Is it fair to charge a cleaning fee if the owner did not notify me of their dogs incontinence?

Rover's policy is clear that clients are not responsible and sitters are not entitled to collect for property damage. Yes, that wear & tear can result in wanting to reconsider boarding.

Unfortunately, property damage is something that happens when you board. No matter what age the dog is (puppy, adult or senior), accidents commonly happen with some dogs no matter how many opportunities they have to eliminate, even if they are completely potty trained. Usually, it's brought on by nerves/anxiety, which the owner may not be able to predict.

It's wise that you ask for puppy pads and beds. You may want to set up a sleeping dog area on a more easily cleaned floor, which can be achieved indoors by either gates or playpen.

Just to throw a suggestion out there, for anyone who has unwillingly taken on a dog w/no housetraining:

I have as a prerequisite that pets must be housetrained. I understand that an occasional incident might happen even in potty drained dogs. But if I board a dog and it won't go outside, but will freely go inside, that dog loses the privilege of free roam and access to carpeted areas. And it will be crated at night instead of being in my bedroom.

I will board dogs in my home, but will not allow them to defile it.

My gut says no, it's not reasonable to ask them to pay for your carpet cleaning unless it's something that you discussed with them prior to booking. The reason is that my personal opinion is that if you take dogs into your home you are taking the probable risk of accidents on your carpet. It is not uncommon for even fully potty trained dogs to pee or even poop in the sitter's home. My carpet will never be the same because of dog pee. Also, did you specifically ask the owners if the puppy was fully trained? You said they did not mention it, but not that you asked. If you asked and they lied, then you can maybe ask them to pay, though they might not be receptive if they lied in the first place. Or it could be that the puppy is trained at home but stressed in the new environment so is peeing. You might want to contact Rover support on this one, as well. I could be wrong and my opinion is different than the expectation. Good luck!

I personally agree we should charge the cleaning fee. I have the same issues. I only take “potty trained” and “neutered” dogs, but some of the dogs are not “potty trained” or “neutered”, and the dogs like to mark all over the house no matter how many times I take them out. This time, I let the owner know.. and I unfortunately put the diapers on them. Whether owner wants to pay for the diapers is up to them. :(

Belly bands-----owners say their dog NEVER pees in house----but the dog marks at my home-----one time --then On go the belly bands -------

I would talk to Rover and see if the Rover guarantee will help with this cost. I thought and I might have mistaken, but that Rover guarantee will help In some instances over 250.00 and you would have to file a claim...not sure if this would cover your carpet or not but worth calling Rover directly and explain and see.

I had something very similar happen, where a customer didn't warn me that the dog was having diarrhea issues. Luckily, my parents had just given me their old carpet shampoo machine, so I didn't mention it to the customer beyond saying that the diarrhea had happened. There's a lot of good advice on how to clean up dog urine/poo online, and I tried two of the methods before busting out the carpet cleaner. But now one of the questions I always ask is if there's any issues like that going on with the dog at drop off. I've also started asking if they go for the trash cans, and if the owner can throw a brush in with the food and toys. It's helped keep the mess down a bit, and it's not the dogs fault that it happened - but if I had known about it, I could have planned accordingly.

Working in customer service my whole life it’s safe to say that no, you should not. I get that you were totally blindsided and I would feel that way too. However bad business spreads fast by word of mouth - and guaranteed the customer will not take the added charge very well. You might suffer a bad review, bad word of mouth, and most importantly a bad experience for yourself as some people can get defensive and hostile when it comes to money. I would recommend giving your clients a review on how there dog was during their stay in a positive and informative way. The higher level of service you give before asking questions and after explaining their stay, the higher chance to avoid these instances. I personally have a pre-req that the dog must be house trained. If after their stay, they show they are not, explain that to the customer if they try to re-book. Some things are left better untouched. As for your rug, do you have house/ renters insurance? I’ve been able to get some things repaired under mine. Worth looking into. Hope this helps. Happy dog sitting!

I am fortunate enough to have water-resistant flooring in my common areas but don't even let my dogs on my bedroom carpet in this newer apartment (the padding or carpet was cleaned but not replaced and they found a spot quickly after move-in) and separate with a swing gate. I did get a pet bissel on Amazon which helped once I figured out what they were doing in one spot that wasn't easy to see. I really think it is worth the investment and considering how you do your taxes could be a potential business write-off.