The smell of money (long) - Posted by Anne_ND
Posted by Anne_ND on September 05, 2005 at 08:18:40:
Tye-
[A little background, I live in a very pet-hostile rental market and my property managment company only rents to pet-owners and we only rent top-of-the-line properties- never had a problem with pets, only people.]
First, a question: is this park full of rental trailers or are they owner-occupied? Sounds like the former to me.
Here’s what I would do: follow your local city ordinances on pets. In my city that means up to two dogs, they must be registered with the police. I’d also require proof that they are neutered/spayed and are up to date on all shots ESPECIALLY rabies. Get the name of their veterinarian and have it on file. No cats allowed outside and no dogs allowed outside unless they are on a leash- no tie-ups and no fenced yards. Yes, that may mean tearing down existing fences.
Your tenants are going to have pets no matter what your rules are. You might as well be the good guy (allow pets) which means you get to impose strict rules about how the pets are cared for and how they behave.
I don’t think it’s your business to get a photo of the dog and have your vet ‘guess’ based on a picture the breed of the dog. A good vet would refuse to do so anyway. It’s the tenant’s problem- THEY need to bring YOU a letter from THEIR vet stating the breed makeup of the dog.
You can have weight restrictions, breed restrictions, anything you want to prevent certain dogs in your park, but I’d tend to be as lax in that as my insurer would allow- you don’t want to become the dog police. Have animal control’s number memorized. The first time you see a stray animal in the park, get it picked up- let the tenants know you mean business.
You want to attract the best pet owners you can find, so make some changes in your park that will attract them. Dog parks (where dogs run free) and agility courses are becoming very very popular in cities. Find out where the nearest one is to you. Or maybe fence in part of your park (if you have any open spaces) to use for that reason. If done right, users are very good about self-policing.
Like kids, the secret to managing pet-owning tenants is consistency- you need to treat them all alike, and if you’ve tolerated or allowed two tenants to have dogs, then you have less leverage against anyone else who has a dog or a komodo dragon for that matter.
You could also make pets a profit source for you- get a higher rent and a higher security deposit from tenants who have pets- it’s a priviledge in your park to have a pet.
Finally, and most importantly, insurance. You should require all of your tenants to have insurance and to give you copies of the insurance. Anybody with a dog MUST have a dog-bite rider. No rider, no rental. Be firm.
If your park tenants are owner-occupied, you probably have less liability because the trailers are owned by them, and when their cocker spaniel bites the hand off the neighbors’s 2-year old, the dog-owner loses the trailer, you don’t. You still collect the lot rent from the parent of the kid with no hand.
Be firm, be consistent, let this make you money.
Anne
