Brunswick Vacation Rentals
ANIMAL POLICY
Some of our properties are pet-free homes. Some of our properties allow you to bring your animal. However, even our pet-free homes allow service animals because of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, under federal law, emotional support animals are NOT service animals. In fact, emotional support animals are not covered by the ADA, but the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Accommodation for an emotional support animal at a vacation rental is not required by law. Since there is so much confusion about this issue, we are providing this written explanation of the law and our rental policies.
SERVICE ANIMALS: Service animals are allowed in all of our vacation rentals regardless of whether the property is designated as pet-free. There are no pet fees for any service animals brought to our rentals. However, it’s important to understand the definition of a service animal. The ADA defines service animal as any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. This can include a guide or seeing eye dogs, hearing or signal dogs, seizure response dogs, or psychiatric service dogs. Service animals are not pets.
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS: Emotional support animals are NOT service animals. Emotional support animals do not perform a specific task. While they may provide emotional support for their owners and may be prescribed by a medical professional, they are regulated by the Fair Housing Act, which covers housing in which you permanently reside, not vacation properties. By law, we are not required to accept emotional support animals in our vacation rentals. If you want to bring your emotional support animal with you on vacation, you may do so by choosing any of our pet-friendly properties. Guests who bring their emotional support animal must pay the pet fee and meet our other weight and other requirements for pets being brought to any property.
NOTICE OF ANIMALS REQUIRED: Whether your animal is a pet, a service animal, or an emotional support animal, guests are required to notify Brunswick Vacation Rentals of their intent to bring an animal to our property at the time that they book the property. Any unauthorized animal discovered at any property will result in a fine of $500, due and payable immediately, and guests expressly authorize this fine to be charged to the card on file upon the discovery of the animal. In addition, the failure to notify Brunswick Vacation Rentals during the rental process about any animal being brought to the property will be considered fraud and a material breach of the lease, and regardless of the payment of the fine, Brunswick Vacation Rentals reserves the right to terminate the remainder of the tenancy with no refund if an unauthorized animal is discovered at the property.
QUESTIONS: We are allowed to ask questions about the animals that you intend to bring to any property. We are also allowed to request signed documentation regarding any service animal. During the booking process, our staff may ask 1) Is this animal required due to a disability? 2) What work or task has the animal been trained to perform? 3) Is this an emotional support animal or pet? 4) Is this animal healthy and up to date on its vaccinations? 5) What is the type and size of the animal? Should you fail to adequately address our questions, your vacation rental agreement may not be approved or could be terminated.