Tenants and Their Pets
Pets can cause damage and most landlords prefer not to accept pets. The main source of damage can be caused by pets going potty on the carpet. Even if you have a great pet, chances are they are still going to have an occasional accident. With this said, before you say no to pets lets look at why you may want to consider pets.
1) About 50% of tenants have pets. By saying not accepting pets, 50% of the prospective tenants are being eliminated. This can make your home sit longer on the market and/or possibly rent for a lower price.
2) In the state of Nevada you do not have accept pets unless they are required for handicap or disability reasons. If you are looking to accept pets, don’t say that you “accept pets”. Say that you will “consider pets”. Many times it is not the pet that you are screening but the possible tenant. Some tenants can handle a larger breed just fine while others can’t handle a pet turtle. By saying you consider pets give you a way out if you don’t feel like the situation would be a good fit for your property. Puppies are typically never a good idea to accept.
3) Most tenants are willing to pay a pet deposit to have a pet. The amount is never enough to cover the damage that a pet can do but it can help. They usually range from $200 to $400.
4) Even if the tenants say they don’t have pets they very well may still have them or get one in the future. By saying that you consider pets you encourage them to tell you about their pet rather than hiding this information from you and sneaking them in.
5) One thing to remember is that the final and most persuasive way to enforce your pet policy is through an eviction for breach of lease. You can ask for a pet deposit if a pet is discovered at the property or ask them to get rid of it; but it is not likely for the tenant to pay you a deposit for the pet after they have moved in; and most people are not willing to part with a member of their family (their pet) for a rental home. This forces you in many cases to just accept the pet or to evict the tenants. It is good to think about your ultimate control on the situation before making a firm decision on accepting pets.
Property Management Blog
Brady Realty Group has just created this blog page to discuss or answer an questions regarding to tenants, landlords, evictions, rental properties or property management. Feel free to leave comments or ask questions.
Why Hire a Property Management Company?
Many people may wonder why they need to hire a property management company instead of just dealing with the renter themselves. While some landlords can manage their property well by themselves, the truth is that most don’t. Here are a few reasons why.
1) Tenant Screening:
Most owners of residential rental property do not have access to tenant screening and credit check software. Tenants know this, especially the bad ones. Bad tenants will try to manipulate an owner to con them into letting them rent the property. This is usually achieved by telling a very convincing sob story along with special set payment terms of rent and deposits. Management companies have heard every story and excuse imaginable. Through our experience, we have learned how to identify the “red flags” of problem tenants, and to avoid them.
2) Lack of Owner Understanding of Rental Law:
Even though individual owner’s may not know rental law like the back of their hand, they are still held to the same standard of compliance as management companies. In many cases state fines are assessed against owners for non-compliance with law and tenants are awarded monetary damages. In almost every case evictions are done improperly by owners thus delaying the eviction process to months when it could have been much sooner.
3) Involving an Un-bias 3rd Party:
Owners tend to have a higher amount of emotional involvement with their property than a management company would. This can cloud the judgement of the owner and increase tenant conflict and reduce the overall return on investment. Even thought a management company can charge from 8% – 10% of the monthly rent, they make this up in a more efficient rental property.
4) Frees Up More Time for the Owner:
The most obvious reason to hire a management company is to free up more time. A management company is responsible to handle the collection of rents and take care of the annoying repair phone calls that can come at any time of day. Who knows the problems that could arise if you go on vacation and don’t check your phone when an emergency repair such as a water leak happens at the property. This is rare but does happen.
