Tenant pet owner's can be so obnoxious

[Patrick M.]

It is in the rental criteria, also in the beginning, middle and end of my description: No Pets. That doesn't stop someone from jumping through all the hoops to get a showing and then spring the "oh I just saw you don't allow pets, I have an 8 lb [piss and poop machine] that is very well behaved, do make exceptions?" Or during a walk through, "Now sometimes I watch my mom's [piss and poop machine], would that be a problem?" This is after I have already personally run through a no pets policy via email or phone before a walk through.

I feel like telling them that at that point it has nothing to do with the pet and everything to do with there deception, but I don't want to waste another minute with them.

Conservatively, 65% of my contacts. And only 10% of those start out with "I see in your ad..." the rest want to bring it right up until they are called on it.

I get it, I have been in pet friendly rentals in my market. They are gross, I wouldn't want to live there either- but if you get a pet and you don't own a home, that is what you sign up for.

And then, finally, just as you are about to give up... along come your future tenants who are so happy to live in a clean, no pets building. And all is right in the world.

[JD Martin]

My experience: lots of people don't get beyond the first sentence in the description. Which is why I always have the rent, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, square feet, and (if possible) availability date in the first sentence. I've thought about putting something weird in the ad before - "5-armed martians require extra deposit", but I just let it roll.