Anxiety over rental increase

[Ray Hill]

I’m having some anxiety over an issue I’m having with my tenant. I own a two family house. I live on the first floor and I have a tenant on the 2nd floor. In June 2018 a retired cop moved in. During the interview we talked about no pets and it was written on the one year lease. A few months goes by and he asked me, if for one night, his girlfriend can bring her dog over. He was having a rough patch and said if not he’ll figure something else out but wanted to ask anyway. I said no problem. Since then the dog has been back once every week sometimes once in two weeks without him asking. I’ve never said anything and figured I could have much worse problems and I let it go. Besides, I’ve got a 2 year old and we’re not the perfect neighbors as it is.

I had a new lease, same terms, same everything that I dropped off in his mailbox one year later and I never got it back. Partly because I’ve neglected to ask for it back. Technically he’s on month to month now unless he’s going to claim that he signed the lease but just forgot to return it.

Fast forward to just a couple weeks ago. We’re outside and he says that we gotta talk. He’s got a puppy with him. He says that because of 9/11, PTSD, his psychiatrist recommended he get a dog. He’s got a doctors note. Caught off guard I told him that it’s okay as long as he keeps the place clean and takes extra care that nothing gets damaged.

Next week I close on my second house. In less than three weeks I’ll be moved out and I’m currently trying to find a tent for my 1st floor. The other day the girlfriend’s dog was back along with this dog and now some days I have two dogs when originally I didn’t want any.

I spoke with my attorney and he suggests I write up a new lease for March 1st and increase his rent $150. I would be okay with the dog if that happened even if the girlfriends dog was here sometimes. I mean for the right price he could have an animal sanctuary up there. I’m just not happy with the current situation. His 2 bedroom apartment with a finished attic would go for 2000-2300 around here and he’s paying 1800. I’m not looking to evict him and have two vacancies to deal with. So far we’ve had a good tenant/landlord relationship. He pays on time, I’ve fixed anything that he’s asked me to and neither one of us has ever complained about anything.

What would you do? Thanks.