Tenants with pit bulls as service pets

[Raj Tekchandani]

I am looking at a MF which has some tenants with pit bulls as service dogs. Would that be an issue with getting insurance ?

[Marcia Maynard]

1.  There are some insurance companies that will insure a property with pit bulls.

2.  Many people fake having a disability and buy credentials for their "service animal" off the internet. Many landlords do not ask for proper verification.

If the property is a good deal, no reason not to go forward with the purchase. If the existing tenants are problematic, you may be taking a headache off the current owner's hands and may be able to get a discount on the price.

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Actual experience.... we bought a fully tenanted 8-plex with two units that had pit bulls. As usual, when we took possession, we introduced ourselves to the tenants by letter and arranged appointments to meet with the tenants of each unit. They were on month-to-month rental agreements. Our first move was to get the tenants onto our rental agreement. This could be done by terminating their rental agreement with 30-days notice and resigning with ours, or by mutual agreement of all parties to switch to our rental agreement. Our rental agreement requires the owners of pets or the owners of service animals to complete an addendum to the rental agreement that covers their responsibilities as an owner of a pet/animal. Our tenants didn't claim their pit bulls as service animals, just as pets. Either way, landlords are able to establish rules related to the care and presence of animals kept on the property. With the new rental agreement place, we proceeded with catching up on deferred maintenance and won over the good will and cooperation of the tenants. As the tenants became familiar with our management style (such as a more hands on presence than their previous landlord and enforcing the terms of the rental agreement), the undesirable tenants, including the two with pit bulls, decided to leave on their own. Fast forward 12 years... two of the original tenants (without pitbulls) still reside at the complex. Those tenants have cats that we grandfathered in. One of the cats is a bonafide assistance animal for their owner who has a disability.