Rental property owners often ask whether they must allow tenants with pets to move into their home. It’s not a requirement; if you don’t want to allow pets, you don’t have to. However, we recommend that you consider pets. Most people in the U.S. own at least one pet, and tenants are also likely to have a dog or a cat. If you say no to pets, you’re eliminating a large portion of the tenant pool before you even market your property, and that means you might face a longer vacancy period.
There are several things you can do to ensure your property is protected from the potential damage that animals can cause.
Restrict the Pets You Allow
Place as many restrictions as you would like on the pets you’ll allow. For starters, you don’t want to allow any dangerous dog breeds. Your insurance company is unlikely to cover any damage or injuries that result from the breeds they consider vicious, such as Pit Bulls, Dobermans, and Rottweilers. You can allow adult dogs and cats but deny tenants who have kittens and puppies. You can also place size restrictions on the pets you’ll allow. Perhaps you’ll only allow dogs that are 25 pounds or smaller. You can restrict the number of pets, too. Allow two dogs or one dog and one cat. It’s up to you how you write your pet policy, just make sure you set some consistent standards and include them in your
lease agreement.
Charge Pet Rent
To cover the cost of potential damage, you can increase the amount of the security deposit you collect when a tenant has a pet. You can also charge pet rent, which is not a deposit, but an extra rental amount that you collect to cover the risk of having pets in your property. This is not only a great way to welcome tenants who have animals, it also increases your cash flow, especially when you rent to good tenants who take care of their pets. We recommend charging between $25 and $50 per month, per pet.
Screen the Pets
Screen the pets as thoroughly as you
screen your tenants. You can ask for vet records and you can talk to former landlords about both the tenant and the pet. Ask if there was any damage left behind, and whether the pet was well-behaved. Meet the animal in person, and make sure you get a photo so you’ll know the pet is approved.
Remember that service and support animals are not to be considered pets. Even if you have a strict no-pet policy, a tenant with a service animal cannot be denied, otherwise you’ll face fair housing claims. You also cannot charge pet deposits or pet rent for service and support animals.
Pet owners usually make good tenants, and to avoid unnecessarily long vacancy times, you should consider allowing pets in your rental property. For help with your pet policy, please
contact us
at JBL & Associates. We’d be happy to answer any additional questions.
