Accepting pets in your rental properties can be a bit risky, but that doesn’t mean you should make it im-paws-ible for renters to bring their pets along. Here are some tips for avoiding cat-astrophe when it comes to renters and pets:

There’s a big difference between a pit bull and a goldfish. Ask your renters exactly what types of pets they have and how well trained they are. For example, you could allow small pets such as hamsters, even if you’re not comfortable with dogs and cats. Or, you could require that dog owners supply proof of their pet’s graduation from obedience school before you can consider them. Ask for a picture of the pet to get a good idea of whether you’re comfortable having it on your rental property.

A large dog in an apartment with no garden may get frisky. For that reason, you may need to set restrictions on the size of pets allowed if your rental property is small. Another thing to consider here is how often the renter will be home. Will they leave their dog alone all day while they work long hours? If so, this increases the risk of damage.

With furry pets, hair will probably end up on everything but the kitten sink. Don’t worry though—the majority of the time, it’s possible to clean up after messy pets. If you decide to allow pets, you can charge a small fee to cover extra cleaning, such as a professional steam clean, on a regular basis or just when the tenants move out.

Dogs and cats can scratch up carpeted or hardwood floors. Koalas might climb on the windowsills and rip the fly screens to shreds. An angry kangaroo may box holes in the walls. Think about the durability of the house and whether it can handle potential damage. And, of course, make sure it’s the tenant’s responsibility to pay for repairs for specific types of damage do occur.

When pets are involved, a property could paw-tentially end up in ruff shape! We take detailed video entry condition reports and compare them to the current condition with every routine inspection. This helps make sure that we catch pet damage early, and can call the tenant to account.

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