What do you charge for pet fees?

[Dmitriy P.]

Looking to see what other property owners charge for pet fees and how they structure the fee? Lump sum upfront for the year, monthly payment etc…

[Nathan Gesner]

Deposits are refundable, fees are not.

We charge a traditional deposit, then a monthly increase to the rent based on type of animal and size. Our highest rate is $100 a month which adds up to $1,200 a year. We rarely get a complaint.

We only allow two animals per rental. There are some exceptions, like a 3,000 sq.ft. house on 100 acres.

The only time we charge an up-front fee is if they have owned the animal for less than one year (rescue, puppy, or whatever) or they have a cat. These are high-risk situations so we want to limit them as much as possible. We charge a $300 fee up front and then the monthly rent increase.

Our Animal Addendum makes it clear that the increase is for the full term of the lease. If the pet dies or is given away after three months, the fee remains until the end of the lease and then we can drop it at renewal. Even if a cat is only in the house for three months, the damage may be done, so we charge the full year of increase to protect against that.