Imagine you have a tenant that has been paying rent on time, taking care of your property, and generally being a wonderful resident, until one day they ask you if they can get a pet. This is a question that comes up fairly often, and it can be a sometimes difficult choice. You don’t want to risk losing a reliable tenant, but you also have to think about what it will mean for your property.
If pets were not part of the original agreement, it might be hard to start allowing them for many reasons. You might be worried about the potential damages a pet can cause to your property. You also might worry about loud and incessant barking or damages to the yard. These are things that could happen, but they also might not be much of an issue, depending on the pet and the effort put in by the tenant to keep them in check.
How You Can Protect Yourself
If you decide that you will allow your tenant to get a pet, here are some things that you can do to put your mind at ease:
Meet the Pet
If you request that you meet the pet in question, you will be able to see how the owners treat them and see if the size will be suitable for your rental home. You can also ask the tenant what kind of pet they want before they get one, or even require that they approve it with you beforehand. Specify which animals you are okay with, and which breeds you prefer.
Add New Pet Clauses to the Existing Agreement
You need to make it clear to your tenants what their responsibilities are when they have their pet on your property. They need to fully understand what the newly added clauses mean and what will happen if they breach any part of the lease. Important clauses to add can include regular cleaning inside the home, picking up waste, and more.
Doing a “pre-pet” Inventory
You will need to update your current inventory to include photo evidence of what the property looks like before the pet is allowed, and be sure to get the tenants to date and sign this evidence. This is done to make sure that there cannot be any arguments as to what was damaged before or after the pet, and whether or not you need to keep the security deposit. The tenant needs to understand that they will be liable for any damages caused by their pet.
Regular Property Inspection
It is always a good idea to do property inspections, especially in properties where there are pets. By having your property management company do regular inspections, you will be able to see if there has been any damage done. If a problem is caught quickly, it will cost less to fix.
Charge an Extra Payment For The Pet
Your property management company may advise that you charge a pet security deposit. This is to cover the costs of having the property professionally cleaned once the tenant leaves. You also may have the right to charge a “pet-rent” in order to pay for more frequent inspections.
Insurance
The insurance that you have on your property may not include damage caused by pets, so you should contact your insurer to make provision for this. You might also ask your tenant to get renter’s insurance as well if they don’t already have it.
Deciding to allow your tenant to get a pet can sometimes be a difficult decision. At Specialized Property Management Fort Worth, we work hard to make sure your property stays in good condition, no matter what. Whether or not you decide to allow pets, we can help you with tenant screening, rent collection, and maintenance whenever you and your tenants need it. Contact us today for a quote by calling us at 817-886-9220 or check us out online!
