Property Manager · Rockville, MD · Member since 2014 · 287 posts · 29 votes
My tenant has been with us for a year and a half. Rent is about 15% over market with a rent increase 6 months ago and they haven't missed!
HOWEVER ...... when I sent a contractor over for a few minor violations (smoke detectors), electrical lights out.....
The contractor reports to me that there's cats everywhere, the place SMELLS like ammonia..... he even refused the job because he got a terrible allergic reaction and the place smelled too bad.....
Other than annoying instances of having to wait for him to get us cheks a couple days late, he hasn't been a problem.....
But I fear the place will have a permenant smell, and who knows what other pet damage there is.....
Should I threaten eviction? charge pet deposit (pets not reported)???
Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2016 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
10y
I'd recommend enforcing your lease agreement and if it did not allow pets, send notice of non-compliance in accordance with the rules in your jurisdiction and, if not cured, ask them to leave (including eviction filing). You pay the mortgage, they pay the rent, you both comply with the terms of the lease.
On a side note, rent is not 15% above market if there are numerous unauthorized animals in the unit. It's likely upside down relative to market if pet rent were included. Boarding lots of pets is a different business model than human residential housing.
Sorry to hear about this situation. I'd just deal with it as you would with any lease violation and get it corrected or have the tenant move. I'd also call their prior landlord and find out why they did not disclose the animal hoarding during your application due diligence. These things typically have a long history.
Rental Property Investor · Fredericton, New Brunswick · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
10y
The smell of cat urine, and more-so, spray is near impossible to remove once it is embedded in the subfloor ... it's even more tenacious than dog urine.
We bought a property where tenants and their farm had been for 9-years ... it was a complete gut job - even the concrete slab, under the subfloor had to be treated to remove the smell.
Good thing your tenant is paying over market rent as they longer the felines stay, the more it's going to cost to be rent-ready for the next tenant.
Indianola, IA · Member since 2016 · 126 posts · 36 votes
10y
What does your lease say about pets? What is the city or state law for pets, (usually it's something like no more than 3 per cat, dog etc. I would think. I may of seen too many horder shows and that is what I am remembering). You should give the tenant notice of the problem. "you have too many pets, in order to retain your deposit you must clean good and not have so many cats" only say it different you know. Before you do that I would find out what legal leg you can stand on, be it your lease or some local law you can point out. Good luck
Property Manager · Rockville, MD · Member since 2014 · 287 posts · 29 votes
10y
@Roy N. I was thinking the same thing. Damage is already done, just get the most rent we can while it becomes a cat home, rather than kick him out and flush money into cleaning..... but what would you suggest to flip the place? I'm thinking saying we need a $200 pet security deposit and signed addm now....
@Rob Witt he didn't report the pets, so i believe we have a leg up and grounds to serve notice for now....
Rental Property Investor · Fredericton, New Brunswick · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
10y
In 18-months the damage will be somewhat limited and {hopefully} will not have had the opportunity to permeate the subfloor and structure {though that is a possibility} - you may just get away with a lots of cleaning and replacing finish flooring (like carpets).
The longer they stay, the more expensive the repairs will be at move out.
Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2016 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
10y
I'd recommend enforcing your lease agreement and if it did not allow pets, send notice of non-compliance in accordance with the rules in your jurisdiction and, if not cured, ask them to leave (including eviction filing). You pay the mortgage, they pay the rent, you both comply with the terms of the lease.
On a side note, rent is not 15% above market if there are numerous unauthorized animals in the unit. It's likely upside down relative to market if pet rent were included. Boarding lots of pets is a different business model than human residential housing.
Sorry to hear about this situation. I'd just deal with it as you would with any lease violation and get it corrected or have the tenant move. I'd also call their prior landlord and find out why they did not disclose the animal hoarding during your application due diligence. These things typically have a long history.
Augusta, GA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
10y
Now you know why they have no problems paying above market rent.
No one else would rent to them with all these cats.
Sorry you are going through this. I agree with the idea of letting them stay, adding the pet deposit and socking the money away because in the end, this can be a challenge to take care of the odor.
On the other hand, if the contractor is not used to cats even one dirty litter box can cause a significant ammonia odor (cats consume a very high protein diet and thus produce a high urea content urine). Hopefully the odor is coming from the litter boxes and not from spraying or urinating on carpet (if there is carpet in the house).
Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2016 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
10y
Keeping all the animals and adding an addendum will not help. The animals need to go.
I would provide them with whatever notice to cure is required in your lease and legal jurisdiction. If that means immediate eviction filing, maybe give them a few days or a week to cure before that. And many times, you can get non-compliant tenants to move out before the eviction process plays out by talking with them.
I am not aware of a way to account for tons of pets unless you convert the property to a pet boarding business. Residential properties are not built for it. If you can get them down to, say, two approved pets and charge market pet deposits and pet rent, that would be a solution, but I am not optimistic that will work for a pet hoarder. I am not qualified in those types of behavioral matters. This is more serious than an addendum.
Property Manager · Rockville, MD · Member since 2014 · 287 posts · 29 votes
10y
@Mike Dymski thanks i agree it's not optimistic, if tenants have been trying to "get away with this for so long and every month he pushes a week for rent....
but lease ALLOWED pets, he just didn't disclose it, so i'm not sure if i can evict on that
Rental Property Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2013 · 6k+ posts · 4k+ votes
10y
Even though I love cats and have 2 of my own, the tenant disobeying your rules like this is a big red flag. What's next, a meth lab? The pets need to go. I would follow what @Mike Dymski said.
Portland, ME · Member since 2012 · 616 posts · 550 votes
10y
It might not be as bad as you think. I've had apartments with cats that really stunk and I was afraid there was damage. However, once the litter boxes were removed the odor was gone. The tenants simply didn't clean the box often enough.
I permit cats since they are so easy for tenants to sneak in anyway, but limit it to two. I've found that most people can't keep up with the cleaning required for 3 or more cats and have even had odor get into the hallways.
This reminds me, I need to go clean the cat's box!
Rental Property Investor · Exeter, CA · Member since 2016 · 60 posts · 35 votes
10y
Bad mistake to rent without having the tenant sign a pet addendum. It's too late now. You cannot evict if your lease doesn't specifically mention about pets. I say just charge them with the damages for getting the smell out of the home after their lease ends.
Augusta, GA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
10y
"but lease ALLOWED pets, he just didn't disclose it, so i'm not sure if i can evict on that"
If the lease allowed pets (and especially did not specify a number) then you cannot evict because of this.
This would be different than if the lease specified "no pets" and the tenant snuck them in. This doesn't seem to be the case here.
You could stop by and do an inspection and, if need be, be honest in the concerns over where the odor is coming from. Explain that if this is due to cats spraying on walls and/or urinating on carpet repairs for this damage at move out will be charged to the tenant and may cost thousands as this often can involve removing carpet, padding, subfloor and drywall in the process. Encourage the tenant to make certain the litter boxes are changed often to prevent accidents (I keep mine in a bathtub in a bathroom we don't use). Encourage them NOT to flush the kitty litter down the toilet.
It's a delicate situation but many pet owners do become immune to the odor their pets cause.
Real Estate Investor · Williamson County, TX · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 961 votes
10y
If I hired a PM who allowed my property to be damaged to a great extent by "non-disclosed" cats, AND renewed the lease, I would consider suing for damages. Do you not maintain/inspect the property? What is your job?
Investor · Birmingham, AL · Member since 2016 · 446 posts · 305 votes
10y
I know of an apartment that had a cat lady. A complete gut including the subfloor......it still smelled of cat urine. It is currently gutted and stinking.......4 years later.
Investor · Miami, FL · Member since 2016 · 5 posts · 3 votes
10y
I have had the unfortunate experience of having to remove subflooring in order to get rid of catburine smell. Nothing will get rid of it except removal of the soaked substrates. Good luck.
St Thomas, Ontario · Member since 2013 · 575 posts · 408 votes
10y
@Atwan Kwan I think the first step is a detailed maintenance inspection. Go and assess the issue, establish the number of cats present, and find out the areas that are the source of the odor. At minimum the tenant needs to be instructed that they must exercise better hygiene, and I would put this in writing in case you have to sue in small claims for damages. You need to establish a written history documenting this problem and your efforts to mitigate damages. I agree with @Mike Dymski on the need to reduce the number of cats and @Franklin Romine's suggestion of invoking municipal ordinances, which often limit the number of animals that can live in a residence. I think you are taking this too lightly. How many wrecked units have you had to rehab? This unit is going to be in extremely poor condition unless this problem is ameliorated now. A few late fees will not begin to compensate for having to rip out flooring and more. You have a problem right now and the time to address it is right now.
In an ideal world your tenant with the late payment record would progress to nonpayment and you could immediately evict for that. Then the tenant and the tenant's use of your property as a cattery would head off into the sunset.