Non Refundable Pet Fee (apartments, lease, tenant, eviction)
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I am sure that the Nonrefundable pet fee thing has been beat up, but my situation is a bit different I think. I have one cat and paid a $300 nonrefundable pet fee. I "assumed" that this fee was to cover anything extra that the rental agency had to do when I moved out. However, it appears that I am responsible for treating the house for fleas and having all carpets steam cleaned. Ironically, this adds up to about ....$300!!! What exactly is this pet fee used for if I still have to take care of these items?
I normally charge pet rent of $15-35 a month depending on what type of pet plus a $300 deposit but it is refundable. It all depends on what your lease has to say.
It could just be a way to scam more $$ out of you.
Our last LL charged us $25/mo per pet, pet rent (Single family home) plus pet deposits. After 11 months, they stated they wanted an additional $150/mo in pet rent because we got a new puppy (the carpet was already damaged by a dog we'd gotten from the shelter and would've been covered by our deposit). We had several discussions about how pet rent was applied to damages before the refundable deposits.
Long story short, we didn't renew the lease and left. The return of deposit letter stated that she did not (and did not have to) apply the pet rent to damages... "it was simply that - pet RENT".
So glad we moved out of there.
The house we moved out of? Been empty since the day we left - 3 months and counting!
I am sure that the Nonrefundable pet fee thing has been beat up, but my situation is a bit different I think. I have one cat and paid a $300 nonrefundable pet fee. I "assumed" that this fee was to cover anything extra that the rental agency had to do when I moved out. However, it appears that I am responsible for treating the house for fleas and having all carpets steam cleaned. Ironically, this adds up to about ....$300!!! What exactly is this pet fee used for if I still have to take care of these items?
If your lease says you have to do those things before moving out then you probably have to by law or it'll come out of your deposit. Is that fair? No. But you did sign the lease.
If that's not in the lease and they "informed" you of this later, you're under no obligation to do it, but if the carpets are dirty and/or the place is flea infested, expect it to come out of your deposit, not the non-refundable pet fee. This is why i think the non-refundable fees are a complete scam.
NONREFUNDABLE PET are illegal in NH. Land lords are not allowed to charge anything more then 1 month's rent and it is all refundable, unless there's damage.
I look at this as the "priviledge of owning a pet" fee. Basically it does two things.
1) It deters people with pets from renting these units, which typically leads to less maintenance in the long run. (Remember, pet ownership is not a protected class. Landlords can discriminate if they so choose.)
2) It reassures the landlord that the tenant is willing to take responsibility for the pet. If a tenant isn't willing to pay to have the pet, they are less likely to train the pet (where applicable), to clean up after the pet, keep the pet current on medical needs, and all that stuff. A tenant who balks at paying a nonrefundable pet fee is more likely to balk at paying for the damage their pet caused.
In addition, even if you clean the carpets, there is often additional cleaning. Examples would be, the baseboards often have lots of fur on them, the lower walls, especially corners, have black marks from cats rubbing. That sort of thing.
If your landlord is a reasonable person, here's what I would do. When you do your move out walkthrough, if the pet has done no damage and you have done the required cleaning, point that out to the landlord, and ask if that fee can be negotiated. As a landlord, if there really was no damage and the place is cleaned well, I would give a substantial portion, or even all of it back.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sskkc
Our last LL charged us $25/mo per pet, pet rent (Single family home) plus pet deposits. After 11 months, they stated they wanted an additional $150/mo in pet rent because we got a new puppy (the carpet was already damaged by a dog we'd gotten from the shelter and would've been covered by our deposit). We had several discussions about how pet rent was applied to damages before the refundable deposits.
The carpet had already been damaged by your first dog, so you figured it was ok to get a puppy? We expressly forbid puppies in our leases. Two different units had thousands of dollars in damage from puppies over the years. I really really really doubt your deposit would cover puppy damage. Our two units: $15,000 in damages from 2 puppies in a brand new house, and $5000 in the other from 1 puppy. We would (and have) serve an immediate eviction notice for getting a puppy, if the tenant did it without prior approval.
I've rented in multiple states with a dog. I have to say as a renter I couldn't stand paying pet rents, pet fees, etc. etc. but now that I own my own home I understand. My dog believe it or not never once pee'd or poop'ed in our apartments however just after buying my home we had relatives visit with their dogs. Both pee'd and poop'ed in my new house with new carpet. I was livid.
When I talked to my complex when I moved out they said they put a chemical down to see if there is urine present on the carpet upon move out. If it is they must remove the carpet and seal the sub floor to prevent further damage. Imagine if you had a puppy and it pee'd 100x's of times in the house before getting trained. I believe the above poster - it can add up quickly. The dog pee smell is still present in my carpet 8 months later and I throughly cleaned it, including a professional carpet cleaning.
FWIW I had to pay a "pet fee" of $400 and "pet rent" of $20 per month in that same apartment. Thank goodness I didn't have to pay for any of that sealant work. Dogs and cats do damage beyond what is visible. IMO those fees, while a money maker sometimes, at best off set the cost of upkeep over the long term.
These pet fees and restrictions are one of the reasons we bought a house instead of continuing to rent.
I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't own a pet until you own a house. It is communal living after all, people. Your pet, even if it is not a cat or dog, will have an effect on your neighbors. Parakeets and other birds are noisy, fish tanks have the potential of breaking and the water leaking on your downstairs neighbors, gerbils and rats stink as bad as dogs and cats and the more exotic animals like snakes or spiders can get loose. In the end, every kind of animal stinks no matter what so carpets usually have to be changed after a pet has been in the apartment. Hence, the non refundable pet fee.
Chances are that the carpet had to be changed and they had to do further clean up on top of that so they charged you more.
Either way, you're supposed to get an itemized list of all cleaning expenses and repairs that they are charging you for after they do it (no later than 3 weeks after move out) along with your deposit (NOT the non refundable pet deposit but the one for the apartment) if there's any part of it left. If they send it and all expenses for your pet are covered by the pet deposit, then you can take them to small claims court over anything extra they are charging you.
For example, if they're claiming that they had to change the carpet, and then fumigate for fleas and do special clean up or repairs for urine stains and the like but they don't have receipts for it, they don't have the right to ask you for more than your pet deposit and you can take them to court. But, if they have receipts for everything they are claiming, then you're stuck with the bill. I wouldn't ignore it if I were you either since they can sell your debt to a collection agency and mess up your credit.
In the end, it's just the price you have to pay for being spoiled and just HAVING to own a pet when you don't have a proper environment for it.
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