Renting with Dogs

Most landlords who forbid dogs have had an unpleasant experience in the past. Some irresponsible dog owners allow their dog to run loose, mess the yard, or they leave them home for long periods to chew the blinds and howl. You can’t really blame landlords for being less than thrilled with dogs in their housing.

Tenants who have a dog or more than one dog may face additional challenges when renting a flat or a house. One of the primary challenges the tenants may face is finding a living situation which is acceptable to them and also willing to accept their pets. This may be hard as many rental properties don’t allow dogs at all. Those who do permit animals on the property may place certain limitations on they size and breed of dog which may reside on the property.

Finding an Acceptable Living Situation

The 1st step in renting with dogs is to find an acceptable living situation. For those who want to rent with dogs, the first question to be asked should be whether or not dogs are permitted to live on the property. This is important as it may save the tenant a great deal of time. The tenant may otherwise invest a great deal of time learning more about the property or even undergoing a credit check only to find out pet are not permitted.

For a few dog owners, finding a rental situation which permits dogs isn’t the end of the search. The tenant should also confirm the type of dog he owns will be permitted to live on the property. This may include both the size of the dog as well as the breed as some flat complexes place restrictions on the size of the dog and also disallow certain breeds. Again confirming these facts early in the search for an flat may be a tremendous time savings specially for those who own large or commonly banned breeds.

Tenants should also consider the surrounding area when selecting a rental property. An ideal location would be one in which there’s an adequate location to walk and exercise the dogs. Areas with large grassy areas possibly ideal while areas which don’t have a location to walk a dog mayhap difficult.

Read Contracts Carefully

Tenants who have dogs should read their contract carefully before making a decision to rent a particular property. This is important as many landlords may enforce limitations on tenants who own dogs. These limitations may include, but are not limited to, requiring an additional security deposit for the tenant, requiring particular cleaning methods on the carpets after the tenant vacates the flat and holding the tenant responsible if the dog engages in nuisance barking. Nuisance barking may be a trouble in flat situations where the flats are placed close together and even share a common wall. Tenants should be aware that in a few situations, nuisance barking may be a cause for eviction. For these reasons, tenants who own dogs should take the time to familiarize themselves with the rental contract.

Take Care of Your Rental Property

Finally, tenants who have dogs may have to take additional efforts to maintain their flat. This may include more diligent cleaning, specially of the carpets. Tenants with dogs should respond quickly to accidents in the house to minimize the possibility of permanent staining and odors. Each accident should be addressed immediately and every effort should be made to clean the affected area completely.

Tenants with dogs should also vacuum regularly specially if their dog is a heavy spiller. This will aid to keep the living environment cleaner and will also minimize the amount of cleaning required when the tenant vacates the property. Regularly vacuuming will prevent hair from being embedded into the carpet so deeply that it’s hard to remove.

Finally, tenants with dogs should take care to pick up after their dogs while on walks and to keep their dogs roped while in common areas. Many cities have leash laws and laws regarding picking up after dogs. Even if these laws are not in effect, tenants should follow these policies as a courtesy to their neighbours. Additionally, keeping dogs on leashes during walks aids to ensure their safety by preventing them from running into the street.