Pet Policy Addendum *Quick Help!*

[Suzette T.]

Hello BP helpful members!

My husband and I are at a bit of an impasse on how to handle our current situation.

Our tenants got a kitten about a month ago. For those of you from the country, a barn cat, so to speak. Very good for mice in the country. We were fine with that, added an addendum with no deposit and carried on.

Just yesterday we received a text and photos of three chickens in a coop at the house as well as a second kitten.

My husband is confident in these tenants and the amount of care they put into our home, however I am a little scared to be a "yes" man for every request, especially since they already have the animals at the house. 

My response is following. Is this too harsh? Not reasonable?

How do we negotiate this without damaging the landlord-tenant communication and relationship?

***My email typed-up NOT sent:


Alright here are the terms for the "yes". We will bring this  addendum for you to sign, when we come for the deposits.

A. Monthly pest control by your dollar because of the flies with the chickens - email the monthly invoice so we can see that's being done. Must be started within 14 days of this email being sent. 

B. A $200 non refundable deposit for sod replacement for the chickens.

C. A $200 non refundable deposit for the cat inside - we were under the impression it was an outdoor cat and it will be extra cleaning to remove hair and odors from the house.

D. A $200 refundable deposit for the new outdoor cat. 

Any other pet / farm animal from here on out will be $200 non-refundable per animal. And is not to be put on the property until after we have received the deposit.
Please respond within 48hrs with your decision. If you choose not to go forward, we will give you seven days to clear the animals out.

[Nathan Gesner]

You need to set standards and stick to them. If you say no animals allowed, and then allow them, that tells me that you don't really know what you are willing to accept and why. You need to really think it through. Decide what you will allow, decide what you will charge for it, put it in writing, and stick to it.

You need to be very careful with the "they are good tenants" thought process. just because someone does 75% of the things right does not make them a good tenant. A good tenant will pay the rent on time every time, and abide by every other term of the agreement, to include following your rules about animals. These renters have asked for a kitten even though you had a no animal policy, and now they are sneaking four more animals onto the property. This is a serious red flag. If it were me, I would deny the animals and give them a stern warning about adding animals without previous written permission. I would follow up with inspections to ensure the animals were removed and there are no problems at the house. If they fail to comply, I would get rid of them.