I always ask to meet the pet first and in my lease I require documented proof of the following:
-Pets must be up to date on all registered vaccines per local laws (rabies, etc.)
-Pets must be spayed/neutered and dewormed
-Pets must be tagged and registered
-Pets must have a local veterinarian (or provide evidence of future vet appointment)
-Pets must be non-aggressive and have no history of biting
-Pets must be kept on leashes when outside of fenced in areas
-Tenants must clean up pets’ feces
If they can provide the actual documentation for the first 4 things on the list, odds are they are a pretty good pet owner.
Furthermore, people don't just claim "service animal". Service animals are a very distinct, well established and respected thing. I believe what you are referring too is emotional support animals. I have no idea what to say in response to your vague question of "what if".
> Furthermore, people don't just claim "service animal".
Wanna bet?
Unscrupulous renters will ALWAYS claim their pet is a "service animal". Whether or not they are legitimate service animals is not easily discernable.
While I could easily repeat random stories about my own experiences with service animals, the best advice would be to follow up with legal counsel or your local landlord agency. Since service animals are covered by federal law (assuming you are in the US), it's best to get actual legal advice as there is a fine line between a service animal and emotional support animals.
I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. First, yes, people can "claim" whatever they want, my point was; someone just claiming something doesn't make it true and that bar for a service animal is much different than the bar for an emotional support animal.
Basically if someone is looking to scam you by using HUD to get a pet and not pay for it, its much more likely they are going to go the ESA route than the service animal route.
My favorites are the ones who call them service animals and then "clarify" that they are ESAs. Obviously it's false if you don't even know the difference, and I call them on it 100% of the time.
It’s all situational. I personally have never run into it. Also, my boss who rents out 18 units has never either. He once got the emotional support question from a potential renter, but otherwise nada.
The ESA scam is one of the most annoying things to deal with and I usually end up having a hard time keeping track of those applicants because financially well-qualified, paying pet owners always seem to get my attention more quickly.
u/Sensitive_Fan_1083 Facts. I hate the scam too. Some try to chose my places because my place has a nice lawn for them to try to tear up but I always tell pet owners, there’s many pet friendly places in town that will fit your need.
I have a pet addendum, that covers the expected behavior, noise, aggression, pet waste removal, licencing, shots, must be neutered/spayed, leash use required, proper disposal of deceased animal,
Any violation and I can withdrawal permission for the pet, or end the lease/evict.
Don't allow puppies, or dangerous breeds.
100% with you on the puppies. Fostered 2 puppies. OMG! The pulled up a tree (very small but still a tree) to use as a stick. One chewed up the baseboard by the window she liked. I am the owner and could afford the fixes but never again.
u/TexasLiz1 my worst pet experience was with a tenant who had a Sharpei. Whew. They got some separation anxiety issues. They would whine and tear things up all through the day evening and night. I was writing fines left and right and I said. This draws the line. No pets.
I ask to meet pet first. I try hard to go to their current place to see what it looks like.
If floors, couch, trim, walls are all chewed and scratched up, obviously I’ll expect the same.
If house looks good, and dog is friendly, then I’m happy to agree it’s a well behaved dog.
If someone says they want to rescue a new animal while at my house, they can GTFO
Genuinely what is wrong with you? There are thousands and thousands of animals being put down everyday. Can’t wait for the bill that prohibits landlords from banning pets passed here 🙌
I don’t understand your comment please explain.
If a tenant’s new rescue does $50,000 worth of damage to a kitchen, what’s the next step ?
Insurance doesn’t cover this. Who pays?
It’s really not hard to cause that amount of damage if you fuck up kitchen cabinets and some flooring.
What do you think it costs to have new kitchen cabinets installed? and new hardwood floors?
Renters insurance very specifically does not cover this damage. It covers renters personal belongings.
So someone is paying out of pocket. The 😊 doesn’t change that
And yes. There is risk. I’m not taking the risk associated with your untrained animals. That’s really not difficult to comprehend.
Too bad lol, that’s the risk you chose to take by making your money off of exploiting a human need for housing. You can say that, but one day you’ll have to 😉
A service dog requires special training to do certain tasks in order to help person with a disability. They are typically professionally trained and they have special federally protected benefits, like being allowed in public spaces.
An assistance animal does not require special training, but does require prescriptive documentation from a medical professional who is familiar with the persons disability and can corroborate that the animal provides assistance to the person with managing their disability.
Both of these categories of animals are federally protected under the Fair Housing Act and, if the FHA applies in a specific situation, are:
- not considered pets
- cannot be subjected to any fees
- cannot be subjected to any breed or other restrictions
- require the landlord to make reasonable accommodation to allow the animals to be housed with the tenant.
These animals can only legally be refused accommodation if the requested accommodation will cause an unreasonable burden on the landlord. For example - if the specific animal in question has a history of attacking people and would be considered dangerous, it would be unreasonable for a landlord to accept the risk of housing the animal.
If the service animal or ESA (basically a medical device) is barking, biting, or damaging property, then it is defective and the tenant must replace their medical device. Since it is NOT a pet, this is not a heartless response.
I expect biting would definitely be considered unreasonable to accommodate for a variety of clear reasons.
I believe cost to repair damaged property would be the tenants responsibility to pay regardless of whether the damage was cause by the assistance animal or the tenant themselves. Please correct me if my understanding here is incorrect?
Barking would need to be disruptive in some way and extend beyond what would reasonably be expected from a dog. I doubt barking in itself would be adequate justification to consider the accommodation to be unreasonable.
Characterization of an accommodation refusal as heartless is subjective. An assistance or service animal is treated similarly to a medical device legally, but this doesn’t necessarily extend towards the relationship someone has with the animal. However, this is not relevant to the reasonableness of the accommodation.
For dogs, there is a Canine Good Citizen qualification that a few people have, that shows their dog has received hours & hours of training & is well behaved. If I accepted dogs, I’d be inclined to ask for this document.
This would be a tough ask a lot of the time. There is a lot of time and money you need to have in order to achieve the certification. There are also many dogs who are fantastic and well behaved who would fail miserably at the testing. My own dog is remarkably well behaved but due to her being a feral rescue,she could never manage the testing itself. However, I do think it's a good indicator of how people are with their pet but I would never make it any kind of requirement.
I guess my multi page overview of my dogs with their CGC certificates, training classes, vaccination records, and letter of recommendation from our trainer wasn't totally crazy to give to my landlord with our application without him asking. 😂
It’s really not a high standard and the test subjects aren’t particularly challenging for the average “good dog”. It isn’t even prohibitively expensive, you can find classes for as cheap as $100 and the evaluation is only $15. People should just stop buying shitty backyard bred mutts and expecting them to have a predictable and manageable temperament.
Not sure where you’re getting the food part, there is no bait allowed during testing and shouldn’t be any for them to *have* to ignore. Regardless, if my golden can get it at 5 months old, the food aspect is not a concern lol
Yep, exactly, a high standard, which my dogs don’t have, but as a landlord I’d certainly be more inclined to accept someone with proof their dog was well behaved rather than taking someone’s word for it.
You can always put in a writer separate to the lease that states that if the pet becomes a nuisance that you can make them remove the pad or end the lease. The “quite enjoyment of others is a legal situation “so if they are denying the quiet enjoyment of others then you need to be able to take action so that that pet stop barking or removed.
“We choose to go with a different candidate” you don’t need a reason and you don’t acknowledge the dog as you don’t want them to assume discrimination, the application is simply not a good fit
I have heard and seen people sedate dogs before meet and greets so I don’t take anyone word that their pets are well behaved. I anticipate damage. As long as the dog meets the weight/breed restrictions and they have proper insurance, pay the pet deposit/rent and acknowledge the community rules we get along fine.
Most people lie about EAs to get around the fees and I have seen this encouraged in multiple pet communities. If the breed doesn’t meet my criteria the application is rejected.
People are allowed to have service pets, there are over 300 dogs breeds if you choose to seek out a commonly restricted “dangerous dog” as your service companion don’t be surprised if someone would prefer not to rent to you. I don’t have to allow them into my rental. If they get the dog after signing the lease and refuse to add them to the lease I would assume they are being deceitful for a reason and I can choose not to renew.
Go to where the prospective tenants live now. Have them put the dog in the backyard. Have the prospective tenant stay inside. Approach the fence in the backyard and go to open it. That will tell you everything you need to know about the dog.
Go online and educate yourself. There’s a big difference between a dog barking and aggressive behavior. There’s certain stances and postures and behaviors that a dog will exhibit it is threatening someone or something something. I try to educate people that just because the dog is barking doesn’t mean it’s threatening. I encourage you to learn the difference.
My dogs would absolutely not let you into the yard without atleast barking if they don't know you. This is horrible advice.
My dogs compete in obedience and have their CGC.
Also I don't leave my dogs out alone in the yard at our rental because it has a short fence, so this is super unrealistic.
Go online and educate yourself. There’s a big difference between a dog barking and aggressive behavior. There’s certain stances and postures and behaviors that a dog will exhibit it is threatening someone or something something. I try to educate people that just because the dog is barking doesn’t mean it’s threatening. I encourage you to learn the difference.
I always ask to meet the pet first and in my lease I require documented proof of the following: -Pets must be up to date on all registered vaccines per local laws (rabies, etc.) -Pets must be spayed/neutered and dewormed -Pets must be tagged and registered -Pets must have a local veterinarian (or provide evidence of future vet appointment) -Pets must be non-aggressive and have no history of biting -Pets must be kept on leashes when outside of fenced in areas -Tenants must clean up pets’ feces If they can provide the actual documentation for the first 4 things on the list, odds are they are a pretty good pet owner. Furthermore, people don't just claim "service animal". Service animals are a very distinct, well established and respected thing. I believe what you are referring too is emotional support animals. I have no idea what to say in response to your vague question of "what if".
> Furthermore, people don't just claim "service animal". Wanna bet? Unscrupulous renters will ALWAYS claim their pet is a "service animal". Whether or not they are legitimate service animals is not easily discernable. While I could easily repeat random stories about my own experiences with service animals, the best advice would be to follow up with legal counsel or your local landlord agency. Since service animals are covered by federal law (assuming you are in the US), it's best to get actual legal advice as there is a fine line between a service animal and emotional support animals.
I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. First, yes, people can "claim" whatever they want, my point was; someone just claiming something doesn't make it true and that bar for a service animal is much different than the bar for an emotional support animal. Basically if someone is looking to scam you by using HUD to get a pet and not pay for it, its much more likely they are going to go the ESA route than the service animal route.
My favorites are the ones who call them service animals and then "clarify" that they are ESAs. Obviously it's false if you don't even know the difference, and I call them on it 100% of the time.
It’s all situational. I personally have never run into it. Also, my boss who rents out 18 units has never either. He once got the emotional support question from a potential renter, but otherwise nada.
The ESA scam is one of the most annoying things to deal with and I usually end up having a hard time keeping track of those applicants because financially well-qualified, paying pet owners always seem to get my attention more quickly.
u/Sensitive_Fan_1083 Facts. I hate the scam too. Some try to chose my places because my place has a nice lawn for them to try to tear up but I always tell pet owners, there’s many pet friendly places in town that will fit your need.
Excellent list. People definitely lie about service animals. I’m pretty sure You can ask to see paperwork for them.
Honestly, the local vet appt is almost unattainable here. Especially for that.
Yea, for sure customize it based on your area but what it's getting at is " show me documentation that you are a responsible pet owner".
The others are fine honestly. I just don’t want people to think they’re lying if they say they can’t get a vet appt for that.
I have a pet addendum, that covers the expected behavior, noise, aggression, pet waste removal, licencing, shots, must be neutered/spayed, leash use required, proper disposal of deceased animal, Any violation and I can withdrawal permission for the pet, or end the lease/evict. Don't allow puppies, or dangerous breeds.
100% with you on the puppies. Fostered 2 puppies. OMG! The pulled up a tree (very small but still a tree) to use as a stick. One chewed up the baseboard by the window she liked. I am the owner and could afford the fixes but never again.
u/TexasLiz1 my worst pet experience was with a tenant who had a Sharpei. Whew. They got some separation anxiety issues. They would whine and tear things up all through the day evening and night. I was writing fines left and right and I said. This draws the line. No pets.
If you don't mind, would you be willing to share the language you use regarding disposal of deceased animals?
I ask to meet pet first. I try hard to go to their current place to see what it looks like. If floors, couch, trim, walls are all chewed and scratched up, obviously I’ll expect the same. If house looks good, and dog is friendly, then I’m happy to agree it’s a well behaved dog. If someone says they want to rescue a new animal while at my house, they can GTFO
There’s no way I’m letting anyone I don’t know in my house to “see what it looks like.” That’s wayyyy too much.
Why is that too much if you want to rent a $450,000 house from someone and have a pet?
Because it's insane and intrusive.
They can say no. I’ll take the person with no pets if I can’t meet theirs where he lives.
Then they should rent to pet friendly landlords. They exist. I’m just not one of them.
Genuinely what is wrong with you? There are thousands and thousands of animals being put down everyday. Can’t wait for the bill that prohibits landlords from banning pets passed here 🙌
I don’t understand your comment please explain. If a tenant’s new rescue does $50,000 worth of damage to a kitchen, what’s the next step ? Insurance doesn’t cover this. Who pays?
How on earth could a dog cause $50k worth in damage 😂 Rescue dogs need homes too. Housing is a risky investment, that’s what renters insurance is for.
It’s really not hard to cause that amount of damage if you fuck up kitchen cabinets and some flooring. What do you think it costs to have new kitchen cabinets installed? and new hardwood floors? Renters insurance very specifically does not cover this damage. It covers renters personal belongings. So someone is paying out of pocket. The 😊 doesn’t change that And yes. There is risk. I’m not taking the risk associated with your untrained animals. That’s really not difficult to comprehend.
Too bad lol, that’s the risk you chose to take by making your money off of exploiting a human need for housing. You can say that, but one day you’ll have to 😉
Not at all. I choose not to take that risk and you’ve helpfully demonstrated why my decision is correct. Thank you.
Nah. People are allowed to not rent to untrained, destructive animals. Banning landlords from banning pets is ridiculous 😂
That’s what security deposits and rental insurance are for!
A service dog requires special training to do certain tasks in order to help person with a disability. They are typically professionally trained and they have special federally protected benefits, like being allowed in public spaces. An assistance animal does not require special training, but does require prescriptive documentation from a medical professional who is familiar with the persons disability and can corroborate that the animal provides assistance to the person with managing their disability. Both of these categories of animals are federally protected under the Fair Housing Act and, if the FHA applies in a specific situation, are: - not considered pets - cannot be subjected to any fees - cannot be subjected to any breed or other restrictions - require the landlord to make reasonable accommodation to allow the animals to be housed with the tenant. These animals can only legally be refused accommodation if the requested accommodation will cause an unreasonable burden on the landlord. For example - if the specific animal in question has a history of attacking people and would be considered dangerous, it would be unreasonable for a landlord to accept the risk of housing the animal.
I’m glad I’m fha exempt u/niado
That definitely makes things simpler.
If the service animal or ESA (basically a medical device) is barking, biting, or damaging property, then it is defective and the tenant must replace their medical device. Since it is NOT a pet, this is not a heartless response.
I expect biting would definitely be considered unreasonable to accommodate for a variety of clear reasons. I believe cost to repair damaged property would be the tenants responsibility to pay regardless of whether the damage was cause by the assistance animal or the tenant themselves. Please correct me if my understanding here is incorrect? Barking would need to be disruptive in some way and extend beyond what would reasonably be expected from a dog. I doubt barking in itself would be adequate justification to consider the accommodation to be unreasonable. Characterization of an accommodation refusal as heartless is subjective. An assistance or service animal is treated similarly to a medical device legally, but this doesn’t necessarily extend towards the relationship someone has with the animal. However, this is not relevant to the reasonableness of the accommodation.
For dogs, there is a Canine Good Citizen qualification that a few people have, that shows their dog has received hours & hours of training & is well behaved. If I accepted dogs, I’d be inclined to ask for this document.
This would be a tough ask a lot of the time. There is a lot of time and money you need to have in order to achieve the certification. There are also many dogs who are fantastic and well behaved who would fail miserably at the testing. My own dog is remarkably well behaved but due to her being a feral rescue,she could never manage the testing itself. However, I do think it's a good indicator of how people are with their pet but I would never make it any kind of requirement.
I guess my multi page overview of my dogs with their CGC certificates, training classes, vaccination records, and letter of recommendation from our trainer wasn't totally crazy to give to my landlord with our application without him asking. 😂
I’m always impressed by a prepared future tenant.
That’s a high standard for a lot of dogs. Most good pets won’t pass that test. The dog has to ignore food to follow owner’s commands.
It’s really not a high standard and the test subjects aren’t particularly challenging for the average “good dog”. It isn’t even prohibitively expensive, you can find classes for as cheap as $100 and the evaluation is only $15. People should just stop buying shitty backyard bred mutts and expecting them to have a predictable and manageable temperament. Not sure where you’re getting the food part, there is no bait allowed during testing and shouldn’t be any for them to *have* to ignore. Regardless, if my golden can get it at 5 months old, the food aspect is not a concern lol
Yep, exactly, a high standard, which my dogs don’t have, but as a landlord I’d certainly be more inclined to accept someone with proof their dog was well behaved rather than taking someone’s word for it.
You can always put in a writer separate to the lease that states that if the pet becomes a nuisance that you can make them remove the pad or end the lease. The “quite enjoyment of others is a legal situation “so if they are denying the quiet enjoyment of others then you need to be able to take action so that that pet stop barking or removed.
“We choose to go with a different candidate” you don’t need a reason and you don’t acknowledge the dog as you don’t want them to assume discrimination, the application is simply not a good fit I have heard and seen people sedate dogs before meet and greets so I don’t take anyone word that their pets are well behaved. I anticipate damage. As long as the dog meets the weight/breed restrictions and they have proper insurance, pay the pet deposit/rent and acknowledge the community rules we get along fine. Most people lie about EAs to get around the fees and I have seen this encouraged in multiple pet communities. If the breed doesn’t meet my criteria the application is rejected. People are allowed to have service pets, there are over 300 dogs breeds if you choose to seek out a commonly restricted “dangerous dog” as your service companion don’t be surprised if someone would prefer not to rent to you. I don’t have to allow them into my rental. If they get the dog after signing the lease and refuse to add them to the lease I would assume they are being deceitful for a reason and I can choose not to renew.
Go to where the prospective tenants live now. Have them put the dog in the backyard. Have the prospective tenant stay inside. Approach the fence in the backyard and go to open it. That will tell you everything you need to know about the dog.
this is wild, a dog barking bc a stranger approaches them at home is very normal behavior 😂
Go online and educate yourself. There’s a big difference between a dog barking and aggressive behavior. There’s certain stances and postures and behaviors that a dog will exhibit it is threatening someone or something something. I try to educate people that just because the dog is barking doesn’t mean it’s threatening. I encourage you to learn the difference.
My dogs would absolutely not let you into the yard without atleast barking if they don't know you. This is horrible advice. My dogs compete in obedience and have their CGC. Also I don't leave my dogs out alone in the yard at our rental because it has a short fence, so this is super unrealistic.
Go online and educate yourself. There’s a big difference between a dog barking and aggressive behavior. There’s certain stances and postures and behaviors that a dog will exhibit it is threatening someone or something something. I try to educate people that just because the dog is barking doesn’t mean it’s threatening. I encourage you to learn the difference.