Landlord Blog: Pet Fees Q&A
Pet Fees Q&A
We have a renter who will renew their lease but has now added a cat to a no pet lease. We would not object because of the circumstances but feel we should charge with the new lease.
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I just saw this in another forum, daily cost 25bux per animal – this helps with the unseen flea and urine cleanup later down the electric bill, I am not fond of animals from renters, I have holes in each limb from those -friendly sweetheart animals- and both wrists have been bitten into a few times as I carried in tool tray..
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With permission, a cat would add $30-$40 per month to rent. If tenants get a pet without permission, the lease converts from non-pet to pet lease and pet rent would be $75.
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Any thoughts on cleaning fees?
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I would ask $500 for pet fee. Actually i charge $300 for that going in but since they got the pet without permission I’d add a stronger fee. –172.58.xx.xxx
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Here’s what I charge for *each* pet (max of 3 pets, breed & size limitations):
$250 NON-refundable pet fee…$50 additional deposit…$10 per month pet rent
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-In the name of process improvement, you might want to step up the inspections of the place – before you find out there are other surprises for you
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-Just to clarify. We inspect every month and have been more often, they did ask and I said we would discuss and to let me know when wife comes home from hospital, he wanted cat for her. We want to be fair but I hate cleaning cat hairballs off the walls. —
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-$30 per month car or small dog
150 pet registration fee
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-how long have they rented from you ? certainly bump up rent a nominal $50 per month for “allowing” a pet. My rents are higher than comps bc I allow pets. That is part of my niche mktg. we have two rescue cats & have never seen hairballs on the walls (?) —
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-I charge $150 additional per deposit and $60/month pet fee –104.2.xx.xxx
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-It’s so ridiculous that adults are expected to ask “oh please sir May I get a pet, which are medically proven to be incredibly beneficial for physical and emotional health?” And that people are “punished” for doing so when they’re the one actually paying the mortgage and taxes.
I would get an esa letter from my actual therapist and give you that along with an extra $25 a month though to be considerate.
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-I would charge an extra $50 per month and maybe a non refundable pet fee
That said you must be extremely alert that if the tenant gets a letter that they need the emotional support animal I would highly recommend spending the money and seeing an attorney immediately before you give ANY response at all to the tenant
From experience you can take a small problem and turn it into a nightmare
This is a battle you WILL not win and will probably cost you $10000 plus!
I have been through it
If you read this then you have been warned-
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-I charge $250 non-refundable pet fee per pet at the beginning of the lease. 2 pet limit. Depending on HOA the unit is located in. $0 for ESA of course with proper documentation
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I charge $25 per month per pet as pet rent added to the monthly rent. I have not charged a security deposit in the past for damage from the pet, but am reconsidering that because the last dog ate every door molding in the duplex and the security on the unit did not work out for the amount the carpenter charged me to remove and replace and paint.
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I do not charge extra for a cat other than the requirement to have pet liability insurance that includes damage to the rental property. –155.94.xx.x
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We have 3 pound rescue cats going on 7 years now. I rent only single family homes and catering to renters with pets–most are responsible. Dogs get a $500 pet fee up front, Cats get $250. In my considerable experience with cats they just don’t do the same damage. I’ve never seen a hairball on the wall. Ever. They do scratch carpet if they aren’t given a marking post, but we use exclusively hard floors. They like to rub on walls and doorways, but a little cleaning or paint touch up takes care of that.
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Most of the people who have pets call them emotional support animals. They are not required to provide supporting documents for them and you can not charge a deposit or additional rent. In most cases you must accept them. For the honest ones there is a $150 deposit and a $25 per month charge
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1. Depends on your state/local regulations. Research them carefully. Don’t rely on internet chat boards as some locations allow you to require certifications and documentation, other locations make you accept ESA’s no questions asked and no fees/rents/charges of any kind.
I charge a $250 non refundable pet fee per animal (limit 2) plus $25-40/mo extra pet rent.
We WANT our tenants to be committed to their pets AND taking care of their home. A bonus is that they usually stay a long time so less turn over.
Cat urine is corrosive and extremely hard to eliminate odors. We would much rather have a dog than a cat in our rentals from a damage perspective. If a dog chews a door frame, its is easily documented and charged to the tenant.
If a cat urinates on the wall/floor/ac vent/ closet, that odor will keep coming back unless you do extreme mitigation. Often the tenant will spray room deodorizer to temporarily cover up the problem. When your next tenant moves in, the phone calls start….”something stinks, do something about it”.
As for the ESA, check your local regs, then get your documents checked by an attorney. I talked with a local LL that gives tenants requesting ESA’s his requirements for ESA approval which includes requiring a prescription from the mental health official, all necessary health certifications for the pet, and a statement regarding ESA fraud and the penalties.
He has exactly 1 ESA pet in his rentals ( a legit ESA) but a whole bunch of pets. When he gives them the requirements, most of the ESA’s magically turn into regular pets. —
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-An attorney spoke at our REIA meeting and said that in NJ a monthly pet fee is not legal. You can do a 1 time pet fee. This was a couple of years ago. Does anyone have other info on this in NJ?
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-A pet is a pet and you can charge an extra deposit and increased rent.
An ESA animal is not a pet. You can not charge a pet deposit or extra rent. But, I require them to provide documentation from a licensed, local medical professional that has actually seen them and states that they need a specific pet like a cat. Also, they are responsible for any damage.
My lease has a clause in it that says: Any money received will first apply to late fees, damage, lease violation fees, etc. Lastly, rent.
Inspect often.
If the ESA animal causes damage, I tell them to get it cleaned up or fixed. If I have to fix it and they refuse to pay for it, I wait till there next rent payment. Then give them a statement showing the money received, a deduction for the repairs, the amount applied to rent, and the amount OF RENT still owed.
BTW: most of my experience with tenant cats have been OK or just needed a little extra hair removal. But one ESA male cat that had not been fixed sprayed the whole apartment.
I don’t know if you can reject an ESA pet that has a history of spraying?
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-We LOVE animals! At last count we have almost 100 animals in our rentals.
If you are inspecting monthly (seems excessive and annoying to the res) then you KNOW these folks are responsible types.
Carpet free and the 2 Minute In Home Visit prior to final approval have made animal damage almost zero.
The extra income is FANTASTIC. (100 animals x $35 per month = $3500/month free income for allowing Fluffy and Spot!)
Change your language:
ANIMALS, not PETS.
FEE, not DEPOSIT because deposits must be returned.
( had a guy owe me $200 in rent but the judge made me right him a check for the $500 animal DEPOSIT refund because the dog did not do any damage1)
My lease is clear: management is not responsible to determine who or what caused damage. Resident is responsible for all damage and cleaning.
Treating for fleas is a no brainer so don’t sweat it. We rarely see any. Just call the bug man and go have dinner.
We charge $150 Non-Refundable animal Registration Fee for each animal and $35 per animal per month. We limit to 2 but allow 3 in come cases. This adds up quickl
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Thank you. Interesting points. If anyone has New Jersey specific info, please let me know.
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-If you rent to a person who is allergic to cats and you do not disclose that there was a cat and she has a reaction, you are responsible to relocate her and pay all of her costs plus all her medical fees. I never rent to one with a cat ecause of the potential liability. –66.182
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-If you have ever dealt with the impact of a pet that was not cared for you would understand why landlords do not like pets. I took over management of my father’s rental. The tenant had 2 cats that my father approved but actually they had as many as 5. When I inspected and asked about the other cats they said ‘oh that’s not my cat , its my brother’s and another cat they were just taking care of for a few days. After we finally got the tenants out, we had to go in with what looked like hazmat suits with charcoal breathing masks and clean it up. that included replacing the duct work and vent covers and replacing the beautiful original oak floors because the cats peed all over the place. We had to replace cabinets and doors too because they used them as scratching posts. We had to have a company come out to remove the oder from the basement. It cost over $6000 to get it back to rental condition. Far more than the cost of added rent. We don’t allow pets. But I’m grateful for all you nice landlords that do. I hope it works out better for you
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-I’d the lease is up for renewal just raise the rent to cover the additional you feel is responsible to help cover pet damages. Don’t call it let rent, just call it rent.
It’s not the animals who are the problem it’s their owners. Good quality tenants have good pets who are cared for properly.
If you know this is a good quality tenant they will likely be good let’s owners. —
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-I have a No Pet Policy. I had to let a tenant bring her cat because she said it was “an emotional pet”. That was a lie. She would leave town frequently without the cat. It took over a month to get the urine smell out of the house.
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-I have a No Pet Policy. I had to let a tenant bring her cat because she said it was “an emotional pet”. That was a lie. She would leave town frequently without the cat. It took over a month to get the urine smell out of the house.
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-I usually try to charge a $200 non refundable fee per Animal and addition pet rent of $25… I have had people move in a pet without permission and just recently changed lease to say that would cost them $300. Is that to cheap? What have you all done with unauthorized animals?
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-I added a Pet Addendum to my lease which had a one time fee (NOT deposit) of $350. I also required that the tenant, when vacating the house, have the property professionally treated for fleas and ticks and show proof of having done so. I also listed the pets name(s), weight, breed, etc. in the Addendum. I never allowed more than two pets and no pet over 25 pounds each. I have since sold that house but I never had any problems with tenant’s pets.
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-Phillip, it depends on the size of your property. $200 for a studio is OK. Maybe a small one bedroom. I charge a refundable additional deposit. Not a pet specific deposit.
Also, I charge a $250 fine per month or part of a month for unauthorized animals. I take this very serious. Most of the times people sneak a pet in its because the pet is on my Insurance’s uninsurable list (wolf hybrid, pit bull, etc…). If that type of dog bites some one, my insurance will not protect me!
The most damage I have had in 27 years was from a Chihuahua. They locked it in 3 bedrooms and it scratched the door, carpet and door frame. I had to replace the the door trim, doors and carpet in all 3 bedrooms! –174.126.xxx.xx
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-Phillip, it depends on the size of your property. $200 for a studio is OK. Maybe a small one bedroom. I charge a refundable additional deposit. Not a pet specific deposit.
Also, I charge a $250 fine per month or part of a month for unauthorized animals. I take this very serious. Most of the times people sneak a pet in its because the pet is on my Insurance’s uninsurable list (wolf hybrid, pit bull, etc…). If that type of dog bites some one, my insurance will not protect me!
The most damage I have had in 27 years was from a Chihuahua. They locked it in 3 bedrooms and it scratched the door, carpet and door frame. I had to replace the the door trim, doors and carpet in all 3 bedrooms! –174.126.xxx.xx
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-Generally, We don’t allow any pets/animals. We use the word ‘animals’ in the lease. Only in one property will we allow dogs (NEVER CATS) with a monthly fee of $50. Based on the thread, I will consider an initial ‘fee’ as well and proof of professional cleaning. We are also carpet free. Thanks for great discussion. (We avoid these issues for the most part, except for the tenant who pulled up wall to wall carpet in a bedroom to raise chicken peeps in the house and allowed chicken to walk in and out of the house….we had a settlement with them. –50.32.xxx.xxx
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-Generally, We don’t allow any pets/animals. We use the word ‘animals’ in the lease. Only in one property will we allow dogs (NEVER CATS) with a monthly fee of $50. Based on the thread, I will consider an initial ‘fee’ as well and proof of professional cleaning. We are also carpet free. Thanks for great discussion. (We avoid these issues for the most part, except for the tenant who pulled up wall to wall carpet in a bedroom to raise chicken peeps in the house and allowed chicken to walk in and out of the house….we had a settlement with them. –50.32.xxx.xxx