Thank you Denita! :-)

Can I ask a question that is the reverse of this? What if the sellers have dogs or cats and potential buyers have severe allergies? Do realtors discuss this with their clients? One benefit of virtual showings is the ability for people with pet allergies to “tour” homes. But then they eventually need to see the property in person. No amount of “cleaning” for a showing can eliminate all dander. This is a dilemma that I have never thought about. What is the protocol?

Usually the fact that there are animals in the house are stated in the showing instructions. However if the buyer has an allergy or is pet sensitive then it is up to the buyers agent to find out before scheduling a showing because not all agents provide that pet info automatically in the showing instructions. Most do. But the buyers agent would need to verify before actually setting an appointment to show. This was common practice before Covid but especially now.

Thank you so much Denita! We finally spoke to our realtor today, and he put the instructions for no dogs allowed in. He said that, to his knowledge, that had never happened to him before so he was a little befuddled by it too. We have 2 showings scheduled for tomorrow (Friday), 1 for Saturday, and another open house on Sunday. I’m pleased now that other realtors can see that no dogs are allowed in our home due to severe allergies.
@ptreckle... the first home we bought was before we had kids, but it was a new build. Allergies were not on our radar then. The next home we bought was also new build, and we never set foot in it until we closed, we relied on a close friend who lived next door to give us information over the phone because we were out of state. At that time we didn’t know the severity of the allergies we were dealing with yet. This home is our 3rd home, our first used home, and allergies were on our radar by this time... but we also bought this home before setting foot in it. (Another cross country move) We relied heavily on our realtor and she could find no evidence of pets... but we were “prepared” to rip out carpets and clean ductwork and all manner of things if our daughter had a reaction in the home, but she never did. We discovered from neighbors that they couldn’t ever remember any of the previous homeowners ever having a dog or cat. We definitely got “lucky.” Our next home we have to hire an architect for a new build on our steep little plot of land in the PNW, in the meantime we will be living with some pet free extended family members for up to a couple of years. When we travel we have to stay in places that aren’t very pet friendly... it’s harder and harder to find. My allergic dd tends to have to drape our own blankets over things and/or sit in plastic chairs that can be cleaned. It’s a real hassle. ;)

Ptreckel, my DH has a severe cat allergy. We definitely ask our realtor to find out if there is a cat in any house we are interested in looking at. If so, it is instantly off our list of potential homes. Sellers will sometimes tell us if previous owners have had cats but they don’t always know. In one instance where we forgot to ask, when we arrived at the front door and the seller’s realtor opened it, my DH took less than 2 seconds to say “No, I can’t go in there”.

This is the major reason that, of the 8 houses we have owned to date, 7 of them have been new builds. It is possible to remove the allergens but it is expensive and can take up to 6 months with mixed results. We just don’t want to take that kind of chance. Of note, cat allergens exist in their saliva as well as their dander. The saliva is considered “sticky”, becomes airborne and adheres to all surfaces so a house has have the ductwork, walls, floors and ceilings cleaned as well as removal of all fabrics (curtains, carpets, etc).

I ... wonder how a person if they were not having a new home built would be able to tell

About 10 seconds for the tickle to start, followed by coughing and breathing difficulties. Confirmed by oximetry testing. (I love felines and had several for many years.)

The last homes my pet-owning friends/clients sold and bought with me as a real estate agent I donned a double filter cannister mask. The listing and selling agents kept looking at me strangely!

I dread a long-term care home, where it is now routine to introduce animals to "cheer up" the residents. I urge my children to kill me first.

Worthy, I take my certified therapy dog to the retirement home all the time. (Not right now, of course.) If you want us to avoid you, just let the staff know. No reason for your children to have to do time in the penitentiary for offing mom.

So, how do you handle the "certified therapy dog" if a seller has severe dog allergies?

A certified therapy dog visits retirement homes, hospitals, assisted living facilities to interact with residents, patients, etc, at the request of the facility. I think you are confusing therapy dogs with "certified emotional support animals" which deserve the quotes around their name.

No confusion on my part. I asked a simple question - whose rights triumph? The therapy dog owner or the allergy owner?

Allergy owner. It's a private home.

There is no such thing as a legitimate "certified emotional support animals". There is a ESA, but no certification. Check the ADA.gov website below for accurate info.

There is such thing as an actual service dog that has to go through rigorous training. https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html

"Personally, I just adore dogs, I don't understand the negative attitude toward them."

Whether you adore dogs is irrelevant to those who do not.

klais-

Some people adore their pet pot belly pigs, but I don't want those in my house either... ;-)

Hope original poster will answer this. My dog sheds non stop. Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix. I can never guarantee I am doggie hair free although I do my best. Change my clothes before leaving the house always and keeping a lint roller in car for any stray hairs. Am I a danger to the family if I entered the home ?

"Personally, I just adore dogs, I don't understand the negative attitude toward them."

Did it occur to you that many of us are highly allergic to certain dogs?

And cats and birds and horses...

We recently bought a home from dog owners. So clean, neither my agent nor me realized it until after I made the purchase. But it's all hard surfaces so I hope it can be cleaned enough in time.

After the rest of the family moves in, I may stay behind in our old house--which is to be renoed/demolished--till the day work starts.

One summer, I "lived" in my pickup camper and garage and showered at the gym while the home was thoroughly cleaned and the carpeting replaced with hardwood. Hmm, maybe time for another vacay!

That househunters now think bringing dawg along is fine boggles the mind!

@Jude, it depends on how well the allergy sufferers symptoms are currently being managed, and even on age and how well they can deal with things. When my kids were young, and their eyes started itching, they would immediately start rubbing them and things would go downhill very fast with eyes swelling shut, hives all over their face and neck, and breathing problems and severe coughing with the asthma. As they got older, if their eyes started itching, they’d know better and go wash their hands and face, or step into a full shower as needed and it really helped lessen the severity of the reaction. But we learned it was better for them not to ride in the car of a dog/cat owner (the space is too enclosed) or hug pet owners, or sit on any of their soft surface furniture if they did go into their home. But even while sitting on hard surface furniture (wood or plastic) they learned never to touch their face while in the home until after they could leave and wash their hands at the very least. So, as a pet owner entering the home of a severe allergy sufferer, you’re not too much of a danger if you don’t go sitting on the furniture. If you did, I’d need to clean where you sat and perhaps spray the area down with febreeze for allergies. In my oldest daughter’s case, she’s allergic to even the saliva of hypoallergenic dogs... so if I think you’ve been handling dog toys without washing your hands, I’d ask you to wash your hands... especially if her symptoms aren’t well controlled with medication. (They can be poorly controlled if, for instance, she has been decreasing her medication in an effort to not be on so much, or changed medications and not realized yet that it’s not as effective, or if she’s recently had too much exposure... allergies are like a cup... sometimes the cup is only half full, and sometimes it’s overflowing. If it’s overflowing you’ll see some more drastic reactions than if the cup is half full.) So yeah, it all depends. Hope that helps!

Any allergies can already be treated now.

Not always. Unless you are counting an epi pen as "treatment." And also irrelevant as it is someone's private residence so they get to make the rules. No dogs at showings means no dogs at showings.....

And “treatment” has varying success and is not without its own side effects.

"klais" is a frequent necrospam editor and has spammed this thread before.

Its really tough to get any pet dander out of a home completely unless you are planning to replace the entire vent and duct system along with any carpets while you are at it. For people with very severe allergies, they can react in seconds to the dander or saliva and might be needing their epi pen. Thats the reason why people who suffer from severe allergies take it very seriously and they might seem obsessive-compulsive to others, but they are doing the right thing. Best plan of action for this is avoidance of the allergen completely. So it has nothing to do with like or not liking, there are lots of people who adore dogs but cant have one because they are allergic to them..so the kind thing would have been to check with owner if they are fine with their dog tagging along for the home viewing( though why it needs to i cant fathom, dog not being the one signing the check , hopefully 🤣)

“Personally, I adore dogs. I don’t understand the negativity about them.” This is a quote from someone upthread.

Here’s my response: ”Personally, I don’t care for dogs at all. I don’t understand the positivity about them.”

Now, who is right? Whose opinion takes precedence? Neither, of course.

How hot was it outside at the time? If these were out of town buyers who were traveling with their dog, most hotels do not allow a dog to be left in a hotel room unattended. If it's hot outside, then a dog cannot be legally left in a car or in the case of my town, it is illegal to leave a dog alone in a car regardless of the temperature.

Just saying there are two sides to every coin. Knowing the all the details help make a decision on whether or not this is bad behavior.

When I've sold houses in the past, if you don't put your dos and don't in the listing or with the agreement with the agent, it's all a do. I've learned the hard way on several things.

Baloney. Before you take a dog into a home after traveling with your dog to house hunt does not give you the right to show a callous disregard for the safety and health of others!

Well, it was fall in the Midwest... so it was beautiful outside (and there are places to board animals) but it’s true that you have to be specific in listings. We learned that the hard way... it could’ve been so much worse than it turned out. We did have our realtor specify no animals after the incident, but he had said in all his years (decades) he’d never known this to happen and he was unpleasantly surprised like we were. Anyways, we sold the house soon after, and it all worked out. (The new owners are wonderful people who we still stay in friendly contact with, and they have a dog... they did not bring their dog to the house until it was actually theirs.)

Ever stop to think that most people walk where dogs and other animals do. When you walk on those surfaces unless you have an area that you can remove your shoes and clothing on the lower part of your body before coming into the house you are bringing things from the outside in.

Not the same as sitting in a confined space with a dog.

Think Covid. Outdoors in the park good. Inside with others not good.

I read an article recently that a potential buyer wrote a letter to the seller of a home from the viewpoint of the buyer's dog, explaining the advantages and desirability of the seller's lush, green lawn.

My first thought was that if I had a lush, green lawn, I would think twice before selling it to someone whose dog would be leaving feces and brown spots on it.

I work in a small store. The management finally put up a sign that stated dogs weren't allowed in the store. People will sometimes ask if some dog had an accident in the store. Our thoughts are, "If only it was JUST one."

I opened the store to step outside for lunch one day, and on the top step was fecal matter from a dog. Our city has an ordinance for owners to pick up after their dogs - and this was two steps up from the sidewalk. It's almost as if someone, offended by the sign, intentionally urged his/her dog up there to do it's business.

I'm not cut our for dog ownership, but I adore them. Some owners make it harder than it has to be to like them.

It boggles my mind that anyone would take a dog with them to view a house. I'm a dog lover, but in my opinion that doesn't give me the right to turn up to a viewing with a dog and expect to be allowed in.

tete_a_tete,

Well said! I love my dogs and take them to outdoor parks and similar venues. I never take them to a "store" or restaurant and impose them on other visitors or staff.

Does anyone have an actual source showing the rule for SHOWINGS vs Tenants/Purchasers?

This just happened during a showing in our home. I got an alert for my security system saying motion detected the snapshot showed what I thought was a raccoon or rodent walking around in my living room. I opened the app and low an behold the buyers that were at my house had brought two little dogs with them and had them roaming around my downstairs and I caught them on one of the upstairs cameras with one of the dog roaming around my master bedroom. We had and love dogs but I never thought someone would bring dogs to a strangers house and also leave them unattended. I'm worried about the dog peeing or pooping in the house or licking cleaning supplies then getting sick, or chewing through an electrical cord, etc. The sense of entitlement with some of these home buyers is insane. Id be more ok if they carried the dogs with them but it appears they only did when they went into the basement...

Johnny cache, I’m sorry that happened. In my mind, it’s similar to allowing young children to roam unattended as well. Rude and potentially harmful.

Johnny cache -- did you let your agent know? I would. I'd call and b*tch up a storm, your agent should let the buyer's agent know the seller is NOT okay with it. Or any seller, for that matter.

We let our listing agent know. She was just as shocked and had the same concerns. She was wondering how often this happens. There is interest in the home from the buyers but my wife and I are probably going to turn down an offer if it's made. If they're this inconsiderate on a showing, God only knows how bad they are going to be during the sale closing period. They also didn't take their shoes off or from what I can tell or even wipe their shoes when the entered...

That is good you let her know.

I wouldn't turn down an offer from them, though -- especially not if it's a good one. Inconsiderate doesn't mean they will give you grief during the buying process. If they do end up the winning bid, I would make sure you agent makes it crystal-clear no dogs allowed at inspection; better yet, you or your agent should be there, at least at the beginning of the appointment. I mean -- if they end up backing out of a deal but their dog makes a mess of something, that would be inconvenient, but even worse if the dog gets hurt -- then it's a liability.

I try not to let my emotions get in front of my bank account. I don't have to like all the people who hand me money, so long as I like the amount of money they hand me enough. I wouldn't make a single comment about the dog if they made an offer. If the dog makes a mess we can deal with that afterwards, but if it helps you buy my house then bring a goat for all I care. Also, you have no liability for a buyer's dog that gets hurt in your home.

100% agree with Bry.

I totally get why you are so angry. I would be to. And trust me, as I wrote upthread (in all caps for emphasis, LOL) - I LOVE DOGS. However, I love MY dogs, and I don't want someone else's unattended dogs running loose through my house either.

However -

This is a business transaction. And if they're going to give you an attractive offer, don't be foolish and turn it down just because you're mad about their entitled behavior.

If your house is on the market, presumably that's because you want to sell it - so focus on getting it sold for top dollar and don't get distracted by the stupidity of people....or you'll be distracted for a very, very long time. Ha ha.

I’m obsessed with my little shih tzu. We have a great downtown area that is very dog friendly and we take her around to all of the shops and restaurants that allow dogs, basically every weekend. That said, as a realtor myself, I would not allow dogs in any of my showings or allow the buyers I represent to bring their dogs along. I’ve only had to say it once (an open house), and the couple was very apologetic, they happened to be walking by and decided to stop in, but they immediately brought the dog outside (they were holding it, but still). That is just so disrespectful! I’ve bought a couple homes when I had little kids and I never brought them either. Common sense people.

We will wait to see what the bid is, my realtor has the feeling they are going to low ball, they did it to another client of theirs a month ago.

This is also the last house we are selling through a Realtor. That we've decided on. I now know why realtors aren't happy with showing a house with a video security system. In the past 4 almost 5 weeks we've had buyers letting their children roam free in the house, then had kids steal stuff, I've caught them on video going through our closet and drawers, people showing up while we were at work without scheduling an appointment. (If you've ever had an alert sent to your phone saying a person was detected in your home without a viewing scheduled it'll give you a slight heart attack.) Adults going through closets and pulling suits on hangers off the racks and touching and looking at them, people walking around the house using their phone to record a video tour, people scheduling a time then no call and no showing, only to show up 2-3 hours later while we're in the middle of cooking dinner. We had a few schedule a showing for 2pm and then show up at 10:00 while I was in the shower. one opened a drawer in my closets and sprayed my cologne around, one realtor was smoking in my driveway stomped his cigarette out and then flicked the butt onto my neighbors property (my neighbor saw that on his security camera). The quality of realtors seems to be going down the toilet.

If they're pulling this sh*t when they know they're on camera what are they doing when there isn't a video system?

I don’t understand - why is YOUR listing agent not present at each and every showing to control this behaviour? Isn’t that part of what they are being paid for?

I wouldn’t sign an agreement with any agent who didn’t agree to this. We sold in the midst of the pandemic early this year (March) and not only was our agent there for every showing, he insisted on masks and hand sanitizer use for anyone who came in our house. He was also the only one who touched or opened cupboard and closet doors for potential buyers. There were no objections.

The seller makes the rules for showings, not the buyers, especially in this market. If they don’t like it, they miss out on an opportunity to see and possibly buy your home.

"If they're pulling this sh*t when they know they're on camera what are they doing when there isn't a video system?"

I don't really care...

I use a realtor because using a realtor increases my profit. I could really show these people whose boss and teach them a lesson about manners by selling my house to someone else for less...

Moreover, well qualified buyers often find these requirements off putting. I am a well qualified buyer who is always willing to pay cash if that is what you want, but I am not jumping through a seller's hoops. I don't want to deal with that kind of crap. If you start specifying the fifty things I have to do before seeing your house or get your realtor to follow me around like I am a suspect, I am just going to go to the next person who actually wants to sell their house.

Aside from open houses or if the listing agents themselves have an interested buyer they rarely show up. At least in my area, the other two houses I sold (both of those were different agents and companies) the listing agents were not present during showings. We went house shopping last weekend and with the two dozen or so houses we walked through there was no listing agent on site.

I've bought and sold 4 different homes (using a realtor) in 2 different states over the past 10 years, and not once has the listing agent ever been present for an individual showing.

@Stax Yes buyers agents were always present. I'm not sure what's being said like if the buyers are being reprimanded or told not to do stuff because I don't have audio on the cameras. I filled the microphone holes in with silicone as recommended by my attorney.

As a buyer, I wouldn't want a listing agents present during a showing, I'm fine with cameras in a house because we're smart enough to keep our mouths shut, and properly behave inside someone's home. In fact over half the houses we looked at had some sort of video camera system in it. I really wouldn't want some pushy salesperson trying to upsell me on a home. If I like something I buy it, I don't need someone trying to prod and ask questions while I'm looking. Its kind of like having one of those annoying retail sales people around.

We sold our house a couple of years ago, and installed cameras in several rooms. We saw a REALTOR playing around with our TV lift system, which was NOT included in the sale of the house. We had people leave the French doors open despite the fact that I hung a sign on them asking them to close the doors because we have a cat. We had a realtor leave lights on everywhere and the door unlocked. So the fact that someone brought a dog wouldn't not surprise me at all. People have no respect for anyone. I love dogs, but not all of them are well behaved and I'd be really upset to find out someone brought one into my house without asking. What if they homeowners had a cat like I do? She hides when someone comes in for the most part, but she would totally freak out if someone brought a dog into our house. It's just plain RUDE and unacceptable.

@bry911 what do you mean by hoops and a list of 30 rules? Mostly were talking about buyers bringing dogs into a sellers home without even asking and have them roaming around unattended.

I guess there are regional differences, but in my area the listing agent is not only there for security reasons but also to answer whatever questions buyers may have such as local schools; operation of the elevator, motorised blinds or sound system; property lines; specifics about non-visible features of the house such as shear walls. Ours knew the house almost as well as we did as he was our agent when we bought it. Most listing agents don’t treat potential buyers as “suspects” but want to make sure the buyers appreciate the features of that specific home.

@Johnny Cache - I was responding to multiple posts. A suggestion was made to have the listing agent present, which creates a number of obstacles for scheduling and being chaperoned.