Allowing pets - how do I protect myself from potential damage by the pets

[angelone]

Hello All

I am new to this.

I have a potential tenant that has 2 small dogs and a fish tank.

I know most landlords will not allow pets so she is looking for a pet friendly landlord.

I am willing to consider accepting her application but obviously want to cover myself for any potential damage these pets could cause.

I was told by a friend I could ask for a pet bond - he took $200 for his rental property years ago for one small dog (he stiill has the same tenant)

Another friend is paying $10 per week for the privilege of keeping her labradore at her rental property.

What option do people think is the better option?

Has anyone been adversely affected by being a pet friendly landlord? If so please share your horror story.

Thanks heaps

 

[wobbycarly]

Which option is better? Both!

Take a pet bond and put the rent up just that little bit - $10/$15 week. If it's that difficult for the tenant to find somewhere, they will pay it. Simple case of supply and demand.

 

[RumpledElf]

Why don't people ask for extra money for kids? Kids are SO much better at damaging things than pets are. When was the last time you saw a dog that drew on the walls or coloured the carpet in paint? And kids pee on the floor too!

My toddler has been swinging on our teatowel rail in the kitchen and broke it off today. They swing on doors and gates too (damages the hinges) and we've had to replace all our flyscreens because they've popped them out. And we need to repaint our bathroom window ledge. This is a 6 month old house. Not helped by the fact that the builder cut some serious corners - they used the thin flyscreen holding stuff so its really easy to push the screens out, and you'd think acrylic enamel paint would survive children but apparently it doesn't.

Incidentally no flyscreens = children falling out of windows, if this was a rental I'd be getting the landlord to replace them and provide a bandaid for the unsightly hole in my toddler's head where he hit the gravel 90cm below. Are there any safety requirements for flyscreens? Seems odd that they are so easy to remove.

 

[Lil Skater]

If you can, take a pet bond and a small increase in rent - I wouldn't do anymore than $10. I must warn you to check the legislation of your particular state first.

I do agree that 2 year olds do more damage than pets, in most cases. Extra advantage is usually pet owners stay put for longer and take good care of the property to ensure they can stay!

 

[Jamie M]

Extra advantage is usually pet owners stay put for longer and take good care of the property to ensure they can stay!

That's been our experience. Our tenants with pets are generally very considerate and keep the properties in great condition which is probably due to the scarcity of pet friendly rentals.

Cheers

Jamie

 

[DaveM]

You are in NSW so pet bonds are not allowed. However asking a bit more for pets can be OK so long as you put something like "rent with pets negotiable".

As rental auctions/bidding is illegal in NSW, you cannot list a property at say $300 per week then request tenants pay more in order to secure it. However you can say $300 for the house and $10 a week for pets.

Also ensure your PM requires carpet cleaning at end of tenancy, its now only allowed where there are pets on the lease.

 

[marg4000]

Also ensure your PM requires carpet cleaning at end of tenancy, its now only allowed where there are pets on the lease.

AND a flea treatment!

We allow "pets on application".

It is a fact of life that tenants have pets. Either they tell you or they don't. I find it is better to be up front and have pets listed on the lease. Otherwise the pets will be boarded out for inspections, and any pet seen at other times will simply be "visiting".

Having said that, the IP where we allow pets has mainly tiled floors with carpet only in bedrooms - a 1960s house in clean but dated condition. In a newer (or more upmarket) property we may well think differently.
Marg

 

[kathryn d]

At one of our properties, the rent is based on single occupancy.
It is different rent if there is a pet and/or an additional person.

No issues with pets..lots with kids..more with adults

 

[devank]

I had a tenant with a dog. Didn’t do any damage and most of the time the dog is kept outside. After they left I noticed dog dropping were everywhere in the backyard! Yuck!

 

[Melbournian]

U should have checked the backyard before the tenant left

 

[wylie]

I've told this story before on here, but this thread requires that my story take another outing...

A friend whose parents rented out the house next door through an agent used to watch, quite amused, when they knew a regular inspection was to take place.

The tenants would take the dog(s) to the car, load them up and take them somewhere whilst the agent did the inspection, then bring them home again, out of the car into the back yard again, thinking they had fooled the agent yet again .

Oh, to have been able to whisper in their ear that the owners are watching from the kitchen window next door... priceless .

 

[Deltaberry]

Charge slightly higher rent.

Lots of people are willing to do that.

 

[Propertunity]

Insert a pet clause/s into the lease.
Tenants responsible for damage caused by pet/s.
Flea spray at lease end. (eggs hatch about 10 days after tenant vacates).

 

[lizzie]

Incidentally no flyscreens = children falling out of windows, if this was a rental I'd be getting the landlord to replace them and provide a bandaid for the unsightly hole in my toddler's head where he hit the gravel 90cm below. Are there any safety requirements for flyscreens? Seems odd that they are so easy to remove.

As per recent (and not so recent) incidences of kids falling out of 2nd story windows that only have fly screen ... fly screens are purely to keep the flies out - not the children in.

If you don't want your kids to fall out then put in a security screen. Landlord has no obligation to do this (yet).

 

[Ausprop]

legislation prevents you from taking any meaningful amount of bond - but sure grab that $200 or whatever it is. Landlords can do little to protect their asset so just be sure it is held tax effectively and you can claim the repair bills from a high income source. I cop a rough tenant every 2nd or 3rd letting and it all gets a bit boring after a while. That's why it's nice to getthe long termers - one I have had for 6 years now. He must be loving that... has watched the property value collpase whilst covering half the holding costs and palming off all the rates and outgoings. I am on the wrong side of the deal!!

 

[S.T]

I went through a similar exercise recently. I checked their previous landlords and no major issues with the dogs when they were there. They ended up offering more for my place to seal the deal and I took it. My carpets aren't the best anyway so I would probably replace them all in a few years (after their lease probably).

I looked into things like extra bond and writing into the lease, but found some stumbling blocks with state legislation and didn't want to go down that path. Happy with their reference checks etc.

 

[tom32]

I possibly think into worst case scenarios way too deeply but I suspect it is safer going for a bond rather than additional rent.

By charging additional rent associated with them keeping a pet you are kind of taking your payment for extra wear and tear from an animal in your extra $10.00 per week.

In the least I would not try to connect the extra rent to a pet. Way too easy down the line to say as the tennant; they expected additional wear and tear and charged me for it. You are waiving your right in my opinion (don't know if it has ever been tested nor if it ever will!) to only being subjected to normal wear and tear and allowing some additional amount of it on the basis of the animals living in the house that you have endorsed.

Afterall why are you charging the extra rent?

What simtr did seems more sound. Let them offer extra rent and don't associate it with the animals at all and don't even write the animals into the lease. Sure you get the flea treatment assured by writing it in but what about the additional "fair wear and tear" associated with animals? scratched doors etc.

 

[Jas]

I get them to sign an extra clause stating they will make good for any damage the pet does. While this is a little unnecessary from a legal point of view (the agreement already makes them agree to make good for any damage), the extra piece of paperwork will come in handy should I ever have to go to court (touch wood, all of them have been fine so far).

I second the suggestion you double check the property laws, you are unlikely to be able to charge extra in some circumstances.

Jas