Should I allow a Bunny?

[Jon K.]

Prospective tenant has a bunny.

- Bunny lives caged, outdoors (so they say).
- Tenant asks if bunny could come inside at times.
- This is a shared living situation, with me as a roommate.
- Tenant is moving from out of state and just finished Ph.D. Has good new job.
- Light carpets, nice drapery, crown molding, new paint, some hardwood... very nice property.

Do I...
- Charge deposit, and how much?
- Charge deposit and make it a month to month lease, so I can end if needed?
- Allow bunny outside, never to be brought inside.
- Allow bunny to live outside, and come inside only when tenant watches it.
- Not allow bunny, period.

I would almost rather a bunny than a dog, but I worry that the bunny will chew everything.

Tenant otherwise looks good. Currently tenant has roommates. Has good job. IS MOVING FROM OUT OF STATE. I worry that this tenant has a bunny, and is moving from out of state.

Dogs bark and aren't caged. I previously had a tenant with a dog, and that did not go particularly well. Dog jumped on windows and barked too much. That tenant was irresponsible and had a longer lease.

I googled "landlord bunny" and some say bunnies can behave when caged, others say bunnies eat the property and chew everything. I read that they can chew crown molding, electrical outlets, walls, paint, carpet, EVERYTHING.

Good tenants are hard to find around here, especially since it's renting out only a room. The college isn't all that close, and it's hard to find non-smokers with steady income in this area who wish to have roommates.

I don't/can't accept cats (allergies). Dogs have their own problems (barking, housetraining issues, jumping on windows). I don't know about bunnies-- I fear that the bunny would eat the property, but since I can keep an eye on the property and the bunny will live outside caged... maybe it will be better than other options.

Have you ever allowed a bunny?

Did the bunny eat your property?

Is a bunny much more risky than allowing a dog?