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All Forum Posts by: Mila F.

Mila F. has started 7 posts and replied 40 times.

Asking this after having searched Biggerpockets for an answer.

Would you deduct for scrapes and chips on a new concrete driveway? This is just a cosmetic issue, but it is now permanent. Scratches are more pronounced and deep in person than on the photos. I expect they'll fade over time, but for the turnover, I'm now stuck with this look.  

We replaced this section just last year due to plumbing repairs, the rest of the driveway is only 3 years old.  To make things more complicated, there was already some cosmetic damage on this driveway from my contractor accidentally running a pressurewasher on the curing concrete and leaving spinning brush circles in one corner. 

The property is in GA, A-/B+ class with premium rents for this area. Tenants were good, rented only for 1.5 years (bought a house). 

TIA for your input!

You get a trophy on this one, I don't think anyone can beat your zoo!

Quote from @Colleen F.:

@Mila F.  you can however require an non-internet letter.   For petscreening.com  I recently had several people on here comment they do not provide this service for no pet properties. I am not sure if that is true.

I would concentrate on adverting the property so you can get more applications.  You may need to add an enticement to your ads for December,  refresh the ad. Why people get pets and then expect a rental  


Regarding petscreening for no-pet properties - I can't comment, since all my rentals are animal-friendly (for extra fee and rent).  In my case, as I described earlier, everyone has to register with petscreening, pet owners or not. 

Quote from @Lisa Hammond:
Quote from @Tim Miller:
Quote from @Lisa Hammond:
Quote from @Tim Miller:

@Mila F. @Matt Devincenzo Matt is 100% right, they went online to some website to get a fake letter. Because there is no such thing as "Registering" an ESA animal! I also second Matt suggestion, you should signup for petscreening.com and let them sort this out. 


 I hate sites that won't give a price without going through Request A Demo. I've asked around and not only can I not get a price for petscreening.com I don't think we can "require" that tenants go through them? 

It doesn't cost the landlord, all fees are paid by the either the tenant or the prospective tenant. The cost is as low as $20 per pet profile. If the tenant has an actual "Service Dog (animal)" they pay nothing.

"I don't think we can "require" that tenants go through them? " Really people?! You are operating a business and you don't know what you can legally do or not do? Either get a property manager to take over, hire a lawyer or get an education.

It literally took me less than 5 minutes to search the KS Attorney General website for any law saying you can't do this. Guess what? There is no law that say you can't. Just for good measure, I called the Kansas legal service, pretended to be a tenant that was being discriminated against. I had an ESA letter and the LL refused it and said I had to use petscreening.com. Guess what? The landlord can do this.



I did contact our attorney yesterday and we can NOT require they go through petscreening.com in Kansas. We can ask them to do so but all they have to do is present the document to us, they do not have to use another service. 


 My understanding is that if you require ALL applicants to go through petscreening, regardless if they own any animals or not, then this becomes a part of your screening process like running a credit check. In this case ESA owners are not singled out and go through petscreening like all other applicants. 

Quote from @Lisa Hammond:
Quote from @Tim Miller:

@Mila F. @Matt Devincenzo Matt is 100% right, they went online to some website to get a fake letter. Because there is no such thing as "Registering" an ESA animal! I also second Matt suggestion, you should signup for petscreening.com and let them sort this out. 


 I hate sites that won't give a price without going through Request A Demo. I've asked around and not only can I not get a price for petscreening.com I don't think we can "require" that tenants go through them? 


 Petscreening is free for landlords, tenants pay a small fee per pet, and zero if they have an assistance animal.  I require everyone to sign up, even if they don't have pets. 

Quote from @Rosalind Pistilli:

Howdy! 

Licensed therapist here, I write ESA and PSA letters for clients when it's appropriate. They cannot have an ESA letter prior to getting the dog and the dog needs to provide an actual service. So the letter should say something like "soandso dog provides support to my client by calming them when they are anxious...etc etc etc" they need to have a diagnosis that supports an ESA and the dog needs to be old enough to actually provide the service a brand new puppy does not provide services, they require services. The only exception I make for puppies is if it is an actual service animal providing a specific service (such as diabetes dogs, or guide dogs) that will be going through specialized training. Even then, I will write that they are a service animal IN TRAINING and not that they are an ESA. Fake ESA and PSA letters have done such a disservice to the world. 

If they "registered" a dog as an ESA, they paid a fee to a fake site for a fake certification. It will be easy to spot. 

As for requiring spay/neuter, an ESA does not need to be intact to perform their duties, and you cannot breed an ESA because that animal would not be available to perform their duties while they were off reproducing. If they want the animal to be available for breeding, they cannot "register" it as an ESA. You should never breed service animals. 

All of that to come to this, I would not rent to these people. They are obviously lying to you...and I wouldn't rent to them...however, you can require that their dog be neutered IF you accept their ESA letter as valid. Other requirements you can have for their animal is that they be trained to perform whatever service they are performing for that person, be housebroken, not pose a threat to the security of others, not damage your property, and be licensed and vaccinated. 

Disclaimer: My knowledge of this topic extends only to the states I live in or am licensed in. 




 Thank you so much, this is very helpful!

Quote from @John Clark:
One of the problems you may have is relevancy: How does spaying/neutering affect your property as a landlord?

I suppose you might argue that it cuts down on aggression (get yourself firm evidence from a vet for that) and cuts down on uncontrolled aggressive dogs (un-neutered) from coming around, but otherwise, why would you care whether the animal is fixed or not?

Aggression aside, intact dogs tend to urine-mark their territory, incl indoors. Really don't want pet-pissed walls at my houses. 

Quote from @Lisa Hammond:
Quote from @Mila F.:
Quote from @Lisa Hammond:
Quote from @Mila F.:
Quote from @Dawn P.:

So the puppy magically became an ESA when they were told they'd have to get him neutered? 

Hopefully you have other, better qualified applicants to go with or can deny this couple on something else (credit, income) so you don't have to deal with their nonsense.

They said in their first inquiry they were getting a puppy. When I said no puppies, and never unfixed dogs, they stated they'd be registering him as ESA, and that they will not be neutering because they plan to breed him. Now they are writing back informing me that he's been registered as ESA.   
All the other criteria, at least based on their pre-screening responses, look passable. That's why I have to dig into my ability to require the dog to still be fixed, even if it's ESA. 

In terms of other candidates, I have enough unqualified ones, so there is that.

 That right there is enough of a red flag for me. Nope. Decline. 

Same here, I see through them and know it's not my type of a tenant. And I cannot stand liars. However, their high income/credit scores are a problem. Until now their (unfixed) puppy has been a reason I didn't even schedule a showing for them, but now since they got an "ESA", it's a different situation. 

Curious, can a legitimate ESA be kept with intent to breed? Just doesn't make sense. 


 We have a long list of requirements and I've never once in all these years had someone meet every single one of them. I just email that list and notify them they I'm unable to accept their application because they didn't meet one or more of the following qualifications. I never ever discuss which one, no further discussion needed. 


 I feel my requirements are strict too, but maybe I'm missing something. Would it be too much to ask what yours are (via private messaging, of course)?

Quote from @Lisa Hammond:
Quote from @Mila F.:
Quote from @Dawn P.:

So the puppy magically became an ESA when they were told they'd have to get him neutered? 

Hopefully you have other, better qualified applicants to go with or can deny this couple on something else (credit, income) so you don't have to deal with their nonsense.

They said in their first inquiry they were getting a puppy. When I said no puppies, and never unfixed dogs, they stated they'd be registering him as ESA, and that they will not be neutering because they plan to breed him. Now they are writing back informing me that he's been registered as ESA.   
All the other criteria, at least based on their pre-screening responses, look passable. That's why I have to dig into my ability to require the dog to still be fixed, even if it's ESA. 

In terms of other candidates, I have enough unqualified ones, so there is that.

 That right there is enough of a red flag for me. Nope. Decline. 

Same here, I see through them and know it's not my type of a tenant. And I cannot stand liars. However, their high income/credit scores are a problem. Until now their (unfixed) puppy has been a reason I didn't even schedule a showing for them, but now since they got an "ESA", it's a different situation. 

Curious, can a legitimate ESA be kept with intent to breed? Just doesn't make sense. 

Quote from @Dawn P.:

So the puppy magically became an ESA when they were told they'd have to get him neutered? 

Hopefully you have other, better qualified applicants to go with or can deny this couple on something else (credit, income) so you don't have to deal with their nonsense.

They said in their first inquiry they were getting a puppy. When I said no puppies, and never unfixed dogs, they stated they'd be registering him as ESA, and that they will not be neutering because they plan to breed him. Now they are writing back informing me that he's been registered as ESA.   
All the other criteria, at least based on their pre-screening responses, look passable. That's why I have to dig into my ability to require the dog to still be fixed, even if it's ESA. 

In terms of other candidates, I have enough unqualified ones, so there is that.