Opinions wanted: Dogs allowed in rental house?

[jujsky]

My dogs are well-exercised and we keep their nails trimmed. They've still done damage to windowsills and our hardwood floors. They put their paws on the windowsills to look out the windows (big gouge marks) and there are scratches in the hardwood from running and playing, or slipping and digging in with their claws in an effort not to fall. I have 2 German Shepherds. While I don't care so much because this is my house, I would probably feel differently if I was renting out a house to people with dogs. I would have made the policy very clear-cut though -- either allow all pets, allow certain pets (cats only, for example), or no pets. Those rules about keeping the dogs outside, or only letting that one dog inside in certain places? That's not going to happen. If I was renting a house and could find one that allowed dogs at all, I would tell that landlord anything he/she wanted to hear. If they have a S&R dog, they have invested a lot of time, effort, training, and love into that dog. There is no way it's going to be anything less than part of the family. And if they have one dog in the house already, what would stop them from having all three in the house? How would you know they were doing it? They are obviously dog lovers, and if the weather is bad or the dogs are lonely, they are NOT going to leave them outside.

 

The other thing to consider is your neighbors. If the dogs are left outside, they are more than likely going to bark. If they're used to being inside with their owners and they're lonely and upset, I can guarantee they are going to bark even more. Neighbors will call the animal control officer. Animal control officer will come over and tell your tenants about noise ordinances. Tenants will bring the dogs inside because to their way of thinking, they have no other choice. They've signed this lease with you, but they can't turn around and give up their dogs.

 

If you are uncomfortable about this, don't do it. You either need to let them keep the dogs in the house and factor the damage costs into the rent/deposits, or tell them no pets at all and start looking for other tenants.

 

ETA: FWIW, less damage has been done to our hardwood floors than to our carpet when we had it downstairs (we still have it upstairs). When one of our dogs was young, she dug at it and ripped a huge hole in it. We replaced the carpet, but it got so gross and worn-out with dirty paws and pet puke. We bought a steam-vac, and I'd clean the carpets regularly, but they were totally disgusting. The hardwood is easier to take care of, and even with the scratches it has here and there, it looks MUCH nicer after 2 years than our carpet did after a year. We currently have a puppy so we've faced several pee-pee accidents over the last few weeks. The hardwood floors make the clean-up ridiculously easy and there is no lingering odor like there was with the carpets.

Edited May 30, 2011 by jujsky

[i.love.lucy]

This thread makes me sad. I am a renter and a responsible dog owner. My dog has NEVER peed, pooped or barfed in the house. Ever. She is the joy of our family. We have just been told (literally 2 days ago) that our landlord wants us to break our lease and move so he can sell the house. Now we are looking for a new house and already finding many won't take pets. I GUARANTEE that this house has been way better cared for by us, a family with a dog, than the 4 single guys that lived here before us. :glare: Those guys were pigs that tore this house up, I have the "before" photos to prove it.

 

I think with so many people moving for jobs or downsizing or foreclosures the rental market is hot when the buying market is not. It makes landlords unwilling to rent to pet owners and I wonder how many loved family pets wind up in the shelter because people like me can't afford a $1500 deposit :mad: in addition to the first months rent and regular security deposit, deposits on all the utilities and movers.

 

I know what's done is done, but I wouldn't have invested that kind of money into refinishing the floors before selling it because no matter if someone has a pet, the potential to damage them is there. I hope you can trust that they will abide by your rules.

[StephanieZ]

IMHO, if someone has an indoor dog, they are going to bring that dog in the house, no matter what they tell you! (I personally only have indoor dogs, and could not, even for a week, keep them outside. Could just not happen emotionally.)

 

So, if you want to rent to these folks, offer them a way to do so that is a win-win. The floors are going to get scuffed. I'd offer a $500 non refundable pet deposit ASSUMING you'll have the floors lightly sanded & refinished upon moveout. (The extra $1500 deposit can be used if you have to go beyond a $500 light sand/seal job.)

[Donna A.]

This thread makes me sad. I am a renter and a responsible dog owner. My dog has NEVER peed, pooped or barfed in the house. Ever. She is the joy of our family. We have just been told (literally 2 days ago) that our landlord wants us to break our lease and move so he can sell the house. Now we are looking for a new house and already finding many won't take pets. I GUARANTEE that this house has been way better cared for by us, a family with a dog, than the 4 single guys that lived here before us. :glare: Those guys were pigs that tore this house up, I have the "before" photos to prove it.

 

I think with so many people moving for jobs or downsizing or foreclosures the rental market is hot when the buying market is not. It makes landlords unwilling to rent to pet owners and I wonder how many loved family pets wind up in the shelter because people like me can't afford a $1500 deposit :mad: in addition to the first months rent and regular security deposit, deposits on all the utilities and movers.

 

I know what's done is done, but I wouldn't have invested that kind of money into refinishing the floors before selling it because no matter if someone has a pet, the potential to damage them is there. I hope you can trust that they will abide by your rules.

 

:iagree: And I think you mean "before renting it" in your last paragraph.... But honestly, how do you (to the OP) know that a family without any pets wouldn't cause damage to the floors? I think that possibility is at least as realistic as the pet scenario.

 

We have a dog and two cats. We're moving into a rental in July, in which some rooms are hardwood floors, and some are carpeted. As a pet owner, I find carpeted floors MUCH harder to keep clean than hardwood. (I've lived in houses w/hardwood in the past... grew up in one, in fact, and have almost always had pets of some kind as I grew up on a farm.) Even if my pets NEVER throw up or pee on the floor, I still have hair to clean up which is much more difficult to get out of carpeting.

 

The amount of deposit a landlord can charge varies by state. The state we're moving to has a restriction of no more than half the amount of a month's rent for pets. We paid an amount equal to a full month's rent as our "security" deposit, but then we paid an additional $599 for the pets. (I think it's refundable, but we do have to have the carpeted areas professionally cleaned before we move out, and cannot get our deposit back without proof of professional cleaning. I'm okay with that. I'd do the same in my own home.) But the rule for pets by the leasing agency is $200 per cat and $250 per dog. That totals $650, which we were quite willing to pay because frankly, we expected it to be more. (We've never lived in that state before and have always had to pay at least a full month's rent for pets in other states.) However, because $650 is more than half our month's rent, we can only be charged a total of $599 for our 3 pets. (Rent is $1199.)

 

I am VERY thankful for this law because, even though we expected to have to pay more, I think that half a month's rent in addition to the normal security deposit is fair and reasonable. We'll be renters for the first time in over 7 years, and prior to that it was military housing (so different rules). For the previous 12 years or so that we rented, we got tired of being gouged for other people's irresponsibility. :glare: It seemed the laws (and leases) ALWAYS favored the landlord... when many landlords are, in fact, nothing more than slumlords who don't want to spend a dime more than necessary out of their own pockets while sitting back collecting rent from the serfs. (Not saying you are that, OP... just speaking from a *responsible* renter's POV, as this responsibility issue works both ways.)

 

Anyway.... We only looked at two other homes before the one we chose to commit to. I *do* understand the concern about irresponsible pet owners. I do. One of the homes we looked at was obviously the home of at least one cat. The extremely full litter box in the basement which appeared not to have been cleaned out for a couple of weeks or more just made me want to :ack2: and is frustrating for giving us "clean" pet owners a bad name.

 

But trust me, the other home we looked at was FAR worse. It was rented by a single guy who was obviously a heavy duty partier. The carpets were ruined. The place was disgusting. Liquor bottles all over the place... the leasing agent commented that they were going to have to replace that carpeting. He also commented that the tenant was breaking his lease. The home with the neglected litter box (as well as two small children, btw), was in MUCH better condition than the one with the single guy and no pets.

 

Having pets does NOT automatically equal "great damage to the home". :rolleyes: Now the question is.... is OUR landlord going to be a responsible property owner? Renters have concerns about who they're renting FROM, too. Or at least the responsible ones do. ;)

Edited May 30, 2011 by Donna A.

[Donna A.]

I'm quite sure my opinion is going to go over like a lead balloon to the pro-pet responders, but I'm speaking as one who has been in the rental home business for many years.

 

You've already given a dangerous set of inches to these people.

 

I can tell they gave you the bleeding heart --- weve-put-alot-of-money-into-little-Stanley-and-we're-concerned-he'll-get-stolen, yadayadayada

 

Under NO circumstances would Fifi be allowed in that home, especially with refinished hardwood floors out of which YOU CANNOT retract urine stench. It is the RARE person who will keep their word on pets as the VAST majority of pet owners see their dogs in an almost human capacity and, esp if it's a prized dog as this one is ---- "Fifi's lonely...she's wimpering in there....we'll just put a blanket here on the couch and make her stay here....I'll just run potty during this commercial....'Now, Fifi, you stay here now, ok.......(as Fifi hops down and hikes his leg on your walls and floors....and THEY WILL inevitably do this neutered or not.").

 

Not only would I have told them up front that the $1500 deposit is required up front for the dog who ISN'T ALLOWED IN MY HOME NO MATTER WHAT. But, I'd have also required a potentially refundable damage deposit that would be contingent on my final walk through of the place and I have let them know up front that I was walking through the place with my pee-detector-fluourescent-light (Petsmart) so I could make a note of how things look before they move in and that I'd be doing it again when they vacated and that if I saw ANY urine on my walls or floors, that I'd utilize that (CASH) damage deposit.

 

Always remember that THIS IS YOUR HOME which you are allowing them to reside in. It's your rules, no apologies. Home ownership comes with lot of privileges such as making your own rules.

 

I'd NEVER have given her the option of the dog in the crate as you'd have better luck finding a three-legged ballerina than her not letting Wendall out of there on especially "cold nights" "stormy nights when he's terrified", etc.

 

We were burned WAY to many times and should've quit with the pets YEARS ago.

 

Is she liable when little Stanley bites someone? Nope.

 

I'd think nothing of calling her and in a nice way saying, "You know, I've really been bothered by my changing my policy and allowing your dog in the crate inside, because even though you've gotten a great character reference and I trust you, I really can't start a policy that I can't allow for all tenants in the future, so ....."

 

You'd be really generous with the doggie door in the outbuilding, but I'd spring for this with this one tenant LONG before I'd allow the crate.

 

Oh...and back to my fluorescent light....this also helps them be responsible with their company bringing THEIR pets over. They'll be more likely to keep company/visitors/relatives from bringing Mimi over if they know that if Mimi sprays the once, then THEY are out the damage deposit.

 

This will sound harsh and cruel to people, but, even despite my being HIGHLY selective about the character references of those to whom we rent, we have been burned (by tenants taking advantage and tearing up things) in the VAST majority of cases.

 

This is YOUR home and you have to do what you need to protect this asset (esp with hardwood floors).

 

Good luck.

 

And speaking for the rest of us responsible renters..... :D This is the kind of landlord I would like to avoid, because I'd feel like no matter WHAT I do to leave the home in good condition, you would find something wrong with it. :confused: I'm sorry you've been burned by irresponsible renters, but there ARE risks that go along with owning rental property, yes?

[RobinF]

I haven't read all the responses but we are renters with outside only dogs and we pay a non refundable pet deposit on top of our regular deposit and it is a fee per dog.

[kolamum]

As a renter it drives me nuts when landlord's don't trust indoor pets. I understand WHY, but it drives me insane. Why? Because I wouldn't have a pet in my home that couldn't behave. ;)

 

We have wood floors in this home and the dog doesn't scratch them in any way shape or form. I'm confused as to what you're worried about with the dog on the floor. Pottying, chewing, scratching?

 

I'd say a Search & Rescue dog will be well trained in many areas of it's life. They spend HOURS training these animals. They have to pass rigorous testing too!! I can't imagine a dog being trained to all that and not behaving in the house.

[JeneralMom]

We are renters and have pets. Unfortunately, the people before us ran a cat/dog shelter out of the house that the landlord did not know about and the carpets are permanently stained, and the house smells of cat urine. She lives out of state, and when I walked through to rent the house it had just been cleaned and aired so I only noticed the stains on the carpet and was assured they would be removed by the professional carpet cleaners by the agent. Fast forward one year when the landlord came in to do her annual inspection. She blamed me for all the stains and the smells, the scratched carpet and the back yard full of dirt (and not grass). Luckily, the handyman finally came clean with her and told her he knew about the shelter and was able to tell her exactly what damage had been done by the previous renters. I am still sure she will keep my deposit (which was ridiculously high in my opinion, coming from KS where things like that are regulated) so that she can put in hardwood floors after we leave. Also, sadly, the smell must be seeping into all my things because when I put some couch cushions out to air, the local free-range cats peed all over them ruining a couch. And one of the free-range cats got in my garage and peed all over it too. You can't always blame the occupant pets.

 

I did live in one house with old wood floors and the landlord said he would never rent to pets in a house with carpet. He claimed that refinishing the hardwood was much faster and cost-effective than replacing carpet. I agree and will only move into homes with hardwood from now one.

 

As for the urine blacklight thing. If there is a child in the house then the blacklight will pick up feces, blood, vomit and urine. My kids do more damage than my very large pets.

[Donna A.]

We are renters and have pets. Unfortunately, the people before us ran a cat/dog shelter out of the house that the landlord did not know about and the carpets are permanently stained, and the house smells of cat urine. She lives out of state, and when I walked through to rent the house it had just been cleaned and aired so I only noticed the stains on the carpet and was assured they would be removed by the professional carpet cleaners by the agent. Fast forward one year when the landlord came in to do her annual inspection. She blamed me for all the stains and the smells, the scratched carpet and the back yard full of dirt (and not grass). Luckily, the handyman finally came clean with her and told her he knew about the shelter and was able to tell her exactly what damage had been done by the previous renters. I am still sure she will keep my deposit (which was ridiculously high in my opinion, coming from KS where things like that are regulated) so that she can put in hardwood floors after we leave. Also, sadly, the smell must be seeping into all my things because when I put some couch cushions out to air, the local free-range cats peed all over them ruining a couch. And one of the free-range cats got in my garage and peed all over it too. You can't always blame the occupant pets.

 

I did live in one house with old wood floors and the landlord said he would never rent to pets in a house with carpet. He claimed that refinishing the hardwood was much faster and cost-effective than replacing carpet. I agree and will only move into homes with hardwood from now one.

 

As for the urine blacklight thing. If there is a child in the house then the blacklight will pick up feces, blood, vomit and urine. My kids do more damage than my very large pets.

 

This is why, the DAY you move into a rental, you take your camera with date and time and take pictures of every single thing that you could potentially be charged with when YOU move out. Including carpet stains, scratches, screens w/holes in them, anything. Then immediately email them to both the handyman and property owner (or whatever email addresses you have). If you don't have email addresses, then print the pictures and send them by snail mail, and make sure to keep copies for yourself, too.

 

If you can do this in the presence of the handyman, owner, or leasing agent, even better.

 

And if that landlord really does annual inspections, she should have known about the stains/smell/cat/dog shelter when she came through the previous year. :glare: