Key Takeaways
- Allowing pets can expand the applicant pool and create additional income opportunities for rental property owners.
- Clear pet policies, appropriate documentation, and consistent animal screening can help landlords manage damage, liability, and lease compliance risks.
- Regular inspections and professional property management can help owners maintain pet-friendly rentals while protecting their investments.
Allowing pets can expose a rental property to damage, odors, noise, pest problems, and potential liability. These concerns lead many landlords to adopt no-pets policies, but doing so also excludes a large share of prospective tenants.
At Keyrenter Folsom, we understand that the decision should reflect the property, insurance requirements, local demand, and available management resources. A carefully managed pet-friendly policy may expand the applicant pool, support tenant retention, and create additional income opportunities.
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This article examines the potential benefits of allowing pets and explains how screening standards, documentation, lease terms, and inspections can help owners manage the associated risks.
Why You Should Consider Renting to Tenants with Pets
A well-managed pet-friendly policy can offer several practical advantages for rental property owners.
Access to a Larger Pool of Potential Tenants
A substantial share of renter households own pets, so allowing them may expand the pool of prospective applicants.
Furthermore, more and more people report filtering for pet-friendly units when searching for a rental property, putting this requirement in the same category as other frequently used filters like air conditioning, pools, in-unit laundry, and on-site parking.
According to pet industry research, 95 million U.S. households own a pet. A no-pets policy may therefore exclude many prospective applicants, while allowing pets can give landlords more opportunities to find renters who satisfy their financial and rental criteria.
Potentially Higher Rental Income
Rental properties respond to the forces of demand and supply, just like other goods and services. The scarcity of pet-friendly rentals creates stronger demand, resulting in higher earning potential for pet-inclusive properties. This additional income can come from different sources: higher monthly rent, pet rent, and non-refundable pet fees.
Also, landlords do not necessarily have to invest in costly upgrades to attract pet owners. The sheer volume of potential tenants searching for these properties also means that pet-friendly rentals rarely experience extended vacancies. Shorter vacancies result in overall lower turnover costs for the landlord.
Pet Owners Are Usually Long-Term Renters
Moving house is particularly inconvenient for pet owners. Firstly, the difficulty of finding pet-friendly accommodations means that these tenants are less eager to move. Secondly, pet owners have to consider the impact of a move on their animal companion. If a pet has settled into a property and neighborhood, their owner typically wants to avoid disrupting it by moving again.
Pets and their owners often visit specific locations within a neighborhood frequently. These routines become a major part of the pet’s makeup. To preserve their pets’ emotional and physical well-being, the owners don’t want to disrupt these habits. For landlords, this means more predictable rental income and fewer vacancies.
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Responsible Pet Ownership Can Be Evaluated
The American Veterinary Medical Association explains that responsible pet ownership involves providing appropriate food, shelter, exercise, veterinary care, and attention.
Although these responsibilities do not automatically predict how someone will perform as a tenant, landlords can evaluate pet care history, references, documentation, and compliance with previous pet policies during screening.
Pet-Friendly Rentals Have Happier Tenants
Renters with pets are often happier than those without pets. Pet ownership is associated with lower stress because, by providing daily companionship, animals ease their owner’s feelings of loneliness. Owning a pet also encourages the owner to spend more time outdoors, resulting in better physical health.
Allowing residents to keep their pets may improve their satisfaction with the rental and give them another reason to renew, particularly when suitable pet-friendly housing is limited.
Managing the Risk of Renting to Tenants with Pets
Renting to pet owners also involves significant risks for landlords. That is why being pet-friendly doesn’t mean accepting every applicant who owns an animal.
Landlords must focus on responsible pet ownership when screening these types of renters. How?
Create a Comprehensive Pet Policy
Outline expectations clearly in a detailed pet policy. Among other things, the policy should require pet owners to take out pet insurance, pay a pet deposit, and accept responsibility for the control, care, and cleaning of the pet.
Pet policies, deposits, fees, insurance requirements, and animal screening procedures must distinguish ordinary pets from assistance animals protected by applicable law.
Assess the Breed’s Suitability
The pet breed matters because it determines the animal’s size, energy levels and behavior. Large dog breeds pose a greater risk than indoor-only cats. For dogs, properties with outdoor space, large rooms and laminate, vinyl or tiled flooring are more suitable.
Request Proper Documentation
Require the owner to provide proof of an up-to-date rabies shot, the animal’s general vaccine history, a city/council pet license, and a spay/neuter certificate if the pet policy requires it.
Ask for Pet Reference and Visit the Tenant’s Current Home
The applicant’s past landlords can provide information on the animal’s training and behavior. If this is not enough, arrange to visit the tenant’s current home to assess the behavior.
Inspect the Home Regularly
Scheduled inspections are even more important when renting to pet owners.
These visits are to check if the owner is complying with the pet policy and to spot early signs of pet damage in the unit.
Combining legally permitted inspections with a documented rental property maintenance plan can help owners identify damage and other concerns before they become more expensive.
Bottom Line
To sum up, renting to tenants with pets provides significant benefits to landlords. At the same time, screening these tenants and managing them and their pets after they move into the property also present major challenges. Professional property management can help busy property investors navigate this dilemma.
An experienced property manager can establish clear pet policies and consistent screening standards to ensure that pets and their owners are thoroughly vetted before renting to them. These measures can help landlords minimize the downsides of renting to tenants with pets while enjoying all the benefits.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How should California landlords structure pet deposits and other charges?
Any refundable pet deposit generally counts toward California’s overall security deposit limit rather than creating a separate allowance. Pet rent and other permitted charges should be clearly disclosed in the lease, applied consistently, and reviewed against current state and local requirements before implementation.
Do ordinary pet rules apply to assistance animals?
No. Service animals and emotional support animals that qualify as reasonable accommodations are not treated as pets. Housing providers cannot apply ordinary pet rent, pet deposits, or blanket breed and size restrictions to them, although residents may remain responsible for damage caused by an assistance animal.
What provisions should be included in a pet addendum?
A pet addendum can identify each approved animal and establish expectations for supervision, waste removal, noise, cleanliness, licensing, vaccinations, and property damage. It should also explain the approval process for additional animals and the consequences of keeping an unauthorized pet, subject to fair housing requirements.
Should an owner consult their insurer before approving pets?
Yes. Landlord policies can differ in how they address animal-related injuries, property damage, and certain breeds or species. Owners should confirm their coverage and exclusions before adopting a pet policy rather than assuming ordinary liability insurance covers every animal-related incident.
Can Keyrenter Folsom manage a pet-friendly rental?
Keyrenter Folsom can help establish property-specific pet criteria, screen applicants and animals, prepare lease terms, conduct legally permitted inspections, and coordinate maintenance. Its management services also include protections for certain pet-related damage, subject to the applicable plan and coverage terms.