How to deal with pets

Question

All,

I'm a first-time landlord, we're looking to rent our first property as it is.  I have a SFH that is entirely tile, so floors are pretty durable.  My question is this, I set a non-refundable pet deposit that is half a months rent and a stipulation that the animals must be under 50 lbs.

I have a potential tenant who claims that the pet deposit is unreasonable and her two dogs don't cause damage. How should I handle this? She's asking that I negotiate the deposit, should I budge? Is half a months rent too much? Should it be non-refundable?

Nathan Gesner · Answer

Is this your property or hers? You set the policy, not some stranger. If she's willing to accuse you of being unreasonable, then let her find another pet-friendly property.

I recommend you only negotiate when the market demands it or when you have a really good prospect that you don't want to lose. Don't negotiate just because the tenant demands it.

Krystallin Baker · Answer

I am a renter and I have a dog. He is good about not damaging the property. He doesn't chew walls, he's fully house trained, etc, but dogs, by nature, do add extra wear and tear. Almost every rental I have lived in I have been required to pay a pretty hefty dog fee that was non-refundable. I personally think you should stick to what you have set. As a pet owner, I calculated in the cost of extra deposits and rent fees when I adopted my dog. That's the reality of owning a pet and not owning your own house. When I find a landlord that is dog-friendly, even if it requires me paying fees and deposits, I'm grateful that they are allowing me to bring my dog into the property. So I say, good work on being willing to provide housing to dog owners, but stick to your guns. Those four extra feet will add extra wear on the property. :)

Kyle Coleman · Answer

It may have been, honestly its because I was nervous about having pets in the first rental I ever rented out.  I set it to something that I thought very few people would pay unless they were really keen on living there. I didnt really want to rent to animal owners, but I didnt think I should rule it out completely.  However, $25-35/mo per animal in my area is fairly common.  Just the fact that I was asking for it up front was a little different.

I think i'm going to scrap renting to pet owners all together and not have to worry about it.

Thomas S. · Answer

Reject her application.

My preference would be to charge a higher monthly rent. $50 - $100 per month more for as long as they rent. Pet owners will pay almost anything as they know it is difficult to find landlords that allow pets.

I would pass on this applicant regardless, she has a aggressive personality and you do not want her as a tenant. She will be a bad tenant and fight you on everything. Reject.

Steve Vaughan · Answer

You're welcome, Kyle.  Glad to help if I can!

In my market, 'pet rent' is pretty standard so it would definitely be an option. Unfortunately, also standard is people getting a note online certifying the animal as protected and no longer a 'pet'.  There goes your 'pet rent', but you've at least had it for a time.    I urge increase deposits for everyone just in case an animal gets involved.

$25/mo (depending on the rent rate) probably won't cause too much urgency with your tenant to go get a piece of paper on ya.   Good luck!

Kyle Coleman · Answer

I realize "non-refundable deposit" was erroneous now. Thanks for pointing it out.  I changed it to "fee". Thanks for your other information as well, would you consider allowing someone to pay it via increased rent, or should it be up front?

Thanks,

Kyle Coleman · Answer

I appreciate the insight, I didnt intend on budging in the sense that I would lower the payment.  The budging I was thinking was converting it to a monthly payment of increased rent so that they don't have to come up with an extra 750 bucks right from the get-go. That comes out to $62.5/mo and pretty close to what another poster said of 30/mo per animal.

MIchael Rickerd · Answer

Non-refundable pet fee at lease signing, definitely.

Monthly 'pet rent', definitely.

Do not budge! If I had a tenant negotiating with me about one of my properties and the requirements I imposed I would not rent to them. That is a terrible foot to start off on, letting them manipulate you before they even live in your house! You need to train your tenants. Also, even bringing up the fact that you are considering budging may mean you need to have a sit down with yourself, and really look inside to see if you have what it takes to be a landlord.

Remember, be firm, fair and friendly. This includes both your interactions with your tenants, and with yourself.

Jen R. · Answer

@Steve Vaughan - are you saying that by changing the wording from "pet fee", you then charge your "animal" fee when renting to someone with a service or emotional support animal? I'm not a lawyer, but I'm certain that any extra fees are disallowed for these animals, as they are considered to be equal to medical equipment.

Kyle Coleman · Answer

I tend to agree with you, I was only teetering on the idea of letting her pay the fee monthly instead of making her come up with the cash up front. Don't worry, I'm not about to get bullied on my first rental. :)

How to deal with pets

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