Have Portland Rental Prices Gone Up???! Think Its Time To Go! (Bend: 2013, foreclosure)

[Smiled]

Yeah, there are a FEW californians coming in again... but not rich ones. Most of these seem to be from the Central Valley or the Bay Area. The flow stopped for a couple of years but is resuming again somewhat.

[Minervah]

Monthly pet fees are very unfair. That's what pet deposits are for.
Just like security deposits. And most landlords ask for both.

I don't object to a pet deposit. I understand that. And it should be refundable just like a security deposit if the apartment is left in good shape but in my experience as a renter in Portland, it never is.

Heck, I have seen more apartments wrecked by kids than pets. I think maybe there should be a monthly kid deposit.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

As a kinda newbie landlord (two houses rented for 2.5 years to 6 tenants), I agree with Minervah.

[Daisy32673]

rental market is hot right now and will only get hotter the more people are pushed out of the homes that they own. Its unfair and price gouging but landlords can get away with it right now

[Dual Citizen CA-OR]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

I'm not sure I'd consider it "gouging." But then, I don't have pets. You have to admit that they are harder on the infrastructure of an apartment .. the floors, the carpeting, the odor, etc. And that's not even considering the rest of the grounds & building. Seems fair for the landlord to get that back somehow.

It’s certainly true that pets can take their toll on an apartment and depending on the type, they can even damage the grounds. But as Minervah said, that’s what a deposit is for. The amount should really depend on the type and size of the pet, two large German Shepherds can obviously cause a lot more damage than a cat.

No one is saying landlords shouldn’t be compensated for damages, but let’s be realistic. Let’s say a renter with a cat pays $35 a month and stays in an apartment for 3 years, add an average deposit of $300 and the landlord takes in over $1500. Do you really think a 12 years old female cat could possibly cause over $1500 worth of damages? At what point does it become gouging, after paying pet rent 5 or 10 more years?

My wife and I have owned 3 rental properties over the years and when it was justified and required we raised the rent, but we’ve never been greedy enough to charge pet rent.

What's next, toddler rent?!?

[Nell Plotts]

Actually that is against Oregon law but if it weren't ...

[Minervah]

I realize you cannot compare the two cities because of size but Chicago has a nifty landlord tenant law that allows the tenant to get back his or her security deposit with interest. The landlord has to hold the security deposit in escrow which earns interest until the tenant moves out.

If all is well and the tenant is eligible to get the security deposit back, he or she will get the interest as well.

Wish we could have something like that here.

RLTO Section 080 = Security Deposit Law Chicago

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by Dual Citizen CA-OR

It’s certainly true that pets can take their toll on an apartment and depending on the type, they can even damage the grounds. But as Minervah said, that’s what a deposit is for. The amount should really depend on the type and size of the pet, two large German Shepherds can obviously cause a lot more damage than a cat.

No one is saying landlords shouldn’t be compensated for damages, but let’s be realistic. Let’s say a renter with a cat pays $35 a month and stays in an apartment for 3 years, add an average deposit of $300 and the landlord takes in over $1500. Do you really think a 12 years old female cat could possibly cause over $1500 worth of damages? At what point does it become gouging, after paying pet rent 5 or 10 more years?

My wife and I have owned 3 rental properties over the years and when it was justified and required we raised the rent, but we’ve never been greedy enough to charge pet rent.

What's next, toddler rent?!?

But how do you compensate the landlord for damage to the properties outside the apartment? A deposit can't address that. Besides which, I wasn't talking damage, but more wear and tear. That's harder to quantify.

[Dual Citizen CA-OR]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

But how do you compensate the landlord for damage to the properties outside the apartment? A deposit can't address that. Besides which, I wasn't talking damage, but more wear and tear. That's harder to quantify.

I’m not sure if I understand your point. Your seemingly contradictory sentences aside, a deposit addresses damages regardless if it’s inside or outside. If you’re asking how to determine which tenant’s pet is responsible for exterior damager, that’s an entirely different issue and has nothing to do with how it’s paid for.

You’re correct that normal ‘wear and tear’ is harder to quantify, but “…the landlord cannot apply the security [or a pet] deposit to normal wear and tear…”.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Enrico

But how do you compensate the landlord for damage to the properties outside the apartment? A deposit can't address that. Besides which, I wasn't talking damage, but more wear and tear. That's harder to quantify.

Outside wear and tear by a pet? Well then how would one quantify "wear and tear" from a strictly indoor cat for damage done outside? These extra pet fees are charged to all pet owners.

If the tenant's cat is an outdoor cat how does the landlord determine whose cat caused the alleged outdoor damages? It could have been a neighboring cat. Maybe the damages were caused by a dog but how can it be determined whose dog if the damages were done to the outside?

And if a landlord is going to charge a monthly pet fee based on alleged wear and tear for damage done, maybe the pet owning tenant should get a compensation for all the wear and tear not done.

Again, that's what security deposits are for. All damage done to a property proven to be done by the tenant.