If you allow pets in your rentals, what guidelines, rules, fees, and deposits do you require? Do you have any limitations on size and types of pets? What do you do if the pet shows up after they move in?

I am interested in hearing as well...

No pets/No smoking......No exceptions.

My leases include Pet Violation charges: $200 for the 1st day and $25 per day thereafter. I try to make it VERY clear to our tenants at the time that they sign the lease that there will be no exceptions and that violation charges will be enforced.

I do routine maintenance checks so it's not likely they'll get away with it.

I know that sounds harsh, it's all in the way you explain it to the tenant(s). I spend a lot of money making sure that my properties are in good condition and just want to make sure they stay that way.

I have heard from professional property managers that dogs are ok sometimes but cats usually aren't ever a good idea. I think with a large deposit pets could be fine but no smoking is always a must.

Its great if you can keep your property occupied and hold the line on no pets. Unfortunately this doesn't apply to your average rental property. Think about it like this... Approx 65% of the poplulation has some type of pet. If you don't allow them, you are now left with only 35% of the population to rent to. That can make things tough if you are in a competitive rental market.

Yup. We are major dog people ourselves so we do allow pets as long as the tenant pays extra deposit $ & everything else, ie credit & income check out.

Back in the day many yrs ago I when I was a renter & had large dogs (still do)& I appreciate the many landlords who allowed them.

What about, seeing eye dogs, or companion pets? You guys that say no pets, what do you do in that instance?

ADA prohibits discrimmination if the dog ameliorates any type of disability. IOW you can't exclude service dogs.

Oh, I didn't write what I meant very well, sorry. I was moreso thinking, is there a bigger than norm deposit, or something.

ADA prohibits discrimmination if the dog ameliorates any type of disability. IOW you can't exclude service dogs.
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The Loan Diva

I never had to give the ADA a second thought. My moral compass told me to go ahead and allow my hearing impaired new tenant his 2 dobermans. But then they took advantage of us, and pulled up in the U-haul with 5 dogs of all different breeds for this little two bedroom place. Im pretty lived about their ha ha go jump in a lake attitude were here now, buddy. We want to either tell them to move out or get ready of every non human occupant there.

Sorry, I must have been too sleepy. I meant to say get rid of the non-human occupants.

I never really understood why people do rent to people with animals considering there will almost certainly be more wear and tear in the unit. However, when you said that 65% of the population has pets it makes it a little easier to understand. However, have any of you ever had serious troubles renting when you impose the no smoking / no pets rule? I think it makes longer term sense to not allow pets / smoking. Can't really see a major upside to allow it.

They have been in less than a month and its a total nightmare. It is my fathers guesthouse on his land. Since last week, we have learned they have been evicted from every place they have rented due to non payment of rent and dogs. One of the dobermans has attacked another dog seriously injuring it at the last place. When served with an eviction in an owner occupied duplex, they assembled the dobermans in the first floor vestibule and the poor little old man who owned the place couldnt access his unit upstairs. He had to move in with relatives until the eviction was over. They have also had three homes forclosed.

But I learned today, there is so little we can do. Dogs in Rockford, IL are "personal property" even though they are in violation of the lease. They get booted when the tenant finally has exhausted all appeals. Animal services wont retrieve the dogs even if they are 3 over their limit per ordinance. The lawyer said the earliest likely court date might be January. So theoretically this #$%#$^ could bring an additional dog home every night and just flip us the bird.

This lease was not done through my company obviously. But it is ironic in Illinois someone can be prosecuted for welfare fraud, academic fraud, perjury in court etc. But they can lie their @$$ off on the application and only be sued for non-payment or damages to the apartment. She didnt belong there in the first place! She said NO to judgements, NO to evictions, NO to convictions and NO to foreclosures. And she has a file a half inch thick I printed out of all of them.

I have recently started managing a mixed-use building for some out of area owners (three apartments, two store-fronts). Two of the apartment renters were there when I inherited the management. I find out today that one tenant that I have yet to meet because she's never there when I'm there, has two dogs. This building is for sale, and a prospective buyer got to see this mystery unit. He says the dog stench is incredible and the carpets are ruined. Now another tenant tells me that the dog-owner allows the dogs to urinate off the side of one of the porches in the winter. Obviously, I've got to get in that unit asap. Another tenant has a cat, that doesn't seem to be a problem. Of course, the only tenant who hasn't had a pet up to now (but who just got a kitten) wants to know how come her lease says no pets, but everyone else has one? I can see this is an issue that will be occupying my time this coming week. I have informed the owners that we have a problem here, and we need to do something about it. It's so much easier to have a no-pet policy from the onstart, instead of trying to deal with it later.

We charge a pet deposit per pet plus a monthly pet fee.
Deposit is based on which house and how much it costs to recarpet with cheap berber divided by 5. Monthly fee per pet is $25 - $50. No pets over 25#, limit two and cannot be a breed excluded by our State Farm policys. We also have the tenant sign that they carry liability insurance that covers the actions of their pet.
Jim

I only allow dogs and it is a case by case decision. Nothing like Doberman or German Shepard. Mainly dogs under 25#. But I do require renters insurance and have me named as secondary covered. In the instance a neighbor comes over and sticks their finger through the fence and gets bit, the renters insurance kicks in first protecting us the rental owner before we would have to file a claim. Besides, renters insurance is very advantageous for landlords and is a great thing to require!

I agree with the 25 pound dog rule. It keeps out aggressive breeds.

I do think you are relying too heavily on the renters having or keeping insurance. Short of having them produce proof of insurance every year, you can't be assured they do have a policy in effect. Plus, if that neighbor gets bit you are also getting sued (don't fool yourself).

Thanks for your note Scott. I do allow pets in my rentals, but just ask for an extra deposit. I hope this helps! Thanks for sharing.

i charge my tenant $500 in additional deposit when they moved in, I have wooden floors so i'm not too worried about the cats

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www.ForeclosureLook.com

How many of you have had to tear up carpet and padding to eliminate pet odor?

Not carpeting and padding, but had to totally sand and refinish hardwood floors after evicting a guy with 7 cats.

I allow it on a case by case basis..A non refundable pet deposit is always required.

If they're renting one of my houses with a fenced yard, I allow dogs. But, no Rottweilers, no Pit Bulls, no Dobermans. And the dog has to make friends with me!

Cats are welcome at all my places; and caged birds and fish too.

I do not charge pet deposits. If someone in 2nd floor triplex apt. gets a dog after moving in, that's grounds for terminating the lease. And I'll take them to small claims court if necessary.

Have had minimal to no pet damage so far, and have been renting to pet owners for 5 years this time around (had rentals in the 80s then quit for 10 yrs).

We allow dogs under 25lbs. 1 month non refundable pet deposit per dog with a maximum of 2. It makes it much easier for us to find good tenants that are less likely to leave because they have difficulty finding other rents that will allow pets.

What exactly do you mean by non refundable?

In Ontario, we have to allow pets in any rental unit. Any agreement with a "no pets" clause is completely voidable by law.
We are also not allowed to charge deposits. We can only ask for one term rent at signing (a week or month's rent) instead of "first or last". Our only recourse is to sue for damages after the fact.
It's interesting to see the difference in my American counterparts. You can check out our legalities for rentals at http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_06r17_e.htm if you are interested.

I own numerous rental properties myself. When I purchased my first rental property I thought "no pets" just made sense, so that became my policy. I've been renting properties for 13 years now and I've rethought my initial policy. I do allow pets with guidelines. I must meet the pet first. I always insist that the tenant use a local vet and provide copies of all health records, recent vacinations etc. on a yearly basis. I do charge a pet deposit fee around $300, which can be refundable should the pet not cause any damage. If the property has carpet, I will make a portion of the pet deposit non-refundable as carpet will definitely need professionally cleaned...maybe not from the pet using the bathroom in the home, but pets feet can track dirt into the home.

I have found that tenants with pets seem to stay in my rental properties much longer then tenants without pets. I set strict guidelines on yard cleanup, noise, odors, leash, etc. I've not have any issues since leasing units to pet owners. I would insist on meeting the pet before making a decision to rent to the pet owner. Someone may tell you they have a beagle mix that turns out to be a pitbull mix.

My wife worked at the local humane society so we learned alot about pet behavior patterns. It is fairly simple to gauge the reactions you get from the pet to certain actions you can present to the pet. This will tell you if the pet has agressive habits etc. I would suggest you visit with the humane society and ask for a copy of their pet behavior test checklist. These are usually very indepth and will give you some guidance as to what steps you might take to help determine if the pet is agressive. You may also want to make a habit of asking for any pet graduation certificates from obedience schools etc. This usually lets you know that the pet parent is a good parent and concerned about the behaviour of their pet.

We allow cats, dogs, and fish but not ferrets. Seriously. Our tenants can even have as many fish as they want! We charge a $25 fee per pet and an additional $100 security deposit per pet.

I am currently working on a quality rehab and for that property I won't allow any pets, no matter how much additional money the tenants are willing to py.

I suppose that could get into some real serious money if, for example, a Tenant had like a Tank Full of 180 Guppies . . . . or is One Tank considered One Pet ?

Vermont, your posting had me laughing... now that's capitalism at its best.

And these Guppies can reproduce, they're like bunnies. Does that mean non-stop pet deposit income?

Sorry 'bout that; but I was just visualizing the LandLord's Monthly Pet Audit . . . . coming in to count all them Pet Fish.

Reminded me of an ancient Leave it to Beaver Episode where to brew up a Pet Shop's Business, a prize was offered to who ever could correctly guess the number of fish in a Tank.

They wouldn't hold still to be counted, and people would go cross-eyed.

And Guppies are continually reproducing (right there in Public !) . . . . like Rodents. I think Martha Stewart would say "It's a Good Thing !"

I know this is an old thread, but as a newbie I am reading a LOT of old threads !! As a previous renter that had dogs I can tell you I was always grateful to find a landlord that allowed my dogs. I can also tell you from 15 years of parenting that my kids (and my husband for that matter) made more of a mess in the house that my dogs ever did, lol !!

Nothin' wrong with "Old Posts". Most of them talk about the same issues that plague our business today. They're caused by Human Beans, who change very slowly . . . . or not at all.

This subject will always be with us . . . . like most other subjects that have been brought up since this Forum was created.

Thanks for reading!

People with pets usually have a harder time finding a place to rent, so if you have a 'pet-friendly' building you can usually charge a higher amount of rent and collect a pet deposit.

The amount you can collect varies by state, so be sure to check with your local HUD office on deposit requirements.

I usually don't rent to people with pets in units that have carpets. I have personally found that having hardwood floors is much more conducive to pets.

If you choose to, you can also set the parameters for size and breed of dog you accept.

You must spell all of this out in your lease however. It will not be enforceable if you don't write it in.

Pets..ugh. A nightmare to a landlord. Usually charge a $250 non- refundable fee for pets. Should be more like $2000 because when a pet has done it's duty in the home it's unlikely that cleaning the carpets will be sufficient to make the unit rentable again. Most times I have found the carpet has to be replaced. That costs way more than $250.

Pets are OK. You just have to be sensible about it. Don't let someone with a Saint Bernard rent a condo. You will have issues.

We don't allow Pitbulls and Rotweilers. I know that will upset many pet lovers.....Oh well. Those are the breeds that we have had 99% of our problems from.

Yes, charge a pet deposit. We usually charge $300/dog, $400 for two. We never allow more than 2 dogs and 2 cats, which is a tall order in and of itself.

If you do allow Pets, we always perform a 1 month move in inspection to make sure things are savvy.

Good luck,
Patrick
Rents2Riches.com

In my personal rentals I do not allow any pets unless they are for a medical reason such as a seeing eye dog. I am a huge animal lover but there is too much potential for damage when its your own property!

The only rentals that I have allowed pets in are week vacation rentals. Have not had much trouble with this. I just figure that if they are taking a vacation with a pet then they should be able to have them with them. But then again this is not low income housing - its beach front property so probably a bit different than if renting to a family of low income.

I find tile flooring to be the most pet friendly. That way the tenants can furnish their own drop rugs and take them away when they move out. About the only damage then is to doors and woodwork. It's a good idea to photograph the woodwork before leasing to a pet owner, then you have proof of the condition at move in.

Ken of the www.Home-PropertyManagement.com Blog

Scott, good to see you on this forum. I only allow dogs in my single-family rental properties. I had a terrible experience with cat urine in one of my properties, and since then I cannot look at cats in the same loving way! Now I charge a simple $300 non-refundable dog fee, and if the dog is larger than 60 lbs, I will tack on a $25/mo rent premium. My tenants think that this is very fair, and it has worked out nicely for me since then.

We recently had to address the pet issue with a property we just acquired. The building is a mix of residential and commercial and one tenant had been allowed a dog (a large, gentle and very well-mannered Akita) by the previous owner. Our preference is no pets at all, but this happens to be an excellent tenant who occupies one residential and one commercial unit.

Our solution was to first contact our insurance agent and have him check out the implications. The insurance company was okay with the dog (they had insured us in part based on a no pets policy originally) and once they had information in hand about the breed, age, etc. they gave us approval in writing so we were not violating our insurance policy by allowing the dog. We then came up with a written agreement with the tenant requiring her to carry her own insurance policy and agree to some basics like keeping the dog on a leash in public areas, cleaning up after the dog and paying for any damages.

Definitely most important for us was keeping the insurance company informed.

We do allow pets in vacation rental properties because we get more business that way and we see less/no damage during short term stays.

Great call to the Insurance Company, Bossy! Getting the approval in writing is critical!!

I'm glad you allow dogs in your vacation rentals....we like to vacation as often as possible. After all, it wouldn't be a vacation without Oscar and Oliver!!

You would think people who take their pets of vacation would be very aware and mindful of others property...but there I go thinking again:)

We allow pets because so many people have them, and we want our Tenants to feel at home. That said, we charge a $500. pet fee. People always say, "Oh, a deposit." and I say "Nooo, a pet FEE, never to be seen again." That's the cost of the privilege of having a pet.

If the pet causes damage, that comes out of their security deposit.

To give you an idea of the pet fee in relation to rent.. our houses lease for about $1,400-1,600 per month.

I've been renting out properties for 10 years. My rules have evolved during that time. I allow all pets over 8 months of age that are spayed/neutered and vaccinated. I do NOT allow outdoor only pets. I've installed doggie doors in all of my rentals. When carpet needs to be replaced, I tile all of the home except bedrooms (carpet).
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I've found that people that spay/neuter and vaccinate, are, in general, more responsible than those with intact animals. (If I had someone with a show dog actively showing, I'd waive that requirement w/proof of show activity.). I've also found that the people that have an outside dog (not on a farm/ranch), tend to not be very empathetic towards their pet, and certainly not to their landlord, so they tend to trash the place. People that treat their pets like family, generally seem to be grateful for a nice place to rent, and take care of the place. I honestly think that having a property be in very clean, well maintained condition, with some updating, and allowing pets and having a doggie door, ensures longer term renters that take care of the place.

I currently have renters with 2 120 lb Rottweilers, a pit bull, and an Austrailian shep. I just bought 2 more houses and have already rented them out...one with a pit bull, and the other has 2 mixed breed large dogs.

I charge a 200.00 non refundable pet dep for the first pet, and 100.00 each for each additional pet.
I do not put in any ads that I don't allow outdoor only pets, but ask them if their pet is an indoor pet. If they say no, I tell them sorry, I don't allow outdoor only pets. If they then try to say, "well, I didn't think you'd take an inside dog", I still don't rent to them because they've just shown that they lie. I want renters who will tell me, "My pet is part of the family and is an inside dog" Or something like that. It tells you a little about their character.

I've only had 1 property trashed, and that was with someone that had outdoor dogs, and then would bring them in, only if it was freezing. Their dogs peed everywhere and chewed up the kitchen cabinets. I changed my rules to ban outdoor dogs after that and haven't had any problems.