Posted by Anne_ND on November 10, 2002 at 11:02:32:
Ray,
I wrote the application myself based on experience and common sense. I’ve posted it here in the past, it just asked for all the info that you could want on the pet: name, age, breed/species, neutered, has it bitten anyone & if so, why, name of current vet, are shots up to date, etc. At the bottom it says that we require all dog-owning tenants to show proof of dog-bite liability on their renters insurance to move in, and that they agree to show proof of an existing policy at any time during the lease within 24 hours notice, and that failure to do so upon request constitutes their notice to me of intent to leave within 30 days.
I agree that you shouldn’t charge an additional fee per month per pet, just increase your rent. That way if they decide to get rid of the pet one month into the lease they can’t come back and demand their rent be lowered (ask me how I figured that one out).
Most people don’t want to rent to pet owners, it CAN add extra problems, but if you’re prepared for them and you know the landlord/tenant laws in your state you can make some good money renting to pet owners.
We no longer rent to owners of large ‘guard-type’ dogs to avoid problems with our insurance. That means no german shepherds, no rottweilers, no pit-bull terriers, etc., which is too bad because I like big dogs and most of them are nice animals. But too many of our workmen are afraid of them and won’t do work on a house where these dogs are, and our insurers had a cow when they found out we had a german shepard in one house.
Posted by rayinpa on November 02, 2002 at 19:01:59:
I am buying a property that I want to get a higher than average rent for the area. I plan to set it up specifically for pet owners in order to justify this premium.I understand the damage that can be done and am willing to keep a closer eye on the tenant since it is close to home.what are the legal ramifications to keep in mind? does anyone have alot of experience here that they can share? or any ideas on what to make sure is spelled out in the lease?
thanks
Ray
Posted by Lin (OR) on November 04, 2002 at 17:08:59:
Ray,
I have a duplex and we allow pets. We charge above- market rents (about an extra $30/mo for each unit, a 5% premium) and our vacancy rate is very low. A couple of times we’ve had a tenant move out one day, and a new tenant move in the very next. Few landlords in our area take pets, and I’m certain that the fact that we do helps get our units rented immediately.
Our current tenants have large dogs, and they have done a serious amount of damage to the back yard by digging holes, killing large shrubs, tearing holes in the fence, and chewing the siding off the house! We have charged pet deposits of $300, but this doesn’t come close to covering the damage this time. TRandle has a good idea about frequently assessing the damage and setting up a payment plan. I haven’t done that, but I will from now on. One tenant had five cats and we had NO problems with the carpet or anything else, another had six (we were only told about two) and I spent HOURS trying to get cat hair out of the refrigerator and off the walls before I could paint. And the whole place smelled like cat urine.
I am seriously considering paying someone to pour a concrete slab and put a couple chain-link kennels in the back yard. I believe this would eliminate much of the damage the dogs cause when they are bored and left alone for too long. This would make it more attractive to the renters as well. They can leave the dogs outside during the day while they’re at work (and save your carpets) and not worry about the dog escaping.
As far as liability, my insurance agent has never asked about the tenant’s pets. -GULP- better check my policy! I always meet the dogs before I agree to rent to the owners, and I call former landlords to ask about any problems. Anyway, those are just a few things I’ve experienced.
It’s a mixed bag since it will almost certainly make more work every time you have someone move. If you can quickly work the kinks out of your system, charge reasonable fees (I ask for $100 per pet)and large refundable deposits up front($300-$500), I’d say it’s worth it.
Posted by Anne_ND on November 04, 2002 at 12:39:56:
Ray,
Screen these tenants as thoroughly as you do all your others: credit check, criminal check, previous landlord recommendation, personal recommendations, etc.
I also get them to fill out a pet application, including current vet’s name and number, age, sex of pet, whether the dog has ever bitten anyone. On the application it states that all dog owners must show renter’s insurance with dog-bite liability coverage. I can request this at any time and failure to demonstrate coverage is grounds for eviction.
We do not rent to owners of rottweilers, german shepards, pit-bull terriers or other dogs perceived to be ‘attack’ dogs. I have little fear of dogs, but our hazard insurance agent won’t let us rent to these breeds (or policy is void).
All animals must be neutered, shots up to date, etc. Once the tenant is in, I don’t think you can ‘keep a closer eye’ on them than you would other tenants. We only take tenants with excellent credit if they have pets, and there are an abundance of them to choose from.
We get a fully-refundable pet deposit that is equal to the security deposit. We use Louis Brown’s lease which is very landlord-friendly and we read it out loud to the tenants when they move in.
It can be a good niche market if you are strict with who you let in.
Posted by TRandle on November 04, 2002 at 08:19:09:
Ray,
First, I’m no attorney, blah, blah, blah…
Legal ramifications? I don’t think there are any protected classes of pets so I would assume you can pick and choose which pets you allow, as long as you’re consistent.
It’s not uncommon for landlords to charge a separate pet deposit and even a separate monthly amount as pet rent. I have not actually done this, but have been asked the questions numerous times by pet owners.
Viewing the applicant’s prior residence should shed some light on whether or not you want them in your property.
You could do periodic inspections to assess any damages. A friend of mine does this and if there’s any damages, he sets his folks up on repayment plans for carpet, paint, etc., so that the funds are actually there when it comes time to do repairs. Alternatively, they can fork out the funds up front and have everything replaced, but he says they prefer to not risk having to pay for things twice.
Also, I know some pet-friendly property management companies and larger apartment complexes restrict certain breeds of dogs due to potential liability issues.
Posted by Adam (Austin) on November 03, 2002 at 09:45:00:
I had a client, when I lived in L.A., who worked for a property mgt. company. They specifically targeted pet owners. They found two main benefits:
You could rent out your units faster by positioning your property to this sub-market.
Pet owners often made better tenants, as they knew how hard it is to find good rentals that allow pets.
My feeling is that they probably did some pretty good screening, too.
As the former #1 dog trainer in Southern California, I would suggest using the following as a criteria for dog owners:
Let them show/paperwork that they’ve owned the dog for at least 1 year, before renting to them. My guess is that you would eliminate 80% of the problems by doing this.
Posted by rayinpa on November 10, 2002 at 09:27:47:
Lin, is $30 a month enough to cover any additional expenses you may have incurred? the reasonable fee you mention , is that additional security deposit or a monthly premium? thanks,Ray
Posted by rayinpa on November 10, 2002 at 09:33:59:
Anne, where did you get your pet application? could I see a copy of it? the person at the landlord service group I belong to flatly told me not to rent to pets. he also told me not to charge a specific premium for pets but to raise the rent instead. his reason was that this avoids some liability. I will definitly need to talk to my insurer. thanks Ray
Posted by Lin (OR) on November 10, 2002 at 13:03:55:
Ray,
I charge a slight premium for the unit ($30), a nonrefundable pet fee of $100 per pet, and a security deposit of $500. It used to be $300, but that’s not enough for someone with pets. The pet fees and deposits should cover the extra expense of the pets. The $30/mo is my reward for allowing pets in the first place. If I felt like I were just breaking even taking pets I would definitely not do it.
As I mentioned earlier, this structure doesn’t accommodate a long-term tenant. The damage their pet does over the course of several years can far exceed the amount of the security deposit and pet fee. Maybe that’s why most landlords don’t take pets.