Situation
You own a home and you want to rent it out. You have heard horror stories about pets. Should you allow pets in your rental?
Response
There are a lot of horror stories out there about tenants who have pets and have destroyed their rental unit. There are also a lot of great pet owners who are tenants who take better care of their unit than families with kids!
The trick is to find the great pet owners and only rent to them. Here are some suggestions on how to find the really good pet owners.
1. In your advertisements state that the acceptance of pets is negotiable
2. Require a picture of the pet. Suggest that they take an electronic picture and email it to you.
3. Require pictures of their current residence where the have the pet. Make sure you can see an up close view of doors, screens, doorways and furniture.
4. Require copies of security deposit disbursements that detail any charges for pets
5. Request that the tenant get Tenant Insurance that covers pet damage and have you named as a beneficiary of the policy
6. Have a written policy of which dogs you will not accept. Disallowed pets could include:
a. Dogs over 30 pounds
b. Bulldogs, Great Danes, Labrador Retrievers, Collies, etc
7. Prepare a Pet Agreement that includes details about the dog and these requirements
8. Charge a $100 administration fee up front, non-refundable, to gather and review all of these items.
I would suggest that you increase the security deposit for each pet in the amount of $200 - $300 per pet.
This does not guarantee that you will not suffer damages from a pet but there are few guarantees in life. These guidelines will go a long way to insuring that you have a great tenant who has a great pet in your rental property.
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