Ultimately the decision is up to you, the owner. In our experience we have found that 80% of applicants have a pet. When you’re renting out a single family home, as opposed to a townhouse or condo, dogs are typically part of the equation. If you decide not to allow pets it may take longer to find a tenant, but it is possible.
There are a few things to consider when accepting pets:
Service and Support animals legally are not considered pets. They are an extension of their owner who needs their help for day to day activities. You can not deny them rental status or charge them a pet fee.
Pay attention to zoning laws. Some cities do not allow pit bulls and some do. Does your tenant want to keep chickens in the backyard? Does that HOA allow chickens?
Trinity Team uses PetScreening.com. We collect information regarding the pet and the website gives us a FIDO score (so cute). This score lets us know how we feel about accepting the dog. We learn about shot records, past aggressiveness, age, breed, etc. Trinity Team typically does not accept cats.
Be sure to implement a pet agreement and collect extra money each month for “pet rent.”
With so much to think about it’s comforting to know that Trinity Team Management has your back. We have the knowledge and experience to do this kind of thinking for you!