Which do you prefer Dogs vs cats?

[Bradley LaBrie]

I’m a new landlord and I just finished my first BRRRR/HouseHack combo. I’m finding it difficult to get qualified tenants in who don’t have animals so I’m considering allowing them in my units. Question is there’s pros and cons for dogs and cats. Which have you had the best luck with? Thank you, Bradley

[James Galla]

I'm allergic to cats, so that is an automatic no go from me. Consider:

1. Are the units configured for pets? Do they have carpets or hard flooring?
2. Pet deposit
3. Pet rent
4. What size is the animal?
5. Have you met the animal? Is it aggressive?
6. Is the animal trained? Trained animals often have certificates
7. Even if the animal is trained, is the animal aggressive? Does it come with an anti-aggressive training certificate?
8. Are the tenants cleanly? Do they clean the animal?
9. How much attention do the tenants give the animal? Do they leave for work the entire day so they animal can urinate all over the carpet and it can marinate for 8-hour shifts at a time?
10. How old is the animal? Is it old and calm or young and chewing through drywall?
11. What does the prior landlord say about the animal's damage to the property - did the carpet smell? Did the place get destroyed, did the pet deposit actually account for the damage, etc?
12. Is the pet vaccinated and registered? Not doing these things demonstrates neglect of the owner.
13. How noisy is the animal? Will they bark until your other tenants move out, citing the annoying animal as the cause for terminating the lease?

Those are just off the top of my head, but if you consider each factor, it can assist you in making a decision on whether having pets in your unit is the smart thing to do.