Tenants with 5 small dogs? Is it a good idea?

General Landlording & Rental Properties
3yFollow

Tenants with 5 small dogs? Is it a good idea?

Vicki X.Pro Member
Investor 路 Member since 2022 路 186 posts 路 155 votes

Hello, a family applied to rent my house. They are great and have "5 Pomeranians. All shots are up to date and they are seniors."

The dogs have been living in their house (which they are selling) and things are under control.

Is it a good idea? What additional info shall I ask and what amount of pet deposit is reasonable for such a large dog family? The house is in Houston area. Thanks!

0Reply
225 views

Most Popular Reply

Adam Martin
Rental Property Investor 路 Member since 2020 路 1k+ posts 路 1k+ votes
3y

I'm going against the grain here but I really wouldn't have a problem with it.  I charge a 35/month pet rent and usually add a $600 refundable deposit which I may double for 5 dogs.  This is an extra 175/month and I have never personally had issues with dog damage and it is a pretty nice revenue stream for me.  If they are breeding that is a different story but as long as they are fixed we are all good as long as everything else checks out.  

4Reply
See this reply in the discussion

38 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant 路 San Diego / Phoenix 路 Member since 2021 路 12k+ posts 路 15k+ votes
    3y

    5 dogs? No way in H... would I even entertain the idea. Are there no other renters wanting your house?

    2Reply
  • Richard F.
    Honolulu, HI 路 Member since 2008 路 3k+ posts 路 2k+ votes
    3y

    Aloha,

    I never allow pets, but...if YOU choose to, at least include in your rental agreement that they are not allowed to "replace" more than one. You DEFINITELY do not want 5 puppies running amok!

    3Reply
  • Rosa Regier
    Investor 路 Austin, TX 路 Member since 2015 路 73 posts 路 54 votes
    3y

    Are they dog breeders? My max pet allowance is 2 with a pet deposit for each

    1Reply
  • Bjorn AhlbladPro Member
    Investor 路 Shelton, WA 路 Member since 2017 路 6k+ posts 路 6k+ votes
    3y

    Bad idea. 5 too many for me. I love dogs-cats too, and have one of each. I allowed a tenant to have a dog once, cost 20k to make the unit ready to rent. Not all the cost was attributable to the dog, the teen aged son had really bad anger issues. But we are talking about dogs.

    1Reply
  • Tim Miller
    Rental Property Investor 路 Laurel, MD 路 Member since 2016 路 383 posts 路 382 votes
    3y

    As others have stated, there's no way in H E L L!! Pomeranians are loud and always barking. One starts and they all start!

    We have a 2 pet only rule and we do not allow these type of dogs at all in our units. In fact we do not allow any dogs under 25 lbs in our units.

    If you are not looking for headaches, find someone else to rent your place.

    2Reply
  • Ray Hage
    Investor 路 Fort Lauderdale, FL 路 Member since 2020 路 1k+ posts 路 755 votes
    3y

    I'd echo the others and avoid a tenant with too many pets of any kind. You just don't know how well they are going to look after the pets and how often they will clean. Even for a higher rent, you have to decide is it worth it??

    1Reply
  • Dawn P.
    Rental Property Investor 路 Sumter, SC 路 Member since 2015 路 334 posts 路 531 votes
    3y

    Five yappy, senior dogs. I'd have to pass on that one (I have a two animal limit also).

    I rehabbed a house a few years ago, the owner had five small dogs and they peed everywhere. The smell burned your eyes and throat as soon as you walked in...if you decide to do it, get a very healthy pet deposit/fee and do regular inspections.

    2Reply
  • Adam Martin
    Rental Property Investor 路 Member since 2020 路 1k+ posts 路 1k+ votes
    3y

    I'm going against the grain here but I really wouldn't have a problem with it.  I charge a 35/month pet rent and usually add a $600 refundable deposit which I may double for 5 dogs.  This is an extra 175/month and I have never personally had issues with dog damage and it is a pretty nice revenue stream for me.  If they are breeding that is a different story but as long as they are fixed we are all good as long as everything else checks out.  

    4Reply
  • James Mc Ree
    Rental Property Investor 路 Malvern, PA 路 Member since 2016 路 1k+ posts 路 936 votes
    3y

    I charge a per pet fee, but haven't gone over 2. I think 5 would be too many for me.

    Senior dogs sometimes leave behind senior puddles. Collecting a pet fee in the present is unlikely to overcome the damage you may have for 5 dogs with age-related system failures. Don't focus too much on the dogs though. Vet their owners to see how they care for them. Ideally, visit them in their current home to see how they all live and what the place looks like. Your place is likely to look like that in a few years.

    2Reply
  • Bud Gaffney
    Rental Property Investor 路 Boston, MA 路 Member since 2019 路 2k+ posts 路 1k+ votes
    3y

    @Vicki X. Absolutely not.

    1Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant 路 San Diego / Phoenix 路 Member since 2021 路 12k+ posts 路 15k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Adam Martin:

    I'm going against the grain here but I really wouldn't have a problem with it.  I charge a 35/month pet rent and usually add a $600 refundable deposit which I may double for 5 dogs.  This is an extra 175/month and I have never personally had issues with dog damage and it is a pretty nice revenue stream for me.  If they are breeding that is a different story but as long as they are fixed we are all good as long as everything else checks out.  


    Then you've never experienced the damage that animals can do...be thankful for your luck so far! As a Contr and an investor who looks for fixers, I still find it hard to believe what they can do.....tens of thousands of dollars and weeks of time...

    3Reply
  • Taylor DaschBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent 路 Temple, TX 路 Member since 2022 路 1k+ posts 路 700 votes
    3y

    I dont care about dogs personally and dont think they will bring the value down as much as others think. But 5 small dogs will most definitely be pooping and peeing in the property lol. 

    [email protected]254-718-4249
    Taylor Dasch | EG Realty561 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    1Reply
  • Julie Hartman
    Property Manager 路 Denver, CO 路 Member since 2021 路 667 posts 路 587 votes
    3y

    I would check the muncipality of where the property is located. I know some areas around the greater Denver metro limit the number of dogs allowed per household to no more than 3.  We would never allow 5, especially the smaller breeds which tend to have accidents when they get exicted. 

    1Reply
  • Keith A.
    Rental Property Investor 路 TX 路 Member since 2019 路 236 posts 路 392 votes
    3y

    Most likely your cabinet doors will get chewed, blinds will get chewed, flooring will be scratched or stained, water damage on hardwood floors and carpet from water bowls. And to top it all off you may end up with a house ridden with fleas that takes months of treatment to fix after they leave. These are just some of the issues I have after renting to people that only have ONE pet. 

    I no longer allow pets at all. The market here has enough non-pet applicants that it works out fine.  I always gave people the benefit of the doubt that they surely were responsible pet owners and would never cause me any issue. I was always always always wrong. 

    2Reply
  • Bonnie Griffin KaakePro Member
    Real Estate Consultant 路 Denver, CO 路 Member since 2021 路 666 posts 路 389 votes
    3y

    @Vicki X. I would do so real hard investigating...check out their current house, talk to neighbors, their credit rating and then think again. I am ok renting to owners of one dog, maybe 2 small dogs. I made one exception for my grandson's girl friend with two big dogs, German Shepard and a yellow Lab. They didn't pee or poo anywhere but the younger lab chewed the furniture and two of my rugs. The apartment is pretty dog-proof but for me, no more big dogs.  

    [email protected]303-475-4459
    1Reply
  • Vicki X.Pro Member
    OP
    Investor 路 Member since 2022 路 186 posts 路 155 votes
    3y

    Got it. Thank you all for sharing a lot of good advice! 

    0Reply
  • Zane Cress
    Realtor 路 Athens, GA 路 Member since 2023 路 201 posts 路 104 votes
    3y

    I would never allow anyone to rent a place I owned with 5 dogs, no matter the size. Too many chances for something to go wrong there. Pomeranians are miserable little animals as well, in my experience.

    0Reply
  • Mike Gordon
    San Jose, CA 路 Member since 2020 路 42 posts 路 25 votes
    3y

    No

    0Reply
  • Valerie Kerste
    Rental Property Investor 路 Richmond, MO 路 Member since 2020 路 14 posts 路 10 votes
    3y

    @Vicki X. NOOOO!!!! 馃

    0Reply
  • Eric Gerakos
    Investor 路 Costa Mesa, CA 路 Member since 2016 路 1k+ posts 路 1k+ votes
    3y

    NO

    0Reply
  • David Hedges
    Investor 路 Crown Point, IN 路 Member since 2014 路 177 posts 路 84 votes
    3y

    in general, I'd be against it, just because of the number of pets. 

    Unless it is one of the houses I've gone through and had all of the carpet removed and replaced with tile or laminate flooring, I really don't like any pets. If you have primarily hard surfaces through the house, I do allow it, but charge additional security deposit, and an additional monthly pet fee.

    What @Adam Martin listed as his fee's sounds pretty reasonable if you are looking for what to charge. 

    0Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker 路 Cody, WY 路 Member since 2010 路 28k+ posts 路 41k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Vicki X.:

    It's best to have policies for these situations before they arise.

    My policy is no more than two animals per household. However, I'll make accommodations based on the situation. A Pomeranian is pretty low maintenance compared to larger dogs, they are unlikely to bark, they probably won't dig up the yard or destroy carpet, etc. I also consider the risk level of the applicant because mature adults with good credit tend to be good animal owners and will take responsibility for their animals.

    Given what you've shared, I would consider it but I would charge a rent increase per animal and have a strong list of rules. I think $25 - $50 per dog is reasonable.

    The DIY Landlord Book4.7247 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • James Hamling
    Real Estate Broker 路 Minneapolis, MN 路 Member since 2011 路 5k+ posts 路 6k+ votes
    3y

    Piggy-backing on something @Bruce Woodruff touched on, Pet's 100% do damage to a property 100% of the time, there is NO IF, there is impacts from a indoor pet. The TRUE and ACCURATE question is HOW EXTENSIVE the impact/damage will be and at what estimated cost to mitigate post tenancy. 

    I say this with more than 3 decades in Real Estate and decades as a GC doing the mitigations, literally thousands of them. 

    Even the best trained pet on earth has a thing called dander. No matter what that dander sheds, get's into things. And many people may be allergic. This is at minimum there needs to be certain cleaning for such. 5x the pet's, 5x the impact. 

    So think of it this way, per pet there is a 10% "impactor" figure. And with multiples of pets that jumps up by 1.5X per pet. So FIVE, that's 75% factor assumption for replacing carpets. So, how much will it cost to replace carpets at end of tenancy? yeah, I'd assess 75% of that cost. How much to paint? Yup, I'd do 75% of that cost. UP-FRONT. Professional cleaning, duct cleaning, 75% of each. 

    That is the accurate reality of it. 

    This is how I do the math of figuring impact assumptions and turn it into a math system. 

    I figure a standard pet as a dog up to 20lbs. If it's a 45lbs, I double it too 20% per. 70 lbs that's 30lbs, because reality is bigger the animal more damage happens, that's the facts and statistics. And for CAT's, I go 100%, those demon-pet's pee radioactive acid, and they pee all over ALWAYS. No such thing as a cat that does not mark/pee inside. 

    So that's how I put things to math. yes, if everything else is great I would approve, but there going to put up a pet deposit at start of that $ figure for 75% of all those components, so call it what, $12k? AND I am going to assess a pet rent at same factor, so 5 that's 75%, so if rents are $1,500 pet rent is 75% of that = $1,125 making combined total of $2,625.00. And if tenant says "wow, that's a lot of $" I'd say "yup, 5 indoor dogs IS a whole heck of a lot, agreed.".

    Look, I provide housing not kennel boarding. Look up what a kennel would charge for 5 dogs per month. Betchya it's more than $1,125, a lot more. 

    3Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant 路 San Diego / Phoenix 路 Member since 2021 路 12k+ posts 路 15k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @James Hamling:

    Look, I provide housing not kennel boarding. Look up what a kennel would charge for 5 dogs per month. Betchya it's more than $1,125, a lot more. 

    This ^^^^ is the best take on pets I've ever seen.....
    2Reply
  • Manco Snead
    Investor 路 Spokane, WA 路 Member since 2015 路 238 posts 路 133 votes
    3y

    No. ...no. Unless you charge them a $1 million deposit. Those dogs will probably make a lot of noise then your neighbors will hate you too.

    0Reply
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.
Log InJoin for Free