Vetting Applicants with Pets

[Jacob Haskins]

Good morning, BP Community.  

I have been reading the forums about allowing tenants with pets.  It seems the community is about a 50/50 split between allowing pets in rentals or not.  I was originally leaning towards allowing dogs in our rental home, but not cats.  However, we have had several applicants reach out about allowing cats, so now I am reconsidering.  I know there are certainly good pet owners that take care of their animals.  I have bought properties that have been trashed from animals (specifically cats), and I have seen the damage they can cause.  I know many charge a pet fee + pet rent, but often that does not always cover the damages that could be caused by an animal. I have read that many landlords verify that cats are fixed, and also check previous landlord references, but I know there are some other ideas out there from this experienced community.

So, my question is, how do you vet an applicant(s) pets when considering them for your rental?  I feel confident in my ability to vet the actual tenant, but not so much the pets.  It's not like I can just walk in their current place and see how meticulous they are about their pet's health and hygiene. 

[Nathan Brown]

"how do you vet an applicant(s) pets when considering them for your rental?"

petscreening.com is our brokerage's tool for this. We charge the tenant a $299 pet admin fee at move in, and also require a $95 home inspection every 6 months. We have found that by systematizing our screenings, we are able to maintain a solid non-discriminatory process.