Real Estate Investor · Fenton, MI · Member since 2008 · 946 posts · 153 votes
It took us several months to get tenants into our single family rental property. These tenants pay on time every month and are otherwise fine. The original agreement was to charge them an additional $25.00 a month for their two dogs. Now it looks like they have taken in a stray cat.
Our rental is a nice two story colonial with wood floors. How would you all handle this?
Financial Advisor · Tampa Area, FL · Member since 2008 · 956 posts · 214 votes
17y
what does the lease say about additional pets? u very well may want to amend ur lease if it doesn't address specifics: i.e. "no more than any combination of 2 dogs/cats/birds".
Financial Advisor · Tampa Area, FL · Member since 2008 · 956 posts · 214 votes
17y
what does the lease say about additional pets? u very well may want to amend ur lease if it doesn't address specifics: i.e. "no more than any combination of 2 dogs/cats/birds".
Real Estate Investor · Sentenhart, Wald · Member since 2009 · 110 posts · 75 votes
17y
Yikes, stray cat on wood floors? The answers I have seen are being penny wise and dollar foolish.
Cat urine does not come out of wood, if you want to get an idea of the costs that could be involved, get an estimate to replace the wood floors. This just happened to my uncle, a good tenant went bad due to job loss and cost 11,000 to replace wood floors in a small apartment, when they stopped caring.
Two things:
One:
I would send them a registered letter detailing that they are in violation of the lease by taking in the cat without permission and explaining that they are responsible for any damages and/or legal costs. Attach a seven day notice to remove the cat or eviction will follow.
Two:
Call them or see them in person and explain what you are doing and that you do not want to lose them as a tenant but the average wood floor will run many thousands to replace and you can not let that happen.
You are not running an animal shelter!
25$ a month will not cover anything and failure to do anything will create a legal gotcha, implicit approval, due to lack of reaction when you knew about it, is the same as approval and therefore you will lose your ability to get rid of the cat or even get an additional deposit.
Real Estate Investor · the villages, FL · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
17y
Steve- I don't know what value the house is or how much the rent is. BUT, the mistake was made in the original lease, imo. I would never take $25 per month more. You should collect a LARGE pet deposit(fully refundable) as well as normal deposit.
If those dogs destroyed the carpet in first 2 months, you'd have $50. That wouldn't buy the PAD for the carpet.
By charging a large deposit, it puts the problem on tenants' shoulders. If their pets are as good as they say, they'll have no problem with a refundable deposit. It their pets are crappy, they'll rent somewhere else. It protects you. Rich in Fl with new avatar.