Tenants want a puppy

[Anna Timasheva]

Hi BP community! One of my tenants ' dogs passed away. They are begging me to allow them to get a puppy- a French bulldog. They claim that they trained 4 puppies, they are really good at this. The husband works from home, so he will be able to take the puppy out every hour to pee. Their current dogs are very sweet, so I tend to trust that they are good dog people. Question: what should I require from them to protect the house? The house has hardwood floors, but older ones. I would not care so much about scratches, but I would not want the puppy to go potty on the floor. Are their special floor treatments which I can request them to perform upon the move out? Did you have any experience with puppies? How did it go for you? Thank you!!! Anna

[Michael Boyer]

I am a pet friendly landlord (pets on approval policy) but I don't do puppies or non house trained pets (prefer they get that training on someone else's property and dime).

Some folks may have some hacks or strategies for this, but if you are not planning on refinishing the floors or flooring over them, it may not be a good fit. Sometimes there are just limits to being a renter.

That said, there may be alternatives to suggest, ways to say no and remain reasonable. For example, there may be a few dozen house trained (ideally well mannered and quiet) dogs up for adoption in your area. Or an alternative pet like a guinea pig or goldfish or something.

Best of luck