Do you allow pets? Why or why not?

[James Guillot]

Do you allow pets on your lease? I currently don't have any rentals, and I'm trying to get a feel for the landlord mindset before I switch over in a couple years.

Out of the flips that I've done, I have spent far more repairing or removing damage from cats than I have dogs. Personally, I prefer dogs, and I wouldn't have an issue with most breeds. Cats are okay, but the damage they cause with stains and smells is hard to ignore.

The way I see it, location is the most important factor for dogs, though. Small rental+big city=bored dogs (especially large and high energy breeds). Bored dogs do quite a bit of damage, so if it's a 1200 sq ft house in a big city, I would probably stick to lap dogs only, or none at all. One the other hand, in areas that are more suburban or rural, large and high energy breeds don't seem to be as much of a problem and would be more likely to be covered in a pet deposit.

I understand that much of it has more to do with the owners than the animal. What are your thoughts? Does anyone have any tenant animal horror stories?

[Stuart Udis]

I allow cats and dogs in all of my properties. Nearly half of my tenants have a dog or cat, some both.  I would severely limit my prospective tenant pool by implementing a restriction. I find responsible tenants generally = responsible pet owners.  I also have no carpeted units. That may influence restrictions, particularly for cats.