Investor/Realtor · Wentzville, MO · Member since 2014 · 846 posts · 431 votes
We are closing on our first two rental properties next week. They are turn key ready to rent properties. We have a few potential renters already. One is a young couple with a dog. I have dogs myself and know that they can be messy and destructive to a property. IMO I would rather not allow dogs at all. Fellow renters, what is your policy on dogs?
@Marcus Johnson I think people need to have a more open mind when they're so quick to assume all pets cause more damage than humans/kids. Kids also poop and pee in places that are not the assigned place depending how young they are. Kids draw on walls. Kids generally get into things. This, of course, goes back to the parents and how much they are or are not watching them and correcting them.
Just because there is a pet doesn't automatically mean it's pooping and peeing all over the place. Obviously, pets wouldn't be so popular if this were the case. Even with cats, generally, they WANT to go in their litter box. If they aren't, it's either because of some sort of health issue or because the human isn't doing something right such as cleaning the box!
Sure, humans tend to be allergic to animals and that's the only reason they notice the dander and hair in carpets. But don't for a minute think that those carpets aren't also full of human hair and human skin flakes (and who knows what else!). Carpet is generally a gross flooring option.
we also never instal carper. Vinyl or hardwoods only.
I assume you meant carpet. I get vinyl, but dogs can certainly ruin hardwoods. I know from experience. Do you put something on them I don't know about?
You're ruling out a whole lot of your renter base if you don't allow pets.
That said, it obviously raises risk. We'll take pets in some of our property though. For instance, one house we painted the floor (due to pet odors when it was owned by a prior owner). So with the painted floor we're not too concerned about pets. We just repaint.
We've also used Allure, a vinyl plank, in some units. We think pets are OK there too. Hardwood floors we're concerned about. We've had problems there. And as far as carpet goes, we're removing it when it get old, and putting in Allure. But we have one property left with carpet, we don't allow pets there.
So with the painted floor we're not too concerned about pets. We just repaint.
What do you use to cover the odor?
We wash with vinegar. Then we prime with an oil-based primer. Sometimes you have to do several coats of primer. Then we paint with a floor paint from Sherwin Williams.
We are closing on our first two rental properties next week. They are turn key ready to rent properties. We have a few potential renters already. One is a young couple with a dog. I have dogs myself and know that they can be messy and destructive to a property. IMO I would rather not allow dogs at all. Fellow renters, what is your policy on dogs?
Ryan,
I allow them, except for aggressive breeds. Your residents want to make your investment property their home. Let them and, if you've chosen them wisely, they'll pay the rent and take care of it like their home...and they will generally STAY longer (ie. lower turnover/vacancy cost).
Also charge whatever the convention in your market, typically $200+ per pet deposit and, in some markets, you can get $10-$15 "pet rent" per month. Be careful though, if you charge too much you will not be able to compete with other properties.
Also, make sure you use "pet friendly" surfaces and the property has a back fence.
Yes, the vinyl tiles that look like wood from Home Depot. I use them in all my rentals and most tenants can't even tell it's not real wood. If one tile gets damaged, just replace it. Cheap (20 cents a foot) and simple.
My pleasure. It's good business to treat your tenants well and let them pretend it's their house within limits. It helps minimize turnover. All my rentals have 2-3 year leases and many of my tenants are connected to me on Facebook. It's pretty cool to see photos of my tenants son's birthday party in my house on Facebook! And I'm making $$$ providing this.
If the carpet is stained and can't be cleaned, you should replace it. The test is, would you live in it the way it is? If not, would your tenant be excited to?
The answer to your question is it depends. It depends how determined you are to find a good deal and to use contractors that provide good value. As always, get at least 3 estimates and try to work directly with those doing the work, not a company with high overhead.
Generally, new carpet in a 4br costs me about $7-800 for upstairs only. You can save money if the pad you have is still usable (if so, tell them no pad). Depending on where vinyl flooring is, if it looks bad, I might replace it with tile. If it looks okay, keep it.
Keep in mind you're running a business. Your product must provide greater value than competing rentals if it's going to attract the best tenants. Find a way to do that without spending too much. A few things that are always worth it: (1) full house cleaning (it should be spotless), (2) decent low-maintenance landscaping (you need to attract prospective tenants into the door (plant some flowers), once they're in, don't dissapoint them/keep them excited...(3) clean paint, (4) nice updated lighting, particularly in kitchen and bath.
I do not allow for dogs in any of my rental properties, because they can damage the property and the cost and headache of fixing things later is far more than any benefits.
I will rent to those with dogs (non aggressive breeds), but only in units without carpeting. Those units also have ample yard space and are located in a walkable neighborhood. If I stick to a strictly "no pets" policy, I'm eliminating a good chunk from the potential tenant pool. Thankfully (knocks on wood), I've not had any issues with pet damage to my properties. I charge a non-refundable pet fee and do my best due diligence to approve responsible tenants and responsible pet owners.
**I will say this, I have rented to someone with a cat, and I will never do this again. Upon move-out, the entire unit reeked of cat urine / litter box / and I don't know what else. Never again. Sorry, cat people.
Being someone who I'd asthmatic around most dogs and cats I always view I would never allow pets. But when I bought my first duplex in a great neighborhood the upstairs tenant had a German Shepard. He is a wonderful tenant, but the dog has ruined the carpet not due to rippin it but because of all of its hair and the dander that is so hard to get out. I have a non-refundable deposit of $500. Since the dog can really do no more harm I have resigned him and expect him to stay or many years to come.
In the meantime I plan on saving up some money for the day he moves out so that I can do a nice remodel of the place. After the remodel I will only rent to very small dogs that don't yelp much and have a fee structure for them I there is a problem.
Nicole W. Pets are absolutely nothing like kids. Pets poop and pee in your year and apartment and pets shed hair hat damages carpet and curtains an there dander is pretty hard to get out. I can always tell when someone has pets on their house because it smells.
I allow pets, no additional deposit (any damage caused by pet gets taken out of the regular security deposit).
To those who charge more or outright reject pets. Do you do the same for smokers? Cigarette burns can be just as damaging to carpets as pets, and the smell is not much better either.
I will rent to those with dogs (non aggressive breeds), but only in units without carpeting. Those units also have ample yard space and are located in a walkable neighborhood. If I stick to a strictly "no pets" policy, I'm eliminating a good chunk from the potential tenant pool. Thankfully (knocks on wood), I've not had any issues with pet damage to my properties. I charge a non-refundable pet fee and do my best due diligence to approve responsible tenants and responsible pet owners.
**I will say this, I have rented to someone with a cat, and I will never do this again. Upon move-out, the entire unit reeked of cat urine / litter box / and I don't know what else. Never again. Sorry, cat people.
No one has said it yet, but whether a landlord would allow pets or not very much depends in the quality of the house, neighborhood, and quality and level of responsibility of the tenant that resides there. Class A/B tenants who are responsible will take good care of their pets. Tenants who are not responsible WILL NOT. It's really that simple.
So if you allow pets depends on your specific investment model.
As others have pointed out, allowing pets casts a wider net for good renters....they know how hard it is to find a place that accepts pets. We usually charge a non-refundable pet deposit and the renter will be responsible for any additional charges for damages. Most landlords won't touch cats for a simpler reason...they almost always pee somewhere at some point other than in a litter box. The few houses that we have that are "pet-friendly" rent quickly and stay rented. Whether you accept pets or not just depends on your business philosophy. We've found that it makes great business sense. You can usually judge the pet by the owner - if the owner is a slob....don't let them have a pet. If the owner is generally clean and responsible, the pet will be clean as well. We also make the tenants responsible for any issue at all with fleas which can be an enormous problem.
@Marcus Johnson I think people need to have a more open mind when they're so quick to assume all pets cause more damage than humans/kids. Kids also poop and pee in places that are not the assigned place depending how young they are. Kids draw on walls. Kids generally get into things. This, of course, goes back to the parents and how much they are or are not watching them and correcting them.
Just because there is a pet doesn't automatically mean it's pooping and peeing all over the place. Obviously, pets wouldn't be so popular if this were the case. Even with cats, generally, they WANT to go in their litter box. If they aren't, it's either because of some sort of health issue or because the human isn't doing something right such as cleaning the box!
Sure, humans tend to be allergic to animals and that's the only reason they notice the dander and hair in carpets. But don't for a minute think that those carpets aren't also full of human hair and human skin flakes (and who knows what else!). Carpet is generally a gross flooring option.
As a confessed dog lover...I'm biased. As a landlord, I do math. I've had my horror stories over time that made me think twice, but when you do the math and prepare houses properly the money says rent to people with dogs. Carpet is not an option in lower end homes. Multi family houses may be considered for no pet policy for simplicty. For SFH you will restrict yourself from good tenants for potentially no reason. Charge for them and you will make out on the bottom line. Require periodic inspections if you want to avoid the horror stories. Nip any issues in the bud and charge for damages along the road to keep them on their toes. You may learn that the real issue lies with the tenant as well as what the dog is doing. Watch out for the cruel owners that throw the dog in the basement and do not maintain the mess. This is difficult to overcome once it occurs. We tend to overlook the basements...and there in lies a big mistake. My biggest issue with dogs have been sending maintenance people in. Require the pet to be 'caged' when tenant is not home in the lease. Require high cost penalties in the lease if the yard is not kept clean. I've had health dept issues on one slob that chained his dog and left the poor creature in deplorable conditions. These are by far the exceptions. I think dogs can be a landlords best friend. I probably make five or ten thousand a year on them.