What is Your Policy on Renting to Tenants with Dogs?

[Ryan Billingsley]

We are closing on our first two rental properties next week.  They are turn key ready to rent properties.  We have a few potential renters already.  One is a young couple with a dog.  I have dogs myself and know that they can be messy and destructive to a property.  IMO I would rather not allow dogs at all.  Fellow renters, what is your policy on dogs?  

[Nicole A.]

@Marcus Johnson I think people need to have a more open mind when they're so quick to assume all pets cause more damage than humans/kids. Kids also poop and pee in places that are not the assigned place depending how young they are. Kids draw on walls. Kids generally get into things. This, of course, goes back to the parents and how much they are or are not watching them and correcting them.

Just because there is a pet doesn't automatically mean it's pooping and peeing all over the place. Obviously, pets wouldn't be so popular if this were the case. Even with cats, generally, they WANT to go in their litter box. If they aren't, it's either because of some sort of health issue or because the human isn't doing something right such as cleaning the box!

Sure, humans tend to be allergic to animals and that's the only reason they notice the dander and hair in carpets. But don't for a minute think that those carpets aren't also full of human hair and human skin flakes (and who knows what else!). Carpet is generally a gross flooring option.