Concerns about renters having chickens?

Question

I just found out that one of my tenants has pet chickens on the property. Does anyone see any concerns with this?

Marc Winter · Answer

@Griffin Thomas, what does your lease say? If the chickens have come home to roost and they are not on the lease, well, that's really nothing to crow about. Especially if they are free-ranging all over the yard. Chicken junk can really stink!

Does the tenant call them pets, fowl, food or emotional support animals? It does make a difference, so do your research.

Good luck!

Does the tenant call them pets, fowl, food or emotional support animals?  It does make a difference, so do your research.

Good luck!

Sean Ridlon · Answer

If it’s not breaking any laws I don’t care. If chickens makes it feel like home to them, they will stay longer.

Anne Smith · Answer

A couple of hens will have no more smell or mess or noise, if not less, than a dog would. Now if you're talking 20 hens, then smell might be an issue. But just a couple should be a non issue as long as they are zoned for it.

Jennifer Rysdam · Answer

I think it depends on where they live. If it's on acreage and they can legally have them and clean up after them then I'd say yes. You can also give them a number, like 4 and no roosters. Maybe make them pay an extra deposit to ensure that they take the mess with them when/if they move out some day.

Judy Parker · Answer

Does your lease have a Restoration Clause?

If, and when, the tenant has to vacate (for whatever reason, i.e. eviction), and they can't find another home that allows pets or chickens, what then? Are you prepared to inherit the coop, mess and chickens?

Anthony Wick · Answer

@Griffin Thomas

Well, ya. They crap everywhere and are farm animals that smell. Unless your property is rural, that’s a major problem.

Scott Mac · Answer

Hi Griffin,

If it were mine, I'd say no. The corner grocery store sells eggs.

Good Luck!

Matt R. · Answer

More and more cities are allowing this.  Often the law is you can't have a rooster, because noise, but hens are OK.  Sometimes the law says the birds must have adequate food, water, and shelter - just like for a dog that lives outside.  Look at the local ordinances to see what they say.

As long as the birds are outside, the coop/structure is reasonably well built, and the tenant keeps up with feeding, watering, and cleaning out the coop, I don't think it's a big deal.

"Reasonably well built" means, like, they didn't try to build a 10 foot tall coop with just a 1x2s in each corner - you don't want something that will fall over in a storm, and damage your house, the neighbors' house or kids or pets, etc.  Some people will buy pre-made chicken coops at the store, but some people that want to keep chickens are also very into DIY.

You might ask what the plan is for the winter.  Sometimes people will put an incandescent lamp or heater in the coop for the winter time.  If you have a GFCI outlet on the back of the house, and they run an outdoor extension cord from that to the coop - OK.  If you visit the property for maintenance, you might check to make sure the cord is in good shape, and ask them to replace it if it's not.  If they used an indoor-type extension cord outside, or if they bought a spool of (indoor type) Romex at the hardware store and DIY'd the electrical to the coop, that might be more of a problem.

Mary Buse · Answer

I let my tenant have a coop, provided he have a predator safe coop and NEVER bring them inside.  Problems that have arisen, he stuffed 7 birds in a 3 hen.coop, 4 died during the heat wave. He ordered another 5 birds as chicks, including 2 Roosters, and snuck them into a brooder inside his apartment.  The coop is very near my bedroom.window.  I've given him 30 day.notice to leave, as we were on a month to month term, hopefully he'll get out w no push back. People can be so disappointing

Evan Brookman · Answer

Have you restricted feeding animals in your lease? I don’t think it is not acceptable, but have you considered about the noise and the smell. Will it disturb your neighbors?

Concerns about renters having chickens?

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