SFR Investor · Dallas, TX · Member since 2009 · 29 posts · 23 votes
15y
I think that too many people have pets for you to completely disallow them.
We have a list of dog breeds which we do not allow for insurance purposes. We also have a weight limit for dogs. We charge a refundable pet deposit plus $20/mo pet rent which is nonrefundable.
SFR Investor · Dallas, TX · Member since 2009 · 29 posts · 23 votes
15y
I think that too many people have pets for you to completely disallow them.
We have a list of dog breeds which we do not allow for insurance purposes. We also have a weight limit for dogs. We charge a refundable pet deposit plus $20/mo pet rent which is nonrefundable.
SFR Investor · CB, IA · Member since 2011 · 91 posts · 42 votes
15y
I've been lucky enough not to have any pet owners yet. I think the fees and extra deposit would make it worth a look though. Pets are negotiable; smoking in the house isn't.
Handyman · Rural Hall, NC · Member since 2010 · 6 posts · 6 votes
15y
I allow pets in my rental with a 200.00 non refundable pet deposit. I also pick my rent up every month so I know how my house is being treated. IMO I think it makes me sleep better at night to know what the pets are doing in my house so its worth it for me to stop by and pick up the rent check. So far so good,
Real Estate Investor · Baltimore, MD · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 268 votes
15y
Originally posted by Josh Tollenaer:
I allow pets in my rental with a 200.00 non refundable pet deposit. I also pick my rent up every month so I know how my house is being treated. IMO I think it makes me sleep better at night to know what the pets are doing in my house so its worth it for me to stop by and pick up the rent check. So far so good,
Residential Real Estate Broker · Grand Blanc, MI · Member since 2008 · 885 posts · 316 votes
15y
I allow pets. However, I charge 1.5 month's rent for a security deposit with pets. If there are no pets, then the deposit is one month rent.
At least if the tenant feels they stand a chance in getting the deposit back at the end of the lease they're more likely to ensure the pets don't trash the house. If you charge a flat fee on top of the rent to cover pet damage, who's to say the amount you collected will cover the damage? If the tenant has a vested interest in knowing that they could get the money back (assuming no damages), you'll be further ahead in the long run.
I also have breed restrictions. My insurance company doesn't have any restrictions, but I do.
Commercial Real Estate Broker · Memphis, TN · Member since 2010 · 151 posts · 82 votes
15y
Keep it simple. You don't want to completely exclude them as it will diminish your potential tenant base.
Charge a flat fee $300 dog, $200 cat. This is nonrefundable. They should not be surprised by this as everyone else is charging it too. Rarely will you find an owner allowing pets with no extra fees.
Have an addendum that they sign stating that the are paying a NONREFUNDABLE pet fee and they are allowed to have 1 dog, 1 cat etc. You can use this as a lease violation if they pay for 1 and you show up for maintenance, etc and they have 3. You will then get the "i am watching this one for a friend" excuse, but just follow up in a timely fashion.
Investor · Aurora, CO · Member since 2009 · 200 posts · 74 votes
15y
I allow 1 dog under 50 lbs with $250/dog non refundable pet fee. It would have to be little dogs to have more than that. I also let them know that any damage will come out of their regular security deposit, not the pet fee.
Absolutely no cats. Ripped up carpet is much much easier to deal with than cat urine.
Real Estate Investor · Long Beach, CA · Member since 2011 · 74 posts · 17 votes
15y
Originally posted by George P.:
Can you charge for replacing the carpets in certain rooms (spots or smell) without running into "it's normal wear and tear" resistance?
Take these costs into consideration when calculating the pet/rental deposit. You should be able to deduct it from the deposit after vacancy and be sure to give yourself enough time (30+ days) to return deposit so you can take care of all the repairs before giving any money back. There should be no resistance if you include an itemized account of what you spent the deposit on with the refund (or letter explaining why there is none).