As a Chowchilla rental property owner, you need to establish clear expectations with your renters from your first interaction. One of the first considerations should be your pet policy. The decision to permit pets in your rental home is one that only you can make. Both choices have advantages and disadvantages, which can every so often make it more difficult to make a hard-and-fast decision. If you do decide to allow pets, you need to have your pet policy clearly outlined and prepare to go over it with your renter when they sign the lease. You ought to likewise set strong expectations with your renter pet owners, take account of what type and how many pets are allowed, pet deposits and fees, monthly charges, vaccination and behavior requirements, how you’ll handle complaints, and the consequences for violating your pet policy. Further explanation of each of these topics is provided below.
Type and Number of Pets
By far, the most common pets that Americans have at home are dogs and cats. Your pet policy ought to contain details about any breed or size restrictions and how many pets are allowed. Be sure to check local regulations and follow any rules you find there. Smaller pets, like birds, fish, and hamsters, are also popular, hence, you must focus on the following types of pets in your lease documents.
Pet Deposit/Fee and Monthly Rent
It’s one of the drawbacks of allowing pets on the property: pets frequently bring about damage that may exceed regular wear and tear. For this reason, most rental property owners will charge a pet deposit or fee in addition to the standard security deposit. Many also charge additional pet rent monthly to help cover the additional property maintenance and repair expenses. While the amount you charge is up to you, it’s a good idea to do some research and see what other Chowchilla property managers charge for pets and follow suit.
Vaccination and Behavior Requirements
Aside from the financial responsibilities of rental pet owners, don’t forget to include any other obligations related to keeping pets in your lease. For example, many cities and counties have vaccination and licensing regulations, especially for dogs. By incorporating your local regulations in your lease and requiring your renter to follow them, you can better protect yourself and your property from potential legal issues. The same thing is true for pet behavior. In your lease, be sure to specify any restrictions on the behaviors of pets, such as excessive barking, allowing pets outside or off leash, or other potentially problematic behaviors. Outline clear consequences for violations of these and all requirements to help enforce your lease more easily.
Handling Complaints
Though your renter may love their pets, the neighbors could be less pleased to have them there. Pet complaints can be tough to handle because common complaints, such as excessive barking or pets roaming unleashed, do not have the things that the rental property owner has direct control over. You can set clear expectations with your renter about properly securing and leashing their pet and taking steps to keep their pet from making too much noise. Then, make a plan to handle repeated complaints, such as a system to issue warnings before going straight to breach of contract. This tactic may encourage your renter to be a more responsible pet owner.
Consequences for Violations
Although setting clear expectations can help lessen the possibility for renters to abuse your pet policy, they may still violate it anyway. One of the more common things renters will try is to sneak additional pets onto the property so they don’t have to pay the additional fees. Unauthorized pets are always a concern for landlords, whether you allow pets or not. Suppose your renter has too many pets, has an unauthorized species or breed, or otherwise violated your pet policy. In that case, you should document the situation carefully and notify the renter of the violation. If your state laws allow it, you could even include a fine for pet policy violations in your lease, which may offer an even stronger incentive for your renter to abide by the terms of their lease. Depending on the number and severity of the violation, after that, you need to do what needs to be done.
Allowing pets in your rental property can be good for your profits and tenant relations. But you need to have a clear and detailed pet policy that will help you establish and manage your tenant’s expectations right from the very beginning. If you would like some expert guidance and advice on the issue of allowing pets, why not give Real Property Management Valley Wide a call? We can help you outline your rental policies in high-quality rental documents, check your property regularly for hidden pets or other lease violations, and more! Contact us online or reach us at 209-722-7761.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
