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Lot to respond to and I'm in the middle of gutting the house. One plus is I can do some improvements since the work now must be done anyway.
I do meet with the animals before I sign a lease to get a feel for them. It's hard to tell how well trained a dog is in a short meeting especially since my dog is trained to listed to snaps, whistles and clicks. I know most animals aren't trained that well so finding a minimum level of training is difficult to assess. When I meet them I'm looking for behavior and do they listen to simple verbal commands like go outside and the basic sit, stay, lay down. This dog listened to all of that and wasn't too hyper and didn't jump up on me so it seemed okay and probably would have been fine had the owner not been so careless. I won't ever blame the animal it is always the owners fault.
The pet fee I take is listed as a pet occupancy fee and in AZ any non-refundable fees must be explained so the explanation states the fee is for the occupancy of the pets described herein. If a tenant thinks that fee is for damage or cleaning they are plain stupid.
I do sue for even small amounts so this one will go to court. It's just frustrating knowing that im going to have to go that route and garnishing wages and putting leins on property is just an even longer waste of my time.
I could rent pet free pretty easily here I'm sure I just didn't want to be that landlord. There are more responsible owners than not out there it's just aggravating when you run into the, surprisingly large, group of irresponsible ones. My last big problem pet owner never has paid so I renew the judgment when I need to and try to garnish wages but they don't stay in a job long enough. The interest on that judgment how skyrocketed the total due but they don't care.
I will admit that was poor screening way back when I first started but now I do inspections throughout the year, every 4 months in the first year then 6 months after that, to try and catch this stuff beforehand. At the inspection on this one there was a little paint and carpet damage and I sent them notice on it but since then it's just gotten so much worse. Had they made it to the next inspection they would have been evicted in this condition.
Lot to respond to and I'm in the middle of gutting the house. One plus is I can do some improvements since the work now must be done anyway.
I do meet with the animals before I sign a lease to get a feel for them. It's hard to tell how well trained a dog is in a short meeting especially since my dog is trained to listed to snaps, whistles and clicks. I know most animals aren't trained that well so finding a minimum level of training is difficult to assess. When I meet them I'm looking for behavior and do they listen to simple verbal commands like go outside and the basic sit, stay, lay down. This dog listened to all of that and wasn't too hyper and didn't jump up on me so it seemed okay and probably would have been fine had the owner not been so careless. I won't ever blame the animal it is always the owners fault.
The pet fee I take is listed as a pet occupancy fee and in AZ any non-refundable fees must be explained so the explanation states the fee is for the occupancy of the pets described herein. If a tenant thinks that fee is for damage or cleaning they are plain stupid.
I do sue for even small amounts so this one will go to court. It's just frustrating knowing that im going to have to go that route and garnishing wages and putting leins on property is just an even longer waste of my time.
I could rent pet free pretty easily here I'm sure I just didn't want to be that landlord. There are more responsible owners than not out there it's just aggravating when you run into the, surprisingly large, group of irresponsible ones. My last big problem pet owner never has paid so I renew the judgment when I need to and try to garnish wages but they don't stay in a job long enough. The interest on that judgment how skyrocketed the total due but they don't care.
I will admit that was poor screening way back when I first started but now I do inspections throughout the year, every 4 months in the first year then 6 months after that, to try and catch this stuff beforehand. At the inspection on this one there was a little paint and carpet damage and I sent them notice on it but since then it's just gotten so much worse. Had they made it to the next inspection they would have been evicted in this condition.
The explanation of the fee makes sense to me. I think you should take them to court and keep pushing. Fixing problems isnt free and make sure to be honest if their new landlord contacts you!
as for the inspection, could you do them more often or set more rules? I dont think guns blazing but really set fire under them to fix it or get out ASAP.
The overly defensive dog owners won't like this but I think it's cruel and inconsiderate to have a dog in an apartment. Dogs bark, they need a yard to run/play in, they can be destructive, they poop in the yard/foyer, and dogs bite. Noise and liability issues.
Cats.....maybe 1, no more. But they can also be a problem.
No pets means no pets.
You do realize that some apartments have the same square footage as a house, right?
I have medium size dog..55lbs..who's never lived in an area larger than 1200 sf and does quite well. He doesn't bark, he doesn't 'need' a yard to run and play (dog parks take care of that), he's not destructive (never has been), and he doesn't bite.
Do you know where he is when I am home? Up my butt. Do you know where he is when I am not home? Laying the couch, laying on my bed, playing with his toys, playing with the cat...but normally he's just chilling on the couch looking out the over the lake.
The problem isn't the pet, it's the owner. It's owners like the ones AZ mentioned that make it bad for owners like me. However, if I was a landlord, I wouldn't accept pets either.....can't really decipher who's a good owner/bad owner with one application and one meet and greet.
I gladly paid a $600 deposit when I got my dog...and I got all of it back when I moved. I only paid $250 here and will get that back as well when I move. Good pet owners won't balk at paying deposits/rents because we already spend good money on good food, good care, toys, vet bills...etc. We take care of our pets and that means paying deposits/rent if need be.
So you're holding this person's behavior against other pet owners? Why should responsible people get punished for some idiot?
Anytime anyone sets criteria, based on minimizing losses, there will be some person who will suffer because of someone else's bad behavior.
For instance, you may be a really careful driver, but I bet you will have to pay higher car insurance if you buy a little red sports car. Even if your track record is great - because the insurance company looks at the stats for the accidents and speeding tickets, etc., for all owners of little red sports cars.
And maybe it's only 1% of drivers of little red sports cars who have terrible accidents and get speeding tickets. But, if the cost involved in insuring that 1% is significant enough - the insurance company will raise the rates on all little red sports car drivers.
It's all about minimizing loss. If you don't allow any pet owners, you don't face that 1% of tenants who cost you thousands of dollars in pet damage.
And landlords don't have near the resources that insurance companies have. Does anyone expect the insurance company to do extensive background checks on all owners of little red sports cars, to see if they, as a special individual, won't likely be as great a risk than other little red sports car drivers?
No, because that would be an expensive pain and would require a whole new set of calculations on risk based on you as an individual.
So, you accept that if you want that little red sports car, you will pay higher insurance. As should pet owners accept that they fall into a category of higher risk for landlords. Which means, landlords will choose not to rent to you at all, or they will charge you a premium for the risk they are taking.
We have a dog and have needed to rent on a few occasions (when our house was being built and two seasonal rentals, 6 months each). In the case of the two seasonal rentals, we had serious problems finding pet friendly rental homes. I finally started asking owners if they would accept us with our dog with a higher refundable deposit and PROOF that he passed his AKC Canine Good Citizen test. I also explained he was a non shedding breed and would stay in his crate whenever we were not at home. That worked perfectly the first year. The second year I eliminated the extra deposit and offered the prior LL as a reference, along with all the other information. That worked, too.
I admit - if I were a LL, I'd be very inclined to have a no pets policy. But might consider a dog with that AKC Good Citizen certificate. I wish more pet owners did that program with their dogs.
"Facts about Pet Ownership in the U.S.: It's estimated that 70-80 million dogs and 74-96 million cats are owned in the United States. Approximately 37-47% of all households in the United States have a dog, and 30-37% have a cat. (Source: APPA)"
That's a lot of pets. So my question is,
Where are we to go?
And please don't say, "Not my problem."
Though it isn't your problem, you're still part of the solution.
Really? You know all about cats? When I let my dog out to pee at 2 in the morning she is very quiet and does not bark..it is me making the noise by yelling at her to quit sniffing around for cat crap! In my neighborhood all of the "responsible" cat owners like to let their little fluffies roam free. And they all seem to want to crap in my yard. I have a garden hose on a hook by my slider ready to go when I see them.
YOUR dog might be well-behaved, but many dog owners do not take the time to train their animals to be so. They bark, whine, jump on you, leave crap everywhere and destroy things. I have had cats all my life and never have they "roamed free" - only idiot owners do that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rabrrita
Because the responsible ones still defend the irresponsible ones.
Not true. I think irresponsible owners are complete scum who should be banned from even having pets.
Honestly if I'm still renting after all my current pets are gone, I am going to look specifically for a place that doesn't allow dogs (or pets in general). I don't mind cats or caged pets, but there's always someone with a yapping dog.
Though it isn't your problem, you're still part of the solution.
N O T..... M Y.......P R O B L E M.......! ! ! !
This is a problem YOU created for yourself by deciding to get a pet. Don't make your personal decision my problem! You are a prime example of what I;m saying, you are a classic case of an irresponsible pet owner because you are saying that we need to provide you a solution to your problem. NO!, you took a poop, now flush your own toilet! So, once again regardless if you want to hear it or not:
It feels like every time I allow pets I regret it and I am seriously considering going pet free from now on. I charge a pretty small non-refundable pet fee of $250 but I don't charge pet rent which $35 a month is pretty normal here. I just got an early termination with urine stains and holes in the carpet (right at the door so I know it was the dog digging trying to get out), scratches on the door and the casing, and chewed baseboards. Considering there was no notice given and I have an early termination fee once I deduct the rent for however long the vacancy lasts and the re-letting fee plus the rest of the damages the deposit is gone a few times over. The fee is the entire deposit itself plus a carpet patch/stretching (about $250), a full cleaning ($350-$500 including carpets), and replacement fridge shelves (yes plural) there is no way I'm not in the hole on this one. I got good references for a 5 year history from local apartment managers and nothing in court/credit so this isn't a vetting issue; this is just some careless idiot who decided they could trash a house a skip out on it because they were buying so what do they care.
Sorry responsible pet owners I'm about at my wits end with pets so there will soon be another housing provider who denies all pets. Or maybe I should hop on the monthly pet rent train...
Was the carpet new or old? If it was old, you need to replace it periodically, anyway. And paint. Rentals don't hold up as well as owned homes, so they need refurbishing more often.
$10 or $20 per pet is the norm that I've seen, in adding to rental. $250 non-refundable pet fee, plus $250 refundable, is what I've seen as deposits.
Scratches are easily buffed/sanded out, and the casing repainted. Minimal cost. Much less than spilling Kool-Aid everywhere, which is what kids and people do.
Have you allowed pets before with no problems? I wouldn't hold it against everyone this one bad experience. It sounds like the problem was with the person, not the pet. You could easily have had another person who skipped out and left holes in walls and lots of damage from partying and fights.
Allowing a small pet or two under a certain weight seems appropriate, or you might find you don't have so many takers. Having had dogs and cats, I had a cat once who did more damage to my house than any dog I had. The cat was neurotic and started peeing in strange places. She ultimately got very ill, vet couldn't determine what was wrong, and I had to put her to sleep to stop her suffering. In the course of that, she'd use the bathroom anywhere and everywhere. I owned the home, so I had to repair any damage she caused.
I have dogs now. Once settled in somewhere, they don't have separation anxiety and are content sleeping at home without me there. One gets upset during thunderstorms....I have a crate for those days. They don't damage anything. There have been two incidents of pooping by the older one...I had him in a dog proof room (no carpet), so no harm done.
Consider replacing your carpet with ceramic or vinyl tile....dog and child proof. Then get a $500 deposit for each small dog. That should cover a handyman buffing out scratches on casing, if that should occur.
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Where are we to go?
