Allowing pet-owning tenants onto your property can be a big decision. Most landlords don’t want pets on their property. Unfortunately, instituting such a policy can lead to lots of vacancies. Moreover, it has been established that most pet-owning tenants have stable lives and make good tenants; this means it will be a great idea to have this type of tenants on your rental property.
Instead of avoiding pet-owning tenants, you should find a way to work with them. Just like always, you can make a rule in your lease agreement about pet management on your rental property. You need to instruct your resident how to be a good pet owner.
One of the best ways to work with pet-owning tenants is to set out time to personally meet them on the first day or at least within the first week of moving into the property. You should do this to clearly explain your expectations for their pet ownership in your rental property. You also need to ensure that they understand all their responsibilities as a pet owner on your rental property.
It will be a mistake to assume that your tenant understands his or her responsibilities as a pet owner. Below, we have written down some responsibilities of pet owners on a rental property. You should take out time to explain these responsibilities to your tenants who are pet owners.
-
Flea Free Home Policy: You will need to ensure that your home is free from fleas. You can do this by ensuring that your home is flea-free days before a new tenant moves in. When you are done, add a lease addendum stating that the property must be free from fleas at all times or your tenant will pay the cost of removing them.
-
You need a policy requiring tenants to control their pets at all times. Leaving pets unattended will lead to a penalty. Tenants must put their pets on a leash anytime they are outside with the pet.
-
Pet-owning tenants must never leave their pets alone inside and unattended for too long. They must never travel and left their pets unattended. Violation of such policy will lead to a penalty and possible eviction.
-
Pet Owners are responsible for clearing their waste and repairing damages caused by the pet. They are responsible for clearing the pet’s waste both inside the rental property and outside or even at the neighboring properties.
-
Pets must never be left outside for too long. This is because when pets are left unattended, they can cause a problem for the neighbors.
-
Pet-owning tenants must obtain and maintain a renter’s liability insurance which will cover for damages and liabilities caused by pet without any limitations like bite exclusions.
-
Tenants are entirely responsible for any damage caused by or on the account of their pets.
Allowing pet into a rental property is a big decision. You need to ensure that the pet owner understands his responsibility. Don’t just tell him, put these responsibilities into writing. Any potential tenant with a pet must read and sign this agreement. This is to ensure that you have legal backing in case of any legal issues in the future.
Conclusion
Working with pet owners can be challenging when you have a rental property in Los Angeles. A great way to ensure that you work with pet owners without any problem is to get the services of the best property management in Los Angeles. This type of company will help you and your pet-owning tenants get along and ensure that every party remains happy.
