Fake Support dog thwarted using petscreening.com !!!!

[Curt Smith]

Hi Landlords, Search the forums for other petscreening.com treads. I'm not going to cover old info or even what petscreening.com does. I have to share and help you re how to thwart fake claiming of ESA, support animals!!! FYI the HUD came out with a support animal guidance about 2 yr ago attempting to address the problem of fake claims. I read the HUD guidance I felt it was just mush, no fixing the fake animal problem. It said in a fuzzy way the tenants have to prove their animal is a real animal. So its upon us housing providers (the new and better name for our profession then the negative conotation of landlord) to have our own systems to screen pets!

My rental ad says, my lease says, I say during screening;   $300 per pet fee non refundable, per pet rent $25/mo.  No one complains, unless the rare attempt to claim emotional support animal.   Everyone signs my pet agreement built into the lease, even if no pets at move in.  Says;  if you get pets during tenancy you will owe:  $300 pet fee non refundable, $25/pet/mo additional rent.   This gets it on paper if the mystery pet shows up after move in. 

My ad in the requireements at the bottom;   All pets AND animals are screened at;  petscreening.com

This makes me look "professional", not a push over, you won't get away with claiming fake support animal.   My goal is to have the sleezy tenants not even contact me.  Ideally a good ad, will turn away the unqualified and attract good and qualified tenants.  I use zillow.com and I agree 99% of the initial email contacts haven't read the ad.  I reply via text looking up their phone and ask them to go back and read the requirements and I paste a URL back to the zillow ad..

Read up on petscreening.com, its free for landlords.

During the screening process I say I take pets, do you have pets?   I prefer folks with pets, they stay longer.   This family unit had 1 small dog.   But it didn't come out till the end of qualifying and me accepting them and calculating their move in costs that she was claiming this small dog was a support animal.  I say nothing.  I replied;  please fill out your support animal screening request at petscreening.com  and I stop texting. 

She comes back 2 days later asking the progress of them getting approved to get this place.  I say;  well you didn't complete the support animal screening at petscreening.com they and I need a copy of your support animal prescription from your Dr.   AND the vacination papers from your Vet.  (good pet owners do all the right things for their pets like get anual shots etc).

A day later she says she can't find her prescription, I say $300 pet fee non refundable and $25/mo added to the rent.  She said fine.  

==== Bottom line

By me presenting a professional process front to all tenants, (treat everyone the same), had a process THEY had to jump through.  Use a professional pet screening org (petscreening.com) and did not back down when she didn't finish (and get petscreening's approval) the support animal application.   This issue salvaged a good family and application that I would have blown off as not wanting to deal with applicants trying to claim fake support animals.  They moved in, all are happy.

Put in the bottom of your ad, under the "requirements" section;

- All pets and support animals must be screened by petscreening.com,  Pets are $300 fee per pet non-refundable,  $25/mo extra rent per pet.  No "bad dogs" in the insurance bad dog list.   List your weight restriction if you must.  I don't.  The best bread in the unverse are labradors and they can be 65#, so I don't have limits.  I've never had a bad damage problem.   The pet pee in the carpet was reason to keep the deposit and replace with an upgrade of LVT, which was needed anyway.  LVT is bullet proof and pee proof.

I view the advantages of taking folks with pets where they are trapped in my rental since so few housing providors take pets, especially big pets, especially pets on the insurance bad dog list.  Yes I take huskies, germans etc.  Even a few pits.   I meet every dog, if tries to nip, I say no.  I don't take dogs that bark insesantly either.  You can tell when you meet them.

There's NO reason why you should be frustrated being screwed by tenants claiming fake support or service animals!!!   Pets are a huge source of profit for us, not the fee but mainly in the longer stays and less hassels.   IE pet owners in my business have been very self reliant, and problem free, stay along time.