No Pets Rental Policy
We’ve been landlords for many years, and have always had a strict no pets policy. This has never been a problem in finding tenants. We keep nice apartments, rent a bit below market, and do our best to deal directly with tenants so they can afford a broker fee. However, our most recent vacancy is…
We’ve been landlords for many years, and have always had a strict no pets policy. This has never been a problem in finding tenants. We keep nice apartments, rent a bit below market, and do our best to deal directly with tenants so they can afford a broker fee.
However, our most recent vacancy is sitting open longer than usual, so we’ve signed on with a broker. Broker tells us they’ve had 4 applicants who wanted it at the price we’re listed, but all have pets. She is sure (and so are we) that the price is right. We are wondering if the no pets policy could really be getting in the way.
Note that this is a family sized apartment: 2 beds, 2 baths, washer/dryer, private yard.
Would appreciate thoughts of landlords and renters on three questions:
1. Is a no pets policy really that unusual?
2. If you do accept pets, what safeguards do you put in place to manage the possible problems (damage, disrupting other tenants, etc). Higher deposit? Case-by-case, so you meet the pet first?
3. Do that many people really have pets, or is this a function of the fact that this particular apartment is family-sized/near the park/etc?
Many thanks.
better tenants do not have pets. stick to your policy. has worked in past and will continue to be in your best interests
quote:
New Yorkers with pets tend to be on the whole saner than those without.
alolz!
also, owners should either say YES to pets or NOT to pets, no in etween and meeting the pet. what is THAT about? that is feline and K9 profiling BTW. i frown upon that much like i would frown upon someone renting an apartment profiling peoples race and sexuality. if you dont want pets, then dont do it, youll find someone. why add extra hassle if you live there? dogs are good for security tho. cats will just make your apt stink for many years even after they move out, believe me. you can always smell when a cat has lived in apartment.
and the suggestion of an extra month for a pet? that’s dumb. pet damage isnt going to exceed what they are probably paying in a regular one month deposit unless there’s a herd of wild gazelles in the apartment.
good luck. and always remember animals save people lives, having one in your building could very one save your own one day.
*rob*
I think it depends on what the landlord wants to deal with. You CAN find tenants without pets, eventually. You are probably getting a lot of dog owners because they often look for garden apartments so the dog can go in the backyard (which may or may not be something you want happening in your backyard.) Others, like myself never liked garden apartments anyway because they tend to be dark. But some without pets don’t mind them.
If you are willing to deal with pets, and the risks that come with them, take some of the above advice and dive in. If you are truly unwilling, hold out and see what happens.
I don’t think the size of the apartment, or the proximity to the park, has anything to do with people wanting pets – lots of people just have pets, even in tiny apartments and further from parks.
i would start with cats and take it from there.
can you imagine your garden filled with dog poop? Terrifying. Barking all day because they think someone is getting too close to the door. If you live in the building, it will be your dog too..
My friend has dog and they use a bark collar and walks the dog numerous times a day. But she is an experienced dog handler and has years of experience. Will you get that lucky?
Your broker needs to stop advertising the garden as the main feature. That is how they will get a non pet owning couple. Things will pick up after this weekend, I’m sure you’ll rent your apartment very soon. With all the holidays vacancies have been delayed by a few days and renters are waiting to decide.
best
Snezan (broker)
“New Yorkers with pets tend to be on the whole saner than those without”
Really ??? – you just proved otherwise, with that comment.
I don’t have any pets (although I do love dogs) but I would MUCH prefer to live in a pet-free building. I’ve rented in buildings with dogs who spend a good part of the day barking, which becomes extremely grating after a couple of hours. And living beneath a dog is no fun either, as I discovered.
Actually, I’m in the market for the kind of apartment you have. Where is it?
Gosh who doesn’t spay/neuter their cat? I wouldn’t want to rent to them just for that reason.
I’ve got two cats and we’ve been long term renters and I’ve always found a “cats OK” place. I’ve got one cat who’s declawed and one who isn’t and the only damage I’ve had is some claw holes in my window screens from the latter guy. I am happy to either replace myself or pay to replace them, as well as to put down extra down payment.
I adopted the one cat who had already been declawed but the other was a kitten I found years ago and he was so sweet I couldn’t bear to put him through that. He otherwise doesn’t use them on anything but his scratching post.
As a dog owner, I allow dogs on approval. Knowing how hard it was to find dog-friendly places as a renter, I know this helps me rent my apt faster.
That said, my current tenant has no pets, so it’s not always why people rent the place.
I once allowed a cat and had a really bad experience. Awful urine smell everywhere. Took weeks of cleaning to get rid of and definitely hurt the apt’s immediate rentability. Never again.
New Yorkers with pets tend to be on the whole saner than those without.