Tenants who have dogs

[Kevin Janssen]

I'm going to be leasing the unit of a duplex I am currently living in as I just bought a 4-plex i'll be moving into.  My Duplex has a nicely fenced in backyard and my girlfriend asked if i'd consider leasing to someone with a dog.  I was a bit hesitant being that the first floor is all hardwood but she mentioned in the past that she has had to put down a non-refundable pet deposit, an extra refundable pet deposit and paid an extra $50 a month in pet rent.  I'd be curious as to how others handle leasing a unit to a tenant who has a dog and if you make any of the before mentioned charges?  Do you find that the dog typically causes more damage than its worth?  I guess the same question would apply in regards to cats. 

[Mark Strobel]

There is no such thing as a non-refundable deposit in Wisconsin.  However, you can certainly charge a non-refundable fee.  Just don't include the word "deposit" in the description or title.  We call it a non-refundable Pet Accommodation Fee.  

We also require that all of our tenants (pet owners or not) have Renters Liability Insurance and that dog owners have liability coverage for dog bites.  In addition, we require that all pets be spayed/neutered and they must provide proof of rabies vaccination and local municipality pet licensing.  Having those general rules will usually ensure that you get only responsible pet owners.

We give our tenants the option of paying an annual Pet Accommodation Fee or a monthly Pet Accommodation Fee.  The annual fee is equal to 10 months and is non-prorated if they leave within the year.