Do You Allow Pets?

[Bargain Hunter]

I read the following in a magazine;

There's nothing sadder than the three words, 'no pets allowed', as to me it means 'no unconditional love allowed'. My heart aches everytime I see those words in a real estate window. I believe having pets in your life is more important then worrying about the wear and tear in a home. If I'm ever lucky enough to own a rental property I will say, 'pets welcome with open arms', because the love they give their owners outweighs any other problems.

Apart from units where there are restrictions placed by the body corporate we generally allow pets. I guess having six cats ourselves we can appreciate that tenants will want to keep pets and don't see any major issues providing they keep the place neat and tidy.

How do others feel about pets in their IP's?

 

[Luv2Travel]

I have allowed a dog in my first IP, so I guess I will find out whether or not it was a good or bad decision when they move out. It certainly wouldn't be my deciding factor however. For example, if I had the choice of my mother live in an IP with her little Chihuahua's or my sister live in an IP without a pet, I'd go my mother any day with the dogs. I think humans have the potential to cause far more damage than a little dog!

 

[mary&mat]

I'd def allow pets, allow only cats as there's no backyard!

Completely agree with your attitude twds pets!

 

[Dazz]

Couple of the industrial Tenants keep big snarly junkyard dogs. They are big assets to the property. Far better than any monitored alarm system.

They don't damage the dirt or concrete too much, so they can stay. Perfect - no unconditional love with them....at risk of having your face ripped off.


None of the office Tenants are allowed any pets. Tough wearing carpet anyway, wouldn't hurt. Perfect - no unconditional love there either.


All of the residential Tenants do as they damn well please, regardless what we specify. If we say no - they lie and do what they want anyway. We are prohibited by law from charging them a decent bond as surety against pet damage. Lots of delicate stuff worth heaps. Plenty to damage.

The piddly $ 100.00 we are allowed to charge them, we are prohibited by law from keeping, and have to get on bended knee and plead our case to some faceless official from "Consumer Protection". I asked where the "Supplier Protection" department was. They laughed and said it didn't exist. Hmmm.



I do not get the link they are trying to write about in the article - "no pets allowed" = "no unconditional love allowed" ?? What have they been smokin' ??

 

[maloo]

Maybe Im lucky...... even when we don't want them we get them. Having a bit of drama with the managing agent atm. Our backdoors got scratched by a dog and the agent missed it on the exit report. Have a go of this picture. Not sure how he missed it. If your looking for a agent in the Clifton Hill, Fitzroy, Northcote, Thornbury area I would give mine a wide berth. PM me if your interested in knowing who they are.

 

[skater]

I do not get the link they are trying to write about in the article - "no pets allowed" = "no unconditional love allowed" ?? What have they been smokin' ??

I think that is what BH means. As usual the crappy tenant does not wear any risk, it is the Landlord, and they believe that in order to own an IP you have to be "lucky" in the first place.

As far as pets are concerned, I have no problem whatsoever. FWIW, it is the little humans that cause most damage, but you would never see a rental advertised as "no children allowed."

 

[SeafordSunshine]

Pets!

Hello,
I would love to allow pets, however after removing dog sodden carpet and underfelt and and finding that my Landlords insurance (GIO) does not cover pet damage, I am hamstrung.
Good poll Question!

 

[kathryn d]

Bargain Hunter,
Have you recently acquired a new cat?
I remember Skater telling us about your daughters bring home the survivors from the road.

We always allow pets too.
One property we do charge extra. Not as a bond (not permotted to here), but we increase the rent. If there was an additional person , we also increase the rent for this property. So this way, the pet is treated as a member of the family. Their name (pet) is added to our leases as a resident.

 

[Dazz]

my Landlords insurance (GIO) does not cover pet damage

...can we interpret from this that the Insurance companies and their controlling solicitors are also not into unconditional love ??


I'd allow pets into any of mine, as long as the person responsible for it's behaviour actually took full responsibility for it's actions. As usual, that bit is always left out of the request / contract.


When pressed, the person is not obligated by law to be responsible for it, so, it cannot be pressed.


Situation normal....the Landlord mops up the resultant expense. Small beer - who cares - just lump it onto the pile of all of the other expenses and call it good.

 

[skater]

Bargain Hunter,
Have you recently acquired a new cat?
I remember Skater telling us about your daughters bring home the survivors from the road.

NO! We don't want any more. We do love them dearly, but never for an instant planned on having six.

When Lil moved, she took one with her. He was on of the rescues from the road. When she moved, she wasn't allowed a pet, so he had to come back home.

 

[Bargain Hunter]

...can we interpret from this that the Insurance companies and their controlling solicitors are also not into unconditional love ??

I don't know why. These are the people who were right into it in the Summer of '69.

 

[Bargain Hunter]

So this way, the pet is treated as a member of the family. Their name (pet) is added to our leases as a resident.

Perhaps this is how animals get on mailing lists and end up with a credit card application.

Do you garnishee the food bowl if the humans leave the pet behind?

 

[Bargain Hunter]

We have a property where the tenant had a dog when they signed the lease. Our PM called us after doing an inspection to inform us that the tenant had another dog and they had given instruction for them to get rid of the dog within the week.

We asked how the tenant was going apart from this and were told that they were looking after the place and paying rent on time. We told them to call the tenant immediately and let them know the dog could stay.

 

[SYD]

We allow pets provided dogs stay outside.

SYD

 

[Aaron Sice]

i say "pets considered".

i also tell them if they WANT a pet, then they need to pay a separate pet bond.

if they want the pet, they MUST pay $500 bond ON TOP OF the industry minimum and $10 a week extra rent.

otherwise, no pets.

and it's not "PET BOND" - it's just "BOND". big difference.

 

[yadreamin]

oh my favorite part of the leases.
Pets we allow on our discression.
which means jack to the tennants
so yes we have pets at our ips
when we can prove it we get a pet bond of $100 and the tennant has to fumigate when leaving which l think costs them about $150 for a bit of smelly stuff to be sprayed about to make us all happy
like Dazz said its just the small stuff that goes with keeping the small stuff

 

[Dazz]

i tell them if they WANT a pet, then they need to pay a separate pet bond.

if they want the pet, they MUST pay $500 bond ON TOP OF the industry minimum and $10 a week extra rent.

otherwise, no pets.

and it's not "PET BOND" - it's just "BOND". big difference.

Sounds absolutely fantastic....except for the teensy problem if your Tenant can read and wants to stick it to ya.....in which case, you'll be required to row through the sewerage without an appropriate oar.


Tenant simply gives you the ra-ra, agrees to your unlawful conditions, gets into the Tenancy, and on Day 1 takes you to DOCEP who summarily slap you with a Landlord speeding ticket. You are ordered to give the money back to the Tenant and also pay the 1K penalty.


The Tenancy Union newtered any power you thought you had as an Owner 23 years ago. Look out for a new edition soon, it will favour Tenants heaps more than what it currently does.

RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES ACT 1987 - SECT 29

29 . Security bonds

(1) A person shall not —


(a) require the payment of, or receive, more than one security bond in relation to any residential tenancy agreement; or


(b) require the payment of, or receive, a security bond of an amount exceeding in the aggregate —


(i) 4 weeks’ rent under the residential tenancy agreement in relation to which it is required or received; and


(ii) where the tenant is permitted to keep any cat or dog on the premises, the amount of $50, or such other amount as is prescribed, to meet the cost of any fumigation of the premises that may be required on the termination of the tenancy.


Penalty: $1 000

 

[Ausprop]

"the amount of $50, or such other amount as is prescribed, to meet the cost of any fumigation of the premises that may be required on the termination of the tenancy. "

$50 would be lucky to cover the cost of someone knocking on the front door.

I still scratch my head as to why resi property investing is such a favoured activity in this country. no control, low yielding, scales tipped in favour of the customer, shocking cashflow, taxed to the hilt. I must be missing the big picture

 

[Mooze]

We allow pets in one of ours - tenants have put in a cat window (removed old glass etc - glazier is to come put it back in when they move). Happy with that, means they're not going to move any time soon. (and yes , they're fantastic tenants paying above market and keeping the house in brilliant shape).

Other house - no way. Tenants often late with rent (paperwork all sent on time), don't look after the house. When we get new tenants - maybe.

 

[kathryn d]

Perhaps this is how animals get on mailing lists and end up with a credit card application.

Do you garnishee the food bowl if the humans leave the pet behind?

We charge for a pet the same as we charge for an extra person. This is only at our all inclusive furnished bachelor suite building (11 units).
Some people make a fuss, most don't.
We have some tenants who want to keep the heat turned up while they are away, for their pet. Thus, the owners of the pets get charged the same as another person.
More wear and tear on the furniture....