Reasonable Pet Deposit in Atlanta

[Grace A.]

Hi all,

I'm inheriting tenants (month-to-month) in a deal i'm working on. They have a dog but didn't put down a pet deposit when they initially moved in a few years ago.

Wondering what's a reasonable pet fee to charge as well as deposit in Atlanta. Property is SFR with a big outdoors space but the pet was in the home when I did a walk-through which suggests they'll have the pet inside the home pretty often.

Thank you!

[Joel O.]

For my rentals in ATL. South Fulton area I do monthly pet fee of 35$ per pet for simplicity's sake. 

My tenants in that area stay long term maybe 3years+ and normally have multiple pets. 

 If I were doing a pet deposit I would require 250$, but would adjust based on the property class.

[Dustin Maxwell]

Joel nailed it, I charge $250 non refundable per pet, and it is class dependent. If you want to boost paper income a monthly fee instead of a deposit can help.

[Grace A.]

Thank you @Joel O. and @Dustin Maxwell. Very helpful. I'll give them both options. $250 non-refundable p/pet or $35p/month pet fee. 

[Todd Ortscheid]

I strongly advise against pet deposits. If a pet destroys the carpet, that $250 deposit you have won't mean much to you. Instead, charge a monthly pet fee based on the type, age, and size of the pet. You'll collect much more money during the term of the lease to cover any costs you'll have, and it isn't refundable so you get paid either way. As far as the amount of the fee, remember:

1. Puppies cause more damage than adult dogs
2. Big dogs tend to cause more damage than small dogs
3. Cats cause more damage than dogs

Charge your fee accordingly. And keep in mind, people will pay a lot more than you think they will for their pets.

[Bob B.]

I charge a $250 pet fee plus $35 a month and only do a 2 year lease to start.  Currently only have one tenant that has a pet and it's a service animal.

[Joe Cassandra]

I do what Bob does...$200 nonrefundable deposit PER pet, plus $25/month pet fee. (max 2 pets). 

Never had any pushback. 

Although, I do not have restrictions on breed or size, so bigger dog folks are happy to pay it as they get turned away from other places.

[Grace A.]

@Joe Cassandra @Bob B. @Todd Ortscheid thanks all. The deal ended up falling through but I'll take your advice into the next one when I'm setting up a new lease.