To Allow Pets or Not? Ruff Question

Allowing pets in your rental is a question you should answer sooner rather than later. When making that decision, here are some things to consider. In 2020, pet ownership went up by 60% off an already large base. More and more people are getting pets so it could make sense to attract those potential tenants. However, allowing pets do come with risks so it is best to be informed before making a final decision.

Heck no Fido:

There are some property owners that are a hardcore “no” on the pet policy. One way to look at it is you need to think about the possible damage that would be not covered by the security/pet deposit. Keep in mind carpet, landscaping, paint, scratching, etc. I had an issue with a dog that repeatedly peed in the same corner of a small room. I needed to rip up the carpet, carpet pad, disinfect the subfloor, and prime it with an order blocker. From there I could put down new flooring. The resident’s security deposit did not cover all the damages. I was going to replace the flooring anyhow so it worked out. If however, you are planning on keeping the flooring, you have high-end finishes and/or a nice yard, you may want to consider not allowing pets. You could just allow cats but no dogs. This would eliminate some of the worries but cats also pee on floors and make messes. Not only that but they spray which could damage paint and drywall.

Red Rover Red Rover Let Rover Come Over:

It seems everyone has a pet (or an emotional support animal) so not allowing pets dramatically cuts down your pool of renters. For me, that is the biggest reason to allow pets. The more people you have interested in your home, the higher the rent you can charge and the less vacancy you will have.

But what about all the damages from above you ask? You will absolutely want to charge a higher security deposit and perhaps an extra monthly “pet rent” to cover the added ware and tare. Yes, there is a chance that move-out damages will be more than the security deposit but that is always a risk. One word of advice is to not call the extra deposit a "pet deposit" because that portion can only be applied to pet damages. Instead, roll the deposit all into one.

There are some major pros and cons of allowing pets. Obviously, the choice is yours if you want to allow pets or not and it is something you need to really think about. Make sure you look at all the different angles and how they pertain to your property. Thinking about what is most important to you and how it fits in with your property will help you figure out the answer. One last note, even if you don’t allow pets, you still must allow support animals that have proper documentation. If you are unsure of if the perspective pet is valid or not, check out petscreening.com.

In Catclusion:

There are some major pros and cons to allowing pets. Obviously, the choice is yours if you want to allow pets or not and it is something you need to really think about. Make sure you look at all the different angles and how they pertain to your property. Thinking about what is most important to you and how it fits in with your property will help you figure out the answer. One last note, even if you don’t allow pets, you still must allow support animals that have proper documentation.