Tenants w/ Multiple Pets

[Rachel H.]

Hi everyone. I have potential tenants who want to rent my house, and they have three dogs and two cats. Yeah, I know that's a LOT of pets. I've had a dog - a small dog - in my house for eight years, and there's been no serious damage. They said they've never had a problem with damage to wood floors or anything else, and these look like model tenants in other respects (sufficient income, clear background check, excellent credit, etc.). My question is: if I'd be okay with one or even two pets, and probably not too concerned about damage, should I still be okay with a total of five if they say damage is unlikely? Yes, I know tenants will say anything, but I guess I'm trying to figure out why multiple pets is that much worse than a single pet or two pets, except for the fact that it increases the chances of damage. The security deposit will be quite high to begin with, and I will charge an additional pet deposit and pet rent (though I'm still figuring out how much it should be, and would love feedback on that). Curious to hear all your thoughts and suggestions. Thank you in advance!