We Allow Pets, Just Not All Of Them

I have written before on pets.  Pets to me are a money maker.  Plus, a lot of folks have a pet.  If you do not allow them, you cut out a large part of the market and a decent income stream.  So we allow pets, just not all of them.   There are certain pet types and breeds that are against the rules.

Pets That Are Not Allowed

Certain Dog Breeds – Sorry Pit Bull and Doberman lovers, these and other large dog breeds are not allowed.  They have been shown to have aggressive traits which along with their size make them a no go.  It is not just us, our insurance is the main problem. They require that we not allow them.  Yes, I have met many “nice” large dogs and hate to paint with the broad brush but that is just the way it is.

Large Animals – We do not allow any animals over 20 pounds.  Many of our properties are smaller and not the proper place for a larger animal.  Plus, larger animals are just going to cause more wear and tear and be potentially upsetting to other tenants.  So I’m sorry but if you have a shaggy sheep dog, you cannot rent from us.

More Than Two – Have you ever been in the “cat lady’s” house?  Sure you have.  You have smelled the result of having too many cats.   I do not want that smell coming into my property.  It is simply too hard to get rid of.  The best way to eliminate that concern is to just limit the number of pets a tenant can have.

Odd or “Creepy” Pets – A cat or a small dog is fine, but we do not allow anything else.  That includes reptiles, rodents, insects or other mammals.  We actually say in our lease, “Nothing we deem creepy.”  Sorry folks, you will have to go elsewhere with your snake, rabbit, mice, hissing cock roaches (gross!) or ferret.  I’m sure they make lovely pets, just not in our property.

No Dogs In Our Multi-Family Buildings – Dogs bark.  It is what they do.  They may bark when people are leaving.  They may bark when people are coming home.  They may bark at any type of noise or movement.  That bark and annoys the other tenants.  Barking dogs have caused us so many problems and phone calls in the past that we just no longer allow them in our multi-family units.

Enforcing The Rules

You can also make similar rules for your rental properties.  If you do, you are going to have to work a bit to enforce them.  Tenants will often try to push the limits with you or cover up what type of pet they really have.  How?

They will say they only have two cats when they really have four.

They will say their pit bull is a “mixed breed.”

They will flat out lie and say they have no pets.

We try to catch these issues early on in one of two ways.  First, we will conduct an inspection upon move in or soon thereafter.  It is usually obvious if they have a pet or have more than they said.

Second, we always have to “meet” the dog.   We want to verify the breed and the size.  We “trust but verify.”  Plus, when you state that you are going to have to meet the animal, many of your potential pet problems will suddenly go away.   It is amazing how many people with “mixed breeds” never call back.

Allowing pets can be a great way to improve your potential tenant base and income stream.  But, just allowing all pets can be problematic.  So, you should develop some rules on what you will and will not allow.  Hopefully this post will help guide you towards doing just that.