tenants with large dog: anything to look for?

Question

Hi all,

We are considering a tenant family with a large(70lb) golden retriever, we've never had dogs before and not sure how to manage tenants with pets in general. Can you please share some tips regarding screening process? and anything extra we should do when inspecting the property if we ended up renting to them?

Thanks!

Yiming

Account Closed · Answer

I know a lot of landlords that want to meet the pet before they rent out to owners with animals but that's totally up to you. This is just to see the temperament of the animal to make sure it won't destroy the house or be a danger to any neighbors.  You can charge a monthly pet fee that you put aside in case of any additional damage a pet may cost on top of a pet deposit. I'd be more worried about a cat than I am a 70 lb golden retriever lol.

Anthony Dooley · Answer

@Yiming Li If the dog stays indoors, they will scratch the floor/carpet, rub their face on the corners of the walls, fleas, piss on the carpet, dog hair, and the smell of the dog will be in the house. If it is an outside dog, fleas, they dig holes in the lawn, scratch the exterior doors, etc.

Nicole Wood · Answer

The only thing I have learned about large dogs is that you cannot rent out an upper unit to anyone with a large dog. We rent out to someone with 2 large dogs in our upstairs apartment at our duplex(we live downstairs)...it was not a well thought out plan.

Jason Cacioppo · Answer

I would be checking the air filters on the furnace on your routine visits and encouraging frequent changing. I think retrievers shed a lot. If hair starts to suffocate the filter your gonna shorten the life span of the furnace. The dog will put wear and tear on floors, carpet and yards regardless of how well behaved he is. You need to know in advance if this is something you really want to allow and stick to your decision.

Dennis M. · Answer

its only going to be behaved and clean as it’s owner . If the owner is irresponsible and /or a slob then you can guess how the dog is going to act in your home . Never allow cats . I’d rather have a great  Dane in my rentals than a male cat .

Matt MacDonald · Answer

I've worked in property management for 15 years and I love dogs, but there could be some risk there if you allow pets. What if the dog bites someone? Could the injured party come after you for allowing the dog? There is pet insurance that covers this, but what if the Tenant cancels the coverage or what if the coverage does not cover all the damages? Then there is possible damage to the home. I've seen some houses where we've had to replace carpet, pad, baseboards & treat the slab. I love dogs, but I tell my owners to not allow pets to protect them.

Nicole Wood · Answer

Also make sure tenants know where the dogs can go to the bathroom and put it in the lease that they need to clean up after their dogs.

Travis Lloyd · Answer

Pets are simple if you set out the rules in your favor. You want three things: Non-refundable pet deposit (or fee - depending on the rules in your state), monthly pet rent, and a clearly defined set of what is and is not covered upon move-out.

Pet deposit - doesn't have to be anything crazy. Think of it as covering an extra heavy cleaning at move out and a little extra bonus for spending the time doing the calculations and a little something for your trouble.

Pet rent - do you have hardwood floors? You'll be refinishing those when they move out. How long do you estimate they'll stay? Typical SFH - budget 2.5 years. Townhouse/Apartment - 1.5 years. How much will it cost to refinish all of your hardwood floors? Divide by number of months - congratulations that is your pet rent (or add a little bump if you think you can get it).

Rules - the pet deposit and pet rent cover the additional REGULAR wear and tear on the apartment - which is really just saying floors, but in the lease you specify that it is for REGULAR wear and tear on the apartment, and specifically does not cover damage to trim, moldings, doors, windows, cabinets, or built ins (basically anything with wood - which they chew). Any damage to these things will result in the forfeiture of your security deposit yada yada yada.

Pets are great because tenants with pets have far more limited options. By planning and budgeting appropriately - you get to turn their limited market into better profits for you. I just rented a SFH with a $120/mo pet fee for 2 (small) dogs, plus a $250 one time pet fee. And the tenant was ecstatic that they could move in with their pets!

From a maintenance perspective, agree with the comment above about changing air filters more frequently, but what does that cost - $20 and 10 minutes of time? I love pets.

Dennis J OLeary Jr · Answer

As a renter with a 70lb dog I know how it is to be on the other side of this. I live in Chicago and know how difficult it can be to find a nice place to rent with a large breed dog. It is very common for landlords to charge a monthly pet fee for cats and dogs whether they are large or small. A good landlord will set that money aside to cover any repairs that may be needed after a tenant moves out. I do agree with Jason as well. I think there is a certain amount of wear and tear to be expected when dealing with cats and dogs, especially with carpeting. However I do think a lot of that depends on the personal habits of the tenant as well. Some tenants will destroy carpet on their own without any pet assistance. Golden retrievers are generally very tame and well behaved dogs. I do agree with Suny too, cats generally cause a lot more damage. A lot of landlords accept mostly cats and small dogs which as a large dog owner makes no sense to me. Let’s consider a chihuahua for instance. Many chihuahua owners I know rely on the usage of potty pads and allow their small dog to do its business inside and almost never take them for walks. This is a common practice amongst small dog owners. Large dog owners take their dogs on frequent walks to the park to do their business. Small dogs such as chihuahuas also sit at home and bark at the wall all day because the are generally very skittish. This can be very annoying for neighbors. If I was a landlord I would be more cautious of small dogs. I would meet the dog and depending on the dogs demeanor give them a shot.

Lynnette E. · Answer

Put rules in the lease.  Rules I use:

1.  pet must be potty trained.

2.  Pet must be current on the rabies shot throughout the lease period.

3.  Pet waste must be removed immediately.

4.  Pet damage must be repaired within XX days. (Do not let it build up--if the dog chews on kitchen cabinets, make the tenant replace each door as it is chewed--then the tenant will care about the level of damage they do.  Wait until the end of  the lease and they leave you with the cost and disappear.)

5.  Pet may not bark to the point that is bother's the neighbors (complaints).  If neighbors complaint the pet may be removed from the property or the lease may be terminated.

You get the idea, what ever is important to you.

tenants with large dog: anything to look for?

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