I have a duplex I just purchased (as a foreclosure), one of the tenants has two dogs and we agreed to let that tenant keep the pets since they are a long term tenant and have kept the place in reasonable (but not great condition) The tenant very nicely asked us if we could replace two approx 10x10 areas of carpet in the main entrance area that are worn really bad - and we agreed that it was a reasonable request since they signed a 16 month lease to get into a regular lease cycle ending in April of 2014.

I noticed that many landlords do not allow pets.

The last rental tip is making your home dog friendly will offer much greater rents than a non pet friendly home.  

NO pets..  

I'd parrot the other suggestions for the en suite master, but possibly even cannibalize some of top right.

@Isla Arshad - Pets are a risk, but when there are more dogs living in houses than children under the age of 18, you will be isolating yourself from a large pool of potential renters if you say no to pets. 

Do I need coverage for damage by a dog (many residents have dogs in the area, but current tenants of this duplex don't have pets)?

Regarding pet allowance, do people usually request to leave the pets in the front or back yard?

Id ask if they smoked or had any pets, how many people would be residing there, when would they like to move in, etc.

Or if you have a no-pets policy, but see photos of the applicant's pet in recent posts.Some landlords even said that when checking social media account on one of their applicants, they found a post that said something like "the next house will be the best party house"Right now, I just google the applicant's name and find any social media accounts associated with their name.