Who allows pets and why?

[Rachel Shepherd]

Hey! As we prepare to market are two condos I am wondering if we will be hedging out to many possible tenants by not allowing pets. I really do not want to allow cats as they seem to spray and many people have allergies to them. What about small dogs? Give me your thoughts on pets Thank you

[Laurie Souza]

I do allow pets since I like my tenants to make my house, and hopefully treat it like their "home".  I do demand an extra $250 per pet deposit.

On the other hand, my husband would love to advertise "no pets!"  lol

[Account Closed]

Dogs yes, cats no.  Cats pee everywhere and many people are allergic to cats. Responsible dog owners do make good long term tenants. No extra rent or deposit in my high end Bay Area homes but yes extra pet fee in the low rent midwest homes.

[Mike Biewer]

Originally posted by @Matt Motil:

In our single family homes we allow small dogs. In our multi-family properties we do not allow pets at all. Cats have a great habit of spraying and pissing all over things and getting that smell out of drywall, flooring, carpet padding, etc is a nightmare. We used to allow dogs in all of our properties, but we got tired of fielding complaints from tenants about their neighbors dogs barking, etc, so we just made a blanket policy of not pets in multi-families. We know that this limits the renter pool quite a bit at times, but I'd rather limit the pool than deal with angry tenants because people aren't home and their dogs won't stop barking. 

In the single family space, we do charge a monthly fee and an additional deposit to cover potential damage that dogs, even small ones, can cause. 

 Matt, do you ever deal with people bringing pets in anyway?

I struggle to say absolutely no...because people will sneak one in regardless. At least this way I know about it and can try to get some cash ahead of time for the damages.

Thoughts?

[Michael Boyer]

Allowing pets can be a way the small scale operator can differentiate their units and out compete the big operators (which often have a strict no pets policy)... All those tenants with steady incomes and super rental histories will face a wall of "no" there...

So if you have a "pets on approval" policy, you will get all those people contacting you...(note on approval, not automatic acceptance, important distinction)...

As mentioned by many, step back and see if an openness to pets makes sense for your strategy, target market, and the particular unit (is it pristine and high end or standard rental condition, for example).. Will your renters likely have them (family with a lab) or be too busy (graduate students)...

Also, fit the pet guidelines with your condo rules and look at developing your pet policy; the tips here for screening the pet (and their owner) seem ideal.... Best of luck whatever you decide...

[Rachel Shepherd]

Hey thank ya'll so much! It really means a lot to get your feedback. I think we will go with the "pets on a case by case" basis policy with a deposit. Absolutely no cats though. I know cats well enough to know I don't want them in my rentals. 

[Zach Leveling]

This is a great discussion! My policy so far on my few multi-family units has been to allow pets if they pass a screening process. I charge a non refundable  $250 fee per pet up to two. My best tenant is a single Chemistry Professor who has a cat. This tenant has auto pay set up and makes me take my shoes off before I go into his unit! I have never had any issues with his cat.

I think you could be missing out if you close to many doors.

[Kim Tonetti]

Our tenants are able to bring up to 2 pets with a pet rental charge added to the lease. In the properties with newly refinished hardwood floors, we charge $25/ month, and $40 / month for carpeted rentals. This basically covers the necessary replacement of the carpet, padding, & odor remediation when they leave.  We love pets, but some pets ruin floors, chew and claw on doors, and this does take capital expenditures to repair, so the next tenant (who may be allergic) can enjoy their stay.

[Lacee Beitler]

We allow pets- or should I say small dogs (no cats!). We run any breed past our insurance agent and she will tell us "yes" or "no". They don't allow what they call "aggressive breeds"

We charge a $25/month pet fee.

[Dawn Anastasi]

I allow pets in some cases.  For my own rentals, I have 2 that have pets.  One has a dog, and the other has 2 dogs and a cat.  It all comes down to the owner and how well they will take care of the place and their animals.