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The fees are not necessarily about "damage" caused by animals.
After the pain-in-the-butt apartment search we have just been on, I have a whole new outlook on these non-refundable pet fees (sorry pet owners...I will be right there with you someday, though). Time after time we looked at places that had been occupied by cats for long periods of time. Some places will only allow cats, no dogs. Problem is, my boyfriend is very allergic to cats (he has no reaction to dogs), and there are lots of people out there who are allergic to dogs, cats, birds, you name it. When we found the perfect place (except cats had been living there for several years) and asked the private landlord if he would be willing to sufficiently clean the place, he said it was cost prohibitive (he didn't charge a non-refundable fee). Not to mention we have had fleas jumping on us in several places where pets had been living prior - pretty gross.
The only way to really make an attempt at eliminating pet dander in a home is to rip out carpets and pads, clean the subfloor, and then replace them with new. You must also clean the walls and do a thorough cleaning of the HVAC system and ductwork. This can be very costly. Some people are deathly allergic to pets, so it is something that really should be done in order to make a unit suitable for the possibility of anyone to move in, unless the landlord knows that the next tenant will have pets as well. In my mind, paying the $300 pet fee isn't nearly as bad as forking over the actual cost of a duct cleaning.
I'm just hoping that those big commercial complexes actually do clean these places - but I doubt it, considering that my boyfriend has had sinus issues in our apartment for the past year, and there is clear evidence (scratched up wood trim) that a cat had lived there. That's the real problem here.
Sorry for the rant, it has just been very frustrating for us.
Time after time we looked at places that had been occupied by cats for long periods of time. The only way to really make an attempt at eliminating pet dander in a home is to rip out carpets and pads, clean the subfloor, and then replace them with new. You must also clean the walls and do a thorough cleaning of the HVAC system and ductwork. This can be very costly.
Tell me about it! My wife is in the same situation as your boyfriend. If you thought that apartment hunting was bad, just wait until you start house hunting. We had to pass on a number of beautiful houses just because the previous owners had cats. Imagine the expense associated with repainting all the walls, cleaning out the AC ducts, and replacing all the carpeting, window coverings, etc on a 3000 sq ft house.
The damage done by pets far outweighs a $150 - $350 ANNUAL non-refundable pet deposit.
As miamiblue aptly described it, once a cat is in the dwelling, it becomes almost impossible for someone with allergies to live there. That's lost rent.
Animals pee, poop, rip carpets, rip at walls, chew woodwork, destroy screens, and generally leave a stench (that you're used to) and dander.
If you've ever been a landlord, you know that 99 percent of the rental applicants LIE in order to get the rental. You want landlords to believe your pet is the very special one that doesn't pee, poop, or shed? And you are the PERFECT pet owner? What a joke! (All of our dogs are house trained, and all of them shed, some more than others, and there are sometimes accidents; we know the realities of pet ownership.)
And what happens if you get rid of one dog and get another that is more destructive during the duration of the lease? Should the landlord be able to terminate the lease then? Do you want your landlord to become the "pet police?"
Although we are serious pet lovers, we have avoided renting to people with pets except for the last two tenants. In both cases, their "perfect pets" have damaged new carpeting that will eventually cost us thousands of dollars to replace.
Your pet deposit is nothing. Smarter landlords (than us) don't allow pets.
I, too, am allergic to cats, but not to dogs. If we allowed cats in the home we rent out, that would destroy forever our chances of ever living there ourselves.
Last edited by lovebrentwood; 06-23-2009 at 06:39 PM..
What about the damage done by kids? Or me? My dog doesn't do any damage, but I have spilled an entire cup of coffee and can't get the stain out of the carpet.
Here's the bottom line. Pets do damage. Kids do damage. But the difference is that kids are protected by Fair Housing and pets are not. So an owner can allow them, not allow them, or charge fees, monthly rent or deposits if they so choose. It's their property and they can do whatever they want. The fact that they offer fees and deposits is a great compromise for everyone. It is a privilege to have a pet. They could just not allow pets altogether. If you don't agree with the terms of a particular community, you don't have to live there. Plain and simple.
Last edited by autumngal; 06-23-2009 at 08:09 PM..
Reason: post you were referring to has been removed
I didn't read everyone's answers, but I just want to whine with you. I have an indoor only, litter trained, declawed, spayed cat. The apartment has sealed hardwood floors. My PET deposit was $100 more than my SECURITY deposit. They are really worried about my little cat ruining stuff worse than I could!? It's a cat only complex, so it's not like I'm taking a hit for the dog owners, bc there aren't any. I get less than half of the dep. back, the rest is non-ref. Also, I pay $10 pet rent on her per month. Ludicrous, but like a previous poster said, I wasn't going to leave her behind (like some irresponsible owners do) so she is worth every penny.
I am wondering what I normal pet fee entails? I recently spoke to my landlord about getting a small (under five pounds), non shedding, house trained dog and he told me the pet fee(non refundable) would be 50 dollars a month. Perhaps I am wrong but this seems like a lot 600 dollars a year is a little absurd. I understand a 300 dollar fee or a security deposit and a 25 dollar a month fee I just don't understand. I feel that money isn't for damages but for my landlords pocket.
I have always rented without telling them about our 4 cats. Never a problem, and has saved us thousand or more bucks in "bull sh*t non-refundable pet fees".
Yeah, we rescued a house-trained puppy and "forgot" to pay the non-refundable pet deposit. When we moved out of the rental, we made sure to give everything a good cleaning, and it never came up when we got our (full) security deposit back. What helped is that he was housetrained and had maybe a total of 3 or 4 accidents on the carpets in the 3 years. Plus we kitchened him during the day, so any accidents after 8-9 hours alone were easily cleaned off the tile.
That monthly thing is BS, though. Some places just aren't as pet-friendly as others.
My opinion it should be a case by case basis, I have a 10lb shih-tzu dog who is super clean, goes to the bathroom outside, doesn't shed, etc...I keep my place immaculate, why should I pay the same fee as another person with an 80lb dog who messes up the place.
I went through this before buying my home, I rented in Brier Creek and my "non-refundable" pet fee was $200.00. I have no problem paying the fee initially, but the apartment should be reviewed for any damages, if the place is super clean, which it was I should at least receive a portion of those monies back. When I left the apartment, I received $0.00 back. Again, there should be a fee, but if there is damage, they should keep it.
In my opinion, cats do more damage as they pee and poop indoors, have more accidents on the carpeting and such. The smell is hard to get out of the place if an owner is not tidy.
I think the apartment management companies need to have a different system. A fee up front is fine, but a portion should be refundable based on the condition of the place when you vacate. Again, my opinion.
I am glad I don't have to go through that, as I own a home now. Good Luck.
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Absurd pet fee?
