What is a reasonable amount for non-refundable pet fee?

[Jillaceae]

Having moved all over the country with my cat, I have found there are definitely regional norms that are very different from region to region, so I think it is a valid question to ask. (For others' future reference, as this is probably no longer valid for the OP right now. I would have said $800 is several hundred higher than typical for Oregon.) For instance, in Seattle $500-1000 would be totally normal to me. Portland, OR, ballpark $300-$600 would be reasonable. In Indiana (Montana, too, and probably even where I lived in Vermont), I would question more than $300 or $400. It also has a lot to do with how "normal" pets are in the area's culture. I've lived in places where there wasn't an ice cube's chance in hell that you could find a decent apartment where dogs were allowed. Where I live now, allowing small dogs is totally the norm.

I know that pets can easily cause thousands of dollars in damage, but there are definitely regional "norms", and as a renter, I would certainly want to know if I'm being charged more than other people in the area, so I would definitely advocate asking around if it seems high.

[fearnofish]

ZERO it is a absolute freaking scam in my opinion and yes I am a landlord. We are actually both a landlord and renter..since we are military and own a house. I absolutely refuse to rent from someone who requires a non refundable pet fee. I will make this perfectly clear on my first call to a landlord or agency and most of the time I find they will retract the non refundable part very quickly. It is ridiculous and basically says yes your pet will make a mess or ruin my house. I do require a pet deposit in the houses we rent, but if upon inspection everything is fine and there is no pet damage we return the deposit.
Also it needs to clearly state in your contract it for pet damage only and can not be withheld for ANY other purpose.

[Kim in FL]

Originally Posted by fearnofish

ZERO it is a absolute freaking scam in my opinion and yes I am a landlord. We are actually both a landlord and renter..since we are military and own a house. I absolutely refuse to rent from someone who requires a non refundable pet fee. I will make this perfectly clear on my first call to a landlord or agency and most of the time I find they will retract the non refundable part very quickly. It is ridiculous and basically says yes your pet will make a mess or ruin my house. I do require a pet deposit in the houses we rent, but if upon inspection everything is fine and there is no pet damage we return the deposit.
Also it needs to clearly state in your contract it for pet damage only and can not be withheld for ANY other purpose.

just curious...how's that working for ya?

I mean we all know that at some point or another your pet is going to pee, poop or puke on the floor. And that damage is not always easily seen by the naked eye. Carpet, tile and wood floors can be and are damaged by said bodily functions and may not detected until the smell is out of control or you change the floor covering.

[fearnofish]

Originally Posted by Kim in FL

just curious...how's that working for ya?

I mean we all know that at some point or another your pet is going to pee, poop or puke on the floor. And that damage is not always easily seen by the naked eye. Carpet, tile and wood floors can be and are damaged by said bodily functions and may not detected until the smell is out of control or you change the floor covering.

It is working just fine. We have never paid any nonrefundable fee. The house we rented last wanted $500 non refundable. When I told them that is unreasonable and it will be refunable or we will walk they changed it to refundable.

The attitude of "we all know..." is exactly the problem. Our cat has never once not used her litter box. Our dogs are well trained and cleaner than most kids. I would say more damage happens to the floor from our kids. But we purchased our own really good steam cleaner and if a spill occurs are on top of cleaning it right away.
I believe we are the exception and not the rule when it comes to renting. We always leave the house better than it was when we came.

The funniest nonrefundable was $800 non refundable pet fee and when I conftonted the owner about it he said it was so he could get the carpets cleaned after we move out. The only carpeted area in the house was one hallway that was about 8 feet long. Everything else was hardwood or tile floor. The owner did not like it when I reminded him of this and then decided he would waive the fee altogether.

What I am saying is renters need to be smart about what fees you are paying. A lot of landlords simply charge the fee because it is the Norm for their area. Don't be afraid to confront the landlord about suspicious fees and if it sounds fishy just walk away.