Originally posted by @Nathan Gesner:
Originally posted by @Lisa Tiedgen:
How do you protect from liability to the landlord in the event the pet bites a neighbor or neighbors dog etc...? Wouldn't the landlord take the risk here?
Excellent question! First, you should have proper insurance. Second, you can require the tenant to purchase renters insurance, which will normally cover their animal. I recommend the Tenant include the Landlord or Property Manager as "additional insured" or "additional interest" on the liability policy. If the animal bites someone, the injured party may sue the Tenant and the Landlord. IF you're labeled on the insurance policy, the renter's insurance will cover you without taking a ding on your own insurance policy. The other benefit is that the insurance company will send you a declaration page showing proof of coverage. If the tenant attempts to cancel their policy or allows it to lapse, you'll be notified of that, as well.
Another recommendation: consider requiring the tenant to pay up front for renters insurance for the full term of the lease. This is another method of preventing them from letting the policy lapse. However, it's expensive and isn't fool-proof.
Thanks Nathan!
That is great advice! And I recently found out that some breeds are excluded all together, so you should probably not accept those at all.
thanks again!
