Pets and Service Animals in Vacation Homes

Coastal Carolina Vacations takes pride in having a pet-friendly environment. As a Management Company, we encourage home owners to offer their homes as welcoming well-behaved pets. We know, as many of our staff are pet owners ourselves, that vacation is even more fun when your dog can come along. Differentiating between what is allowed with animals in vacation rental homes can be confusing. We have provided detailed information below to help navigate what is allowed. 

What is a service animal

A Service Animal is not considered a pet. They are trained specifically to work and assist their handlers. Service Animals do not incur pet fees and we are always willing to make accommodations for them. Service Animals are welcome in both pet-friendly and non-pet homes in accordance with ADA regulations and Fair Housing Laws.  


Service animals are not pets

As we mentioned above, a Service Animal is trained to work and assist whereas a normal household pet is not. Unfortunately, we do receive requests from people to accept their pets as service animals when they are not. There are a lot of websites that will provide false "certifications" to anyone willing to pay for illegal documentation. Please know that currently there is not any type of legally recognized organization for registering Service Dogs or Assistance Animals. 

Anyone who falsely claims their pet is a Service Animal can face punishments, including hefty fines. We love and respect our Service and Assistance Animals and have a zero tolerance policy for anyone trying to impersonate their pets. We understand that people can be mislead by information on the internet that try to sell "Service Animal Certifications" to owners of pets that are not really qualified. 


What sort of tasks are a service animal responsible for

ADA regulations state that the tasks a Service Animal performs are directly related to the handler's disability and mention the below examples.

  • assisting persons who are blind or have low vision to navigate or other tasks
  • alerting persons who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds
  • assisting an individual having a seizure
  • pulling a wheelchair
  • alerting a person to the presence of allergen
  • retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone
  • providing physical support and assistance with balance or stability to a mobility-impaired person
  • preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors in persons with psychiatric or neurological disabilities


plan ahead

When bringing a service animal to a vacation rental home please follow the below guidance.

  • We request that your Service animals be documented at the time of booking when possible and prior to the check-in date.
  • You will need to be prepared to answer the following questions.
    • For Service Dogs:
      • Do you or a person in your party need this animal to accompany him/her due to a disability?
      • What work or tasks has the animal been trained to perform that relate to the disability?
    • For Assistance Animals:
      • Documentation from a licensed practitioner may be required providing evidence that the animal is medically necessary.


Let's talk policies

Coastal Carolina Vacations is a licensed Real Estate company in North Carolina that has a duty to our clients to ensure they are paid for the use of their properties and to protect their properties. 

By signing the rental agreement, tenant acknowledges any pets accompanying them have no dangerous genes, are a non dangerous breed, nor have they shown aggression to humans or other pets historically. Tenant also acknowledges they are solely responsible for any acts of aggression or harm to other pets, people, etc. and Agent and Landlord are not responsible for any acts that may occur during dates of occupancy.

No need to worry as we do offer a variety of pet-friendly and service animal friendly properties. All animals are warmly welcomed in properties where they are allowed. Please do not misrepresent a pet as a Service Animal if it is not.