Many people have animals and are looking for pet-friendly rentals. Of course, as a landlord, you have the right to deny renters with pets unless they are designated service animals. But if you want to protect your property from damage caused by pets, you’ll want to charge a pet deposit, fee, or pet rent.
Charging a pet deposit or fee isn’t the only thing you can do as a landlord. You can also decide which types of animals you will allow in your suites. This can be very helpful as some animals will cause more damage or disturbance to the neighboring suites than others. So, what kind of animals should you allow your tenants to have?
- Dogs: Dogs are usually great household pets, but they can damage your property. The most common types of damage will typically include scratched floors, carpet stains, ripped or damaged carpet, pet odors, or scratched walls and doors. You can choose which type and size of dogs you think are appropriate for the property. For example, if there are certain breeds that you think are too big for your property, you can exclude these types of animals.
- Cats: Like dogs, cats can cause the same damage. Cats may be more likely to scratch walls, window coverings, or furniture if you rent your properties fully furnished. Cat odors or damage from their litter boxes can also cause significant damage to your property.
- Rodents: Rodent animals like ferrets, guinea pigs, rabbits, and other small furry creatures can cause significant damage to a rental suite. They will also scratch floors and doors but may also chew on electrical cords, damage electrical outlets, rip up carpets, or their feces may damage flooring or furniture. If they are not properly restrained, these animals are also likely to get stuck in small spaces or lost in the building.
- Fish: Fish are an excellent pet for renters, provided that their aquarium is not too big, large tanks can be a potential damage hazard if they were to break or leak. Aquariums may also give off some odors but otherwise will not damage your property. If you decide to allow fish, specify a cap on the size of tank your renters can have.
- Reptiles: Like fish, most reptiles are usually confined to terrariums, so they shouldn’t cause damage to your walls or flooring. However, like aquariums, terrariums are a water damage risk if they were to break the heat lamps that many terrariums require may also pose a fire risk if not correctly used.
- Birds: Birds are typically kept in cages, so they shouldn’t cause too much damage to the suite itself, but they are noisy. So you can expect renters with birds to cause noise disturbances for your other tenants.
As a landlord, you need to think carefully about the types of animals you are willing to allow into your suites. Make sure that any rental fees you charge for your tenants’ pets will cover the damage their animals are capable of doing. We can offer you our expert advice and services to help you arrange the best rental agreements for your tenants with pets. Learn more here: {{account:url}}