Pit bull at property...be sure to talk with neighbors, they'll tell all.

[Aaron Wyssmann]

About a month ago I started working with a local broker who is also a property manager for our investors.  He has been doing this for 28 years so I learn so much.  Here's what I learned just last week...

We received a call into our office from a neighbor to one of our properties that our tenants had a pit bull at the home.  Upon checking their lease they were not to have any kind of pet at the home.  For our tenants that do, our company charges them a yearly $250 fee.  This is not a deposit but a fee for simply having the luxury of a pet at the home.  These particular tenants had not paid this fee or let us know of any kind of pet at the property.

So I went to see if I could see evidence of a dog at the home.  I walked up both sides of the house and looked in the backyard...no dog.  I then rang the doorbell.  No one answered.  I saw some neighbors out across the street and went to talk with them.  They started spilling the beans that "Oh yes they have a pit bull that jumps the fence and runs around the neighborhood."  Upon telling me this someone came to the door, thus the neighbors instantly stopped sharing info.  Bummer.

I went back across the street to speak with who was at the door.  She was not the tenant but just a sister and yes it was her dog.  I told her the dog must go.  She asked "why, she's a nice dog, chipped and all."  I told her that didn't matter.  Our insurance doesn't allow vicious dogs and there is also a city ordinance against them.

I went back to my office and wrote them a letter stating they would be billed the $250 pet fee and that the dog must go immediately.  I also would do a walk through this week to assess any damage done by the dog that would be billed now.  One of the tenants got the letter ("nasty gram", as we call them) and called to cuss me out and tell me that he was not going to pay and that he would sue us.  

Lessons I learned:  

1)  Make sure you have a strong lease with language that backs up your legal position (we've never lost in court in 28 years)

2)  Always talk with neighbors...the more the better, they'll share what's really happening around the property

3)  Write a very detailed, specific letter to the tenants and keep a copy in the tenants file.  The letter should let them know the problem, what is going to happen because of it and what they have to do to remedy the situation otherwise face the consequences which in this case is eviction.

4)  Don't back down when they call to cuss you out.  Simply let them vent and stand your ground.  Whether it's your own property or that of an investor for which you manage it, your job is to protect the investment...and you must.

Who else has some great advice on this topic or similar ones?