Jacksonville Property Management Blog

Should You Allow Pets in Your Rental Property?

 

Allowing pets in your rental property provides you with a large pool of possible tenants but also introduces new concerns. As a result, landlords who rent to someone with pets must prepare, create regulations and restrictions, and draft a pet agreement. If you're asking yourself, "Should I accept pets in my rental property?" you've come to the right place.

 

Having a higher rent is always a possibility

Allowing pets in your rental property (especially large dogs) when few houses in your community are pet-friendly could fetch you a higher rate. It may provide an advantage over the competition if a selection is made between your home and a similar one that does not allow cats/dogs. Today, millennials make up the majority of property buyers and renters in the US, and they love their pets. Renting such a residence is so uncommon, so you appear to be a reasonable person for allowing it. This may increase your tenant's regard for your property.

 

Do your homework before deciding on the type of pets you are allowing on your property

Bear in mind which types of pets are considered coming to your property. Always know what kind of tenants you're dealing with. People are unwilling to give up their pets to relocate. This year, more than 70% of US households (approximately 90.5 million homes) own a pet. You will be able to find the best fit for your property while allowing them to join. Ask yourself: 

• What kind of pets would be the best to have in my rental property?
•  Is it better to have an inside or an outside pet?

If any possible tenants express their interests, you can do a couple of things about your rental property.

 

Make their life a bit easier

Your new renters probably used to live in bad conditions, so now, choosing a more furnished rental will make their transition smoother. They won’t have to perform any hard lifting or worry about where to store everything. If you want to rent unfurnished, you will need to remove the majority of your belongings. In that scenario, it is preferable to seek reputable moving services to receive all of the assistance you require.

 

Look from all perspectives and feel free to ask more questions

Request that you meet the pets in their current residence. Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and German shepherds are the breeds that most landlords forbid. These breeds are seen as more aggressive than others. Start with the basics, such as What is the type of your pet or How many pets do you have? While going through your standard motion of screening tenants, feel free to ask them couple more questions. If they turn out to be the perfect kind of tenants you want, our friends at miamimoversforless.com will gladly help you with getting your home rent ready.

 

Taking a good look at pets can tell you everything

Certain dogs are faster to train. Excited and joyful dogs, for example, are easier to train, whereas afraid and nervous canines are more difficult to do so. Age was also found to be associated with trainability. Dogs become somewhat set in their ways after that, so looking at them can tell you almost everything that you are looking to find out.

 

Should charging deposits and rents also include pets

If you decide to have pets in your rental property, now you can charge more money – but be sure fees are already a part of the agreement. They cover any pet damage, and you can also set a pet deposit and pet rent.

• This is a refundable fee when the tenant signs your lease. It ranges between 40 and 85 percent of your agreed rent. On the plus side, you can charge an additional pet deposit for each pet living at your property.
• Pet rent is a monthly fee that is included in the rent. It usually costs between $10 and 50 dollars per month (per pet). Check with your local renter laws to see if you can charge pet rent.

You will be protected while choosing to include a monthly pet fee (or one-time pet fee) in case the pet causes some kind of damage or you need to clean the rental property before someone new moves in

Pets are part of our family

Nowadays, pets are considered family members, so one of the first things that should be done is to ensure that your soon-to-be tenants accompany them. If any of them is not accustomed to traveling, they should get used to it first by making small destinations. On the actual day of the big move, they need to ensure that the entire experience is easier on their pets.

 

You may encounter some disadvantages after allowing pets on your property

While there are numerous advantages to letting your tenants have their animals involved, there are also some concerns that landlords should be aware of. Damage to your property is one of the most typical issues. We all heard the same stories about landlords allowing tenants to bring only one pet. Later on, this leads to even more animals moving in with them. Ultimately, this results in long-term damage, disruptions, and financial troubles for you. After a family vacates the property, you must thoroughly clean it.

 

Storage fees are not expensive

The furniture cannot be kept in the rental property, so the landlord needs to make it ready for renting. This means that you must make storage arrangements for it. For example, if you grant appropriate permissions and the renters prefer to utilize their pillows, cushions, and bedframes, it is up to you to relocate and store. Any associated costs are the tenants' responsibility.

 

How to manage your approach to challenging tenants

This is not a simple task. Being a landlord means you still have a lot of responsibilities to the property your rent to someone. Communication is key. Always have that in your mind when dealing with difficult tenants. As we mentioned, several benefits and risks are associated when allowing their additional family members. Most of them don't have more than two or three pets involved, but it's recommended that you have some limit.

 

Final thoughts

A completely furnished rental may appear attractive, but it offers both advantages and disadvantages. Going for the option of allowing pets in your rental property can open your doors to countless possibilities.

 

Meta description: When choosing between furnished and unfurnished rentals, it’s necessary to determine whether you should allow pets in your rental property.