Should I allow tenants with Pets?

[Peter Morgan]

Hello,

A prospective tenant reached out to me and they have a pet , they mentioned it as a small dog.

Will there be any issues renting to a tenant with a small dog? Any further questions that I need to ask them before I rent my apartment to them?

Thanks

[Erickson Sainval]

You open up your pool of renters when you allow pets. Usually whatever damage the pets do you can reconcile with charging a pet fee. I ty my best to capture a tenant with no pets before going for pets.

[Peter Morgan]

@Erickson Sainval

Thank You! This was helpful.Is $50 a month a fair pet fee?

[Dan Maciejewski]

That's something you 'should' decide before accepting applicants.  Then it's a hard no, or an "I have to interview the pet" situation.

I allow dogs as long as I can meet them first and I charge a pet fee (not extra rent).  Check with your local laws to see if you can charge a fee before doing that.

I allow pets because that makes us very desirable to my prospects.  That's a personal decision for your situation and client class.  I have tenants all making well above 80k household income, and when they move out, they usually buy a home, so they are not class C tenants at all.   

[Sharlene Mulchandani]

@Peter Morgan If you're allowing them to rent with a pet, then I recommend having a good pet policy in place. We charge a one time, non-refundable pet fee - most landlords usually charge anywhere between $50-$500 for pet fees, which you can use for any damages. You can charge this fee, depending on the amount of risk presented by the pet. Additionally, we charge a small monthly amount for pet rent, where you can charge anywhere from $10-$80 each month. Pet fees (whether one time or monthly rent) are not legal in every state, so I suggest you refer to your state laws as well.

[Chris M.]

@Peter Morgan Be prepared to replace all the carpets in the unit, if you have any, when the tenant moves out. Cover the expense with a monthly pet fee or upfront fee as others have mentioned.