely up to you.

Yes. From your Calendar Management page you can block specific dates for personal use, maintenance, or any other reason. You can also sync an external calendar (iCal) to keep your availability up to date automatically.

Every booking request shows you the guest's profile including their display name, profile photo, bio, star rating, review history, and verification status. You can see whether their identity has been verified, how many stays they've completed, and whether their account is in good standing.

Yes. As soon as a guest submits a booking request, messaging is available between you. You can ask questions about their dogs, travel plans, or anything else before deciding to approve or decline.

You'll see: the guest's name and photo, their request message, the dates and number of nights, their dogs (name, breed, size), their overall rating, number of reviews, ID verification status, and how long they've been on the platform.

Guests without a profile photo or a bio of at least 20 characters are not eligible for Instant Book. Their booking will automatically be treated as a Request to Book, giving you the chance to review their profile before confirming.

You have 24 hours to approve or decline a request from the time it's submitted. If you don't respond within that window, the request expires automatically. You'll receive a notification when a request is approaching expiry.

If a request expires without a response, the booking is automatically cancelled. The guest's payment hold on their card is released immediately and they're notified. You'll also receive an expiry notification so you're aware.

Yes. You can decline any request before the 24-hour window closes. The guest is notified, their payment hold is released, and no payout is made to you. You don't need to give a reason, but it helps guests understand if you do.

Messaging becomes available as soon as a booking request is submitted. You don't have to wait until a booking is confirmed — you can communicate with guests throughout the request review period.

All messages are available in your Messages section on the dashboard. You'll receive email notifications for new messages, and you can reply directly from the dashboard or from the notification email.

Yes. You can set up automated message templates that are sent at key moments — booking confirmation, pre-arrival, check-in day, and post-stay. You can also create custom templates for your own use.

Yes. An AI draft assistant is available in your messaging inbox. It can draft replies based on your messaging style preferences and the context of the conversation. You review and send — nothing goes out automatically.

After a stay, both the host and guest have 14 days to leave a review. Reviews are mutual — neither party sees the other's review until both have submitted, or until the 14-day window closes. This ensures honest, uninfluenced feedback.

Yes. Once a guest's review is published you can leave a public response. Your response appears below the guest's review on your listing.

No. Reviews can only be submitted after a completed stay. Cancelled bookings do not generate a review.

Your payout is released 24 hours after your guest checks in. Funds typically arrive in your bank account within 1–3 business days via Stripe.

During host onboarding, you'll connect your bank account through our Stripe Connect integration. You'll need to provide your bank BSB and account number, and verify your identity to comply with Australian financial regulations.

DogsWelcome charges a platform fee on each completed booking. The fee is deducted from your earnings automatically before payout. You can see the exact fee amount on each booking's earnings summary.

Your full earnings history, payout schedule, and individual booking summaries are available in the Payouts section of your host dashboard. You can also download statements for your tax records.

This depends on your circumstances. If you're registered for GST and your rental income exceeds the GST threshold, GST may apply. DogsWelcome provides an earnings summary to assist with your tax obligations, but we recommend speaking with an accountant for personalised advice.

Compliance requirements vary by state. In NSW, properties must be registered under the STRA (Short-Term Rental Accommodation) framework and may be subject to nightly caps. VIC, ACT, WA, TAS, QLD, SA, and NT each have their own rules. DogsWelcome guides you through the relevant requirements for your state during listing setup.

All properties must confirm that working smoke alarms are installed and that exits are unobstructed. Depending on your state, additional requirements like fire extinguishers or evacuation diagrams may apply. You'll be asked to confirm these during listing setup.

We strongly recommend it. Some states require public liability insurance for short-term rentals. Even where it's not mandatory, it's good protection for you as a host. Check the requirements for your state and speak with your insurer.

STRA (Short-Term Rental Accommodation) registration is currently required in NSW and WA. It involves registering your property with the relevant state authority and obtaining a registration number. DogsWelcome will prompt you to enter and verify your STRA number during listing setup if it applies to your state.

Your listing is only visible in search results when both your listing status and your publication status are set to active. A draft listing — even a complete one — is never visible to guests until you formally publish it.

There are a few common reasons: your listing is still in draft, you haven't completed all required sections, your compliance status needs attention, or your listing has been paused. Check your dashboard for any banners or alerts that indicate what's needed.

Yes. You can pause your listing at any time from the listing management panel. A paused listing is hidden from search but all your settings, pricing, and history are preserved. You can reactivate it whenever you're ready.

Edits to your listing go live immediately once saved. Your listing remains visible in search throughout. Only significant compliance changes may require a review before going live.

Yes. You can update your nightly rate, cleaning fees, and seasonal pricing at any time. Changes apply to new bookings only — existing confirmed bookings are not affected.

Yes. You can update your dog rules at any time. Bear in mind that guests who booked before the change made their decision based on the previous rules. We recommend only tightening rules for future bookings.

Yes. Your cancellation policy can be updated at any time. Like pricing changes, updates apply to new bookings only.

From your listing's edit view, go to the Photos section. You can add new photos, remove existing ones, reorder them, and set a new cover photo at any time.

You can submit a damage claim through the platform within 48 hours of checkout. Provide a clear description and photo evidence. Our team reviews each claim and works with both parties to reach a fair resolution. We recommend documenting your property's condition before and after each stay.

Yes. If a guest disputes your claim, our team mediates between both parties. We review the evidence submitted and may ask for additional information. Our goal is a fair outcome for everyone.

DogsWelcome does not currently provide host protection insurance. We strongly recommend ensuring your property is covered by an appropriate short-term rental policy. Standard home insurance typically does not cover short-term rental activity.

Go to the login page and click 'Forgot password'. Enter your email address and we'll send you a reset link. The link expires after 24 hours for security.

Yes. Admin accounts require two-factor authentication. Host accounts can enable it for additional security from your account settings. We use email-based verification codes.

You can request account deletion from your account settings. Before deletion, any active bookings must be resolved. Once deleted, your listing data and booking history are removed in accordance with our privacy policy.

You can reach our host support team by emailing hosts@dogswelcome.co or using the feedback form in your host dashboard. We aim to respond within one business day.

Yes — you're in it. This Host FAQ covers the most common questions. If you can't find what you're looking for, use the contact form below or email us directly.

You do. Stripe processing fees are deducted from your payout by Stripe directly. For domestic cards, the fee is 1.75% plus 30c per transaction. For international cards, the fee is 2.9% plus 30c. Currency conversion adds a further 2%. These fees are separate from the DogsWelcome platform fee and are shown on your payout statement.

No. Stripe processing fees are entirely separate from the DogsWelcome platform fee. DogsWelcome does not absorb or subsidise Stripe processing fees. This means DogsWelcome can safely offer a 0% platform fee during promotional periods without affecting your Stripe fees.

Yes. During promotional periods, DogsWelcome may set its platform fee to 0%. This does not affect Stripe processing fees, which are always deducted from your payout by Stripe. When the platform fee is 0%, DogsWelcome earns nothing on your bookings and you pay nothing to DogsWelcome.

Refunds are processed through your Stripe connected account. When a guest receives a refund, the amount is reversed from your Stripe balance. The DogsWelcome platform fee is also reversed proportionally. Stripe processing fees are not refunded by Stripe, so the processing fee on the original transaction remains a host expense.

Charge disputes are associated with your Stripe connected account, as you are the merchant of record for accommodation supply. DogsWelcome will notify you when a dispute is raised and provide support throughout the resolution process. The dispute is resolved through Stripe's dispute process.

Yes. Under DogsWelcome's direct charge payment model, you are the merchant of record for accommodation supply. Guest payments are processed on your Stripe connected account. DogsWelcome acts as the platform and collects its platform fee separately via Stripe's application fee mechanism.