bad practice or not? my initial rental contract fell through. contemplating renting to a dog owner (lab retriever) and another dog that's "crated".

is my sh!t going to be totally fucked up ? and how much extra should I charge . . . ???

3/30/2006 3:58:32 PM

make up a nice price to go with your nice made up stories, B

3/30/2006 4:05:05 PM

charge an extra 15 a month and 20 dollar deposit

thats only 200 bucks for the year, but also make sure you tell them to clean up the shit because no one likes to manuever around dog shit

3/30/2006 4:05:43 PM

it all depends...if the dog is a puppy you're more likely to have things fucked up because it'll go through the chewing phase. if the dog is crated more than likely the owner if using this when they aren't at home so that the dog won't tear shit up.

a non refundable pet deposit should be charged and most pet owners should expect one (i know i do)...i've seen pet deposits from $150 up to about half the rent. or a $100 charge and a monthly fee. this is in addition to the regular deposit.

3/30/2006 4:11:03 PM

Quote :

"it all depends...if the dog is a puppy you're more likely to have things fucked up because it'll go through the chewing phase. if the dog is crated more than likely the owner if using this when they aren't at home so that the dog won't tear shit up. "

not all dogs do this, my pure bread lab never chewed a single thing and the one before that didnt either

3/30/2006 4:20:10 PM

if you punish your dog correctly, it shouldnt disobey you anyways

3/30/2006 4:21:35 PM

mine didn't either bodi but some, and many dogs, do...i'm just being general here on damage that some dogs can do to a home

for example...hardwood floors...if a dog runs in the house their nails could put scratches on the floor...
i had a friend who's dog thought it would be fun to dig up the carpet...
point is...shit happens.
oh yeah...that's another...shit.
and pee.
the puppy training phase can be brutal depending on the dog and the owners ability to train it with the dog complying.

[Edited on March 30, 2006 at 4:28 PM. Reason : hence the "it depends" disclaimer]

but this is why you get a pet deposit like you would for a human, the what ifs of damage that may occur...you just gotta be willing to take the time to fix it once its over and accept that may further delay the next person moving in, like you would with human damage.

[Edited on March 30, 2006 at 4:30 PM. Reason : one more thing]

3/30/2006 4:26:20 PM

its a chance you have to be willing to take...some dogs are fantastic, others need a little more training (or maturity...or both!). of course EVERY dog is the "best dog in the world" (mine included, hehe), but reality may speak (and oftentimes does) a little differently. charge a non-refundable pet deposit (I have to pay 300 to have my pup) and go forward with it if you so choose. just know that if damage is done, that is what the pet deposit is there to cover (as well as whatever initial deposit for the property you charge the tenant)

3/30/2006 4:30:25 PM

as much as i love animals and own a couple myself, i'd never ever rent my property to a dog or cat owner. the deposit is fine and dandy and of course you can have clauses in the rental agreement concerning full replacement of carpet if fecal matter of any sort is detected but still, it is a pain to have to go through. some animals are perfectly fine but others can truly ruin a place. and too larger dogs always leave a smell. not to mention there is no guaranteeing what type of person the owner is either. some will gladly own up to their animal's damage and pay but others always try to weasel out of it. i'd just avoid the ordeal altogether.

3/30/2006 4:51:09 PM

If you want to keep your shit nice make a "no pets" rule and stick to it for the life of the rental. If it's just some junked rental house that you don't care for get a big deposit, charge a $20/month premium, and go for it. Be prepared to sue when you have to replace the carpet, padding, and floorboards because eventually someone will let their pet destroy it.

3/30/2006 5:18:40 PM

Sounds like you are strapped for cash

I thought you were a balla?

3/30/2006 7:25:47 PM

Depends what condition the unit is. With fresh carpet I would say no way. If you are on your 3-4 set of tenants since a full paintjob & carpet who gives a shit. Your gonna have to replace it soon anyway.

If you have nice flooring like hardwoods or laminate you may wanna refer back to elkaybie's post.

If you are having a long vacancy and want to minimize carrying costs you may have to suck it up and risk renting to a pet owner. Two months cost of paying the mortgage could buy carpet anyway.

3/31/2006 12:12:50 PM

i'd rather rent a place to a dog owner than to a smoker.

3/31/2006 2:44:16 PM

If you replace the carpet after each tentant (everyone should do this!!!) then I say its fine. That's probably one of the biggest things that makes an apartment look nice or not. My place paints and recarpets after every tenant...its almost 10 years old and looks brand new.

On that note, recarpet after the dog and you'll be fine.

3/31/2006 3:36:46 PM

Most private investors that rent out houses and townhouses dont even make enought profit in a year to pay for all new carpets for each tenant.

Most apartment complexes probably dont either, they just have them professionally cleaned.

3/31/2006 4:02:57 PM

im a pet owner, and if there is one thing ive learned about pet owners is that most are more than willing to pay whatever deposit/extra rent is necessary.

the last house that i rented, we didn't even tell the landlord we had a dog, b/c we discussed getting one with him (after we had already got it, and it was a puppy), and he said no. he never found out we had one (had it for over a year, and the landlord made mult trips to the house), so he just lost out on money b/c we were willing to pay whatever to keep it.

i think good pet owners go the extra mile to prevent/fix pet damage. of course there are bad pet owners also, but someone w/o a pet could turn out to be just as bad a tenant.

bottom line is reference checks, meeting the owners/pet, and a comprehensive lease.

3/31/2006 5:02:06 PM

My 150# great Dane has never destroyed a thing. I do have a friend who requires a $300 non-refundable pet deposit and an additional $25 a month per pet fee. Seems fair enough.

3/31/2006 7:42:07 PM

Yea, I think it is BS that so many people are opposed to pet owners renting. I understand that there are those few people that ruin it for the rest of us, but I agree with wlb420 and make sure that the property owner doesn't even notice that the animal was there, though so far I have always told them that I have at least two.
I steam clean the carpets if they start to show any sign of stain, and I always do it again before I move out. And as for there being a smell in the house after pets... i have been to some places where pets don't live and was disgusted.... anything can have a smell.
So, my advice to the person that started this thread is to talk to the people that are possibly going to rent your place and see what kind of vibe you get off of them. If they seem really responsible and answer questions they way you want them to, go for it. And charge them a fee if you are worried about it.

4/1/2006 2:02:40 PM

allow it, but require a REFUNDABLE deposit up front, dont charge the extra per month bullshit, and adopt a screening process prior to anyone with a pet moving in.

older pets -good
multiple pets -- eh, not so much
puppies -- i wouldnt

you can also gather a lot from the actual tennants too. use your people skills and kinda feel them out, in regards to what type of pet owner you think they are.

also, you can contact their previous rentals, to see what type of shape they left the prior place in.

4/1/2006 6:28:06 PM