suspect lying about a cat.

[Dennis Nemitz]

I suspect that my tenants have a cat which is against the lease. How do you guys find out? There is evidence of this on their facebook page and I see a cat in the yard, but they say it is the neighbors. Would you automatically evict?

[Marcia Maynard]

We have a no pet policy. Every once in awhile a tenant sneaks in a pet. When we find out, we immediately charge a $50 unauthorized pet/animal fee (it's in our rental agreement to do so.) Doesn't matter if the pet/animal is theirs or their friends, permanent or just visiting. If the animal is on the premises without our prior written authorization, with their knowledge, they have broken our rental agreement.

My best method for "cat discovery" is to visit the property often and look for cats on window sills, with my camera readily available. I also look for evidence of cat digging in the flower beds and feces there (although those could be from stray cats) and cat paw prints on the hoods of vehicles. Garbage bins sometime contain evidence of cat food packaging or kitty litter disposal.

I have a very discerning nose and can sniff out a cat fairly easily when I am in a unit doing work. Look for kitty litter trays and bags/cans of cat food and cat toys. Look for cat scratching posts and scratch marks on wood door frames and snagged fabric on couches/chairs where a cat may have scratched. Especially, find a reason to check under the refrigerator (check the drip pan or electrical) and under the range (for leveling or electrical) as these are places where cat hair tends to collect and is often overlooked in cleaning.

Outdoor cats will roam at night, so check in the evening and early morning hours when cats are looking for birds and other prey. Can you do bird calls? The cat may come running to you if you are any good at it!

Happy hunting!

P.S. No, I would not automatically evict, but I would enforce my rental agreement and serve the proper notice (ours is a 10-day notice to conform). If your rental agreement can be amended you may be able to add an unauthorized pet/animal fee. Also you may be able to raise the security deposit to mitigate your risk. It only takes an instant for an animal to cause significant harm to a rental property.

[Disclaimer: I once owned a very nice cat named Don Gato. He taught me many things.]