If you’re a Brentwood rental property owner watching this video and reading this blog, there’s a strong possibility that you have pets. I have pets. In fact, I have three dogs and I love them. They’re like family members.
Today, we’re discussing the pros and cons of allowing pets in your rental property. Some owners are quick to allow them, but others hesitate. They’re worried about the potential damage that pets can cause to the property, and they might also be worried about the liability that comes with renting to tenants with pets.
At Parks Property Management, we really believe that pet owners make great tenants. This has been our experience, and that’s why we always recommend that our owners provide pet-friendly properties.
Protecting Your Investment: Pet Requirements
We understand that pets can do more damage to a property, so we have a strict pet policy in place which we consistently enforce. To start, we require increased deposits of $500. Most pet owners are willing to pay a higher deposit to be able to move in with their pet.
Keep in mind; we do not identify this as a separate pet deposit. It’s simply a higher security deposit. You want to keep this money as a general deposit so that you don’t have to go through the trouble of proving that the damage you’re using it for is pet-related.
When we are screening tenants who have pets, we screen the animals, too. All applicants must go through our third party pet screening system. They use a national data base to look up aggressive dogs and search for any type of police report that may have been filed in which an animal was involved. This third party company provides a FIDO score based on the breed, size, and age of the animal.
Remember that you can always set your own restrictions for the types of pets you will allow. It’s perfectly acceptable to say dogs are okay but cats are not. You can require that the pets have reached a certain age or that they be smaller than a certain weight. You can allow one pet or two. Put any restrictions in place that will make you more comfortable with animals living in your home.
Pet Protection and Property Management
Studies show that dogs and pets make for a happy residence. More than half of California tenants have at least one pet, so if you don’t allow them into your property, you’re eliminating a large section of your tenant pool.
If you’re still nervous about allowing pets, consider working with a professional property management company that can provide you with extra protections. Our silver and our platinum plans offer dog and pet reassurance. This means we will pay up to $2,000 above the security deposit if there is any additional damage to the property that’s caused by the animal we approved.
If you have any questions about pets, protecting your Brentwood property, or managing your rental home, please contact us at Parks Property Management.