By Tracy Minick
Pets and pet policies are one of the major stressors that landlords may face. Animals can often equal damage. Here are some best practices to help mitigate the risk and danger from a pet. Many cities are "pet-friendly." As a landlord, you will have to balance the inherent difficulties of pets with having quality tenants.
One of the many questions we get at the Resource Desk here at RHAWA has to do with service animals. Service animals are not pets and are not regulated in the same way as pets. While the tenant is responsible for any damage, you cannot charge the usual fees and deposits for service/ therapy/companion animals.
What Should You Do?
We suggest a few ideas that you can share with your applications and tenants. Best practice recommends that you write them into the lease using our Pet Addendum form. It might be tempting to simply say "no pets," but often people are looking to have a pet or already have one. For people renting single-family homes, chances are many of your tenants will want to have a pet, and often already do.
Get the Property Ready
If your prospective tenant is bringing in a dog, you might want to suggest that they look around at gardens and fencing to determine if the yard is pet-friendly. Modifications to the yard may need to be made with your approval. Any gardens or landscaping that might be sensitive may need to be fenced off. You might consider either raising the pet deposit, or write in something about grass and other yard item repairs at the end of the tenancy. Take multiple before and after photos. You want to make sure that your property is still in great shape, dog or not.
Get the Interior Ready
You and your tenant should look around the unit and see what needs to be done to reduce damage. Plastic edges on doorways or busy thoroughfares might be a solution to protect the paint. They are easily installed and help save repairs and deposits. Expensive carpets should be taken out in favor of easily replaceable rugs that will both protect floors but not be too expensive to replace. Make sure to make multiple pictures before and fill out the Property Condition Checklist form before you collect the deposit so you can properly charge repairs.
Training
When considering pets, especially dogs, consider if the dog has completed any obedience training. If the dog has any certifications, then that might ease your mind on letting the dog Onto the property. Also, consider if the dog is crate trained. This will reduce mess and the chances of the dog running around chewing up moldings and other expensive things to fix. For cats, consider if it sprays or has been spayed/ neutered. At the beginning of the tenancy is the time to discuss where a litter box might be placed and if it will be on plastic for cleanliness. You can even ask how often the litter box is cleaned.
Having a pet on your property can be done without destroying your investment. Meeting the animal and making your own assessment is always the best course of action. How the pet parent and pet interact will tell you a lot about how they will be together in your rental unit. Remember to take lots of before and after pictures as well as complete the RHAWA's form Property Condition Checklist and you can rent to a tenant with a pet with confidence. (Reprinted with Permission by RHAWA.ORG Cameron Cowan IKnowledge Steward).
About Tracy Minick ...
Real Estate Gladiators is a full-service, boutique real estate firm. We believe holding real estate is a crucial pan of securing our financial future and yours. We know what it takes to manage your property. We are passionate about income producing properties. Do you remember why you purchased your rental property in the first place? You wanted a higher quality of life, a secure investment, more free time to spend with your family. The same reasons why we invest. We are Property Management Gladiators. We are investors. Get back to your life and let us handle the details of your rental property. Everything we do is because we believe in how important our services are to our clients.
“REAPS is the oldest – and largest - Professional Association for the real estate investor this side of the Mississippi. We provide education and networking resources for real estate investors, those who want to be investors and anyone who provides value to our members. Our goals are to motivate and support our members and guests through education, discussion, legislative action and networking. We host over 40 live events a year around Puget Sound and they are all open to the public. If you've never attended one of our meetings, just email our office at [email protected] and be our guest for free!"
