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Cottages · pets stay free

12 dog-friendly cottages where pets stay free

Words byRachel Polden

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The pet supplement is the small, slightly irritating tax on taking a dog away. Most places charge £20–£50 per dog per week, plenty charge it per dog, and a few charge per night — so a fortnight with two dogs can quietly add a hundred pounds or more to the bill before you've bought a single bag of chips.

These 12 cottages and lodges don't charge it at all. Every one has a pet policy we've read on the listing and verified as free — not "dogs welcome" marketing, but an actual stated no-supplement policy. They're grouped by region below, with the verified dog limit on each, because the cap usually matters more than the fee.

Lake District

Scotland

Cornwall

Yorkshire Dales

Northumberland

What "pets stay free" is actually worth

It's the one dog-holiday cost that's pure admin — you're not getting anything for it, and it varies wildly for no obvious reason. Here's how to read it.

Per dog, not per booking. The commonest structure is £25–£30 per dog per week. With two dogs that's £50–£60 on a week, and holiday parks often repeat the charge for a short break, so two short breaks cost the same as two weeks' worth of supplement.

The cap matters more than the fee. A free policy that allows one dog is no use to a two-dog household. We state the verified maximum on every card here — and for three or more, start with our multiple-dogs guide instead.

Check the deposit, not the pet fee. Larger properties often ask for a refundable security deposit. That isn't a dog charge and you get it back, but it's the thing most likely to surprise you at booking on a place that advertises free pets.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a typical pet supplement in the UK?
Most self-catering places charge somewhere between £20 and £50 per dog per week, and a fair number charge per dog — so two dogs doubles it. Some holiday parks charge per short break as well as per week, and a few charge per night, which adds up fast. Against that, a genuinely free pet policy is worth £25–£100 on a week's stay, more with two dogs.
Does "pets stay free" mean there are no other dog costs?
It means no per-dog supplement, which is the main one. But always check two other things at booking: a refundable security or good-housekeeping deposit (common on larger properties, and not dog-specific), and any end-of-stay cleaning expectation. None of that is a hidden pet fee, but it's worth knowing before you book. Everything on this page has a pet charge we've verified as free on the listing itself.
Do free-pet cottages limit how many dogs you can bring?
Usually yes — most cap at one or two dogs, and the cap matters more than the fee. Each card states the verified maximum, so you can see at a glance which take two. If you have three or more, our multiple-dogs guide is the better starting point.
Are the free-pet places lower quality?
Not in our experience — it tends to reflect the owner's attitude rather than the standard of the property. Several on this list are among the best-equipped places we've verified, with enclosed gardens, dog beds and bowls, or a utility for drying off a muddy dog. Waiving the fee is often a signal that the owners genuinely want dogs there, not that they're cutting corners.

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About the author

Rachel Polden

Rachel writes about dog-friendly UK travel from mid-Devon, where she lives with two retired racing greyhounds, Fern and Maisie. A former commissioning editor at a travel magazine, she now spends her time pacing coast paths and pub gardens, paying close attention to the small print of who is and isn't actually welcome.