1 Dog Has Now Turned Into 2

[Scott Roper]

I have  a home I rent and the lease states no pets, but allows one dog per a pet addendum.  They paid a $250 non-refundable pet fee for the dog, which is a yellow lab.  I used to live in this house and know both neighbors on each side very well.  They have informed me that the tenant actually has two dogs.  I was there last week doing some work and I did notice some dark colored dog hair along with the yellow lab hair on the white tile.  They're obviously hiding the 2nd dog because when I went there to do the work the other dog wasn't there.  I did give them a heads up the day before that I would be coming so I'm assuming they made provisions to remove the dog for the day.

I don't have an issue with having 2 dogs as long as the 2nd dog meets the typical qualifications I had for the first dog (breed, temperament, etc).  I'm going to contact the tenant and let him know that he's in violation of the lease by having 2 dogs.  Is it typical to charge an additional $250 for the 2nd dog?

[George Calbert]

Does your lease state one pet maximum? If it does then they are clearly in violation of the lease. If you are okay with two dogs then as the others said add in a per pet clause and be very specific to what you are looking for. For my house, my property manager lets me know the details of the animal, breed,  sex, and size, then I make the decision whether or not to rent to them.

I think the bigger issue is the integrity of the tenants. If I get deceived like that, I will not renew their lease when it comes due. A person and there word is all they have.

 Hope this helps.