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4 Pet Rules for Tenants

On 23rd September 2021

At 4:02 pm

In Advice

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If you are a landlord and you allow tenants to have pets in their apartments, there are certain rules which your tenants must follow in order to keep your property safe and well looked after.

Just like any other rule, some of these rules are reasonable and needed… and some are not. The “not so reasonable” rules include: Not allowing pets at all. This is the most common rule and is not a good idea. If your building has a significant number of pet owners, this could cause problems for your non-pet-owning tenants.

Renting to a pet-loving tenant can be very enjoyable for you and your wallet. However, there are some things you need to consider before you let your tenant bring his or her pets with them. If you are a landlord who allows pets, here are some important tips for you to consider your pet policy:

Make Sure Pets Are Up to Date on Vaccines and Tags

Make sure your tenants have their pets properly vaccinated. Get vaccine information from your vet; it may be different than what is required by your local government. In most cases, your city or county animal control office should have this information. If not, you may want to check with them for the requirements.

Also, make sure all pets are microchipped and that the information about the pet and the owner is up to date.

Make Sure Tenants Are Responsible for Their Pets

Tenants are legally responsible for their pets under the tenancy agreement, though most landlords don’t enforce this rule. If your lease has a clause for renting with pets, it’s up to you to enforce this clause and make your tenants responsible for their pets.

This will also give you a proper clause to terminate a tenancy agreement if your tenant begins to abuse this clause.

Keep Your Dog Leashed When Outside

Most landlords prefer that dogs not be kept by tenants. This is especially true if the building is residential and there are small children living in the building.

So, if you do allow your tenants to keep dogs, make sure they are kept on a leash at all times when they’re in shared spaces, such as hallways and gardens. This is to prevent the animal from causing trouble, get where it shouldn’t be or biting anyone.

Clean Up After Pet Accident

Have you ever had a tenant who had a pet and let the situation get out of control? If so, you know how unpleasant it can be to have to deal with a bunch of pet mess left around your house.

Most landlords require their tenants to clean up after their pets. This helps prevent odours, which in turn reduces the chance of complaints from other tenants and can also improve the value of your property.

Conclusion

Renting to animal lovers can be a real pain. Not only do they have to deal with noise, odour and other annoyances caused by their pets, they also have to deal with crazy pet owners.

However, if you are a responsible landlord, it needn’t be so. Follow these simple tips, and your next tenant with a pet will be handled much more easily than before.