Deciding whether or not to allow pets in your Orange County rental property is a big decision for any property owner. When you think about the amount of potential tenants who won’t even consider a rental that doesn’t accept pets, it can seem like a no-brainer. Still, the thought of damage and pet odor might send you right back to the other side of the spectrum.
There are positives and negatives to having a pet-friendly rental property. Only you can decide which route is best for you. But it’s important to remember that it isn’t an all-or-nothing decision—there are many shades of gray when creating a pet rental policy.
In this article, we’ll explore the challenges and benefits of a pet-friendly rental property and explore how you can create a pet rental policy that protects you and your property.
Challenges of Having a Pet-Friendly Rental Property
Damage to your property
When you allow animals in your rental property, even the most well-behaved animals will increase the wear and tear on the space. And pets who aren’t well-trained can cause even more damage. Some of the main damages caused by pets include:
- Scratch marks on walls, doors, floors, and more.
- Destroyed landscaping.
- Chewed wires.
- Chewed wood on furniture, baseboards, and more.
- Bad pet odors.
- Stained carpet.
There are ways to mitigate the risk of pet damage. To combat some of the damage that can come with pets, you can set criteria for the pets that live in your rental properties. Consider requiring all dogs to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and at least one year old. Unfortunately, puppies are some of the worst culprits for scratching, chewing, having accidents, and generally causing damage. Adding an age restriction can help ensure that only well-trained pets stay in your rental property.
Additionally, if you know you’ll be allowing pets as you get your rental property ready, consider how to make the space more pet-friendly. For example, if you’re redoing flooring, consider taking up carpet or using tile flooring throughout the home to avoid scratched hardwood flooring or stained carpeting.
Another step some landlords take to mitigate the financial impact of having pets in your rental property is charging your tenant pet rent or using a pet deposit. This gives you a financial buffer to cover the potential increase in maintenance costs upfront. In California, you can legally charge pet rent or require a pet deposit. However, California landlords can not charge more than one month’s rent as a deposit, including the pet deposit.
Noise complaints
If your rental property has neighbors, you need to be considerate of their needs. Noise complaints are a serious issue, but they aren’t as common as you might think. When your rental property is a single-family home or condo, there is less concern about disrupting neighbors.
If there are issues with loud pets, it can be grounds to evict the tenant or require them to rehome their pet. This is a difficult position to be in, so understanding the dynamics of your rental property beforehand is essential.
For example, if the apartment building is pet-friendly and most tenants have pets, it’s unlikely that other tenants will make noise complaints about another pet. But if the property is a quiet place with few pets, consider whether allowing pets is the best option for that location.
Allergies
Safety of other tenants
When you allow pets into your rental, there is always a risk of physical injuries to neighbors and yourself. While this would be a worst-case scenario, ensuring you’re protected is essential.
While your landlord’s insurance will cover you for a lot of issues, some insurance companies will not cover bites or problems that occur because of certain large dog breeds.
While every insurance company is different, some dogs are often not covered. It’s important to check your policy before you open your rental property up to large dog breeds. Here are some of the dog breeds that are commonly exempt from insurance policies:
- Doberman pinscher
- Siberian Huskies
- Chows
- Rottweilers
- German shepherds
- Bullmastiffs
- Pit Bulls
You can also require the tenant to hold adequate renters or personal liability insurance to cover dog bites on the property.
Pet odor
With pets comes smells—this is a fact of life. Wet dogs, litter boxes, and accidents can all add to the smell a pet leaves behind. Beyond the typical smell that can often be cleared with a few open windows, pets can leave lingering smells, especially on carpets.
In the past, we’ve had tenants move out, and the inspection goes well. We think everything is in tiptop shape. But when we start to clean the carpet, a wet dog smell starts to appear. Unfortunately, this is a sign that there is animal urine in the carpet pad. This is not a simple problem to fix and often involves completely replacing the carpet. We always recommend cleaning the carpets in a pet-friendly rental before returning
Benefits of Making Rental Properties Pet-Friendly
We discussed the risks associated with allowing pets in rental properties. Many property owners stop there. They don’t realize that there are, in fact, just as many benefits to owning a pet-friendly rental.
Let’s dig into some of the reasons why you should allow pets in your rental property.
Extend the pool of potential renters
Approximately 70% of American households have at least one pet. That’s a lot of people with pets!
When you translate those numbers, you find that over 50% of potential renters are looking for rentals where their furry friends are welcome. It’s simple math: when you’re open to pets, you automatically double your renter pool.
With more renters applying to your property, you’ll have more qualified applicants to choose from. This will help you rent your property quicker, which means it will spend less time on the market and more time making you money.
Increase your rental income
Avoid pet “sneaks”
Welcoming pets into your rental property will all but eliminate the issues of pet “sneaks.” Pet sneaks are when a tenant says they don’t have a pet but then sneaks it in any way. Pet sneaks are problematic because, as a property owner, you won’t have any rules and regulations to protect your property.
If a pet sneak occurs, you must serve the tenants a notice to remedy the situation or move forward with an eviction. Either way, this is a hassle for everyone involved, and it’s best to avoid this situation at all costs. One way you can protect yourself from pet sneaks is by allowing pets at the property and setting up the necessary precautions to protect you and your property.
Longer tenant tenure
As a rental property owner, vacancy costs will be one of your most significant expenses. When your property is vacant, you aren’t collecting any rental income. Whenever a tenant decides to move on, you race against the clock to find a new tenant as quickly as possible.
Tenants with pets are more likely to renew their lease. When they find a property they like that also accepts their pet, they won’t want the hassle of trying to find a similar place. Instead, they’ll renew their lease and stay for more extended periods.
Additionally, because you won’t have all the costs associated with tenants moving out—cleaning, marketing, screening tenants, etc.—you’re making more money when you have long-term tenants.
Stay compliant with current—and future—housing laws
While no current legislation in California requires property owners to allow pets in rentals, this might not always be the case. You’re getting ahead of the game by allowing pets in your rental. You’ll already comply with legal requirements, like the potential Bill AB 2216, and won’t have to make any radical changes to your processes if new pet-friendly laws come into force.
California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act also requires landlords to allow a person with a disability to live with their emotional support or service animal in a rented apartment or home, regardless of their pet policies.
Responsible pet owners = responsible tenants
Pet Rental Policy Best Practices
When you open your property to pets, it doesn’t mean you have to open it up to every pet. You have the right to decide what will and will not work for your property. You can set restrictions on weight, breed, age, and the number of pets allowed.
As mentioned above, some dog breeds are commonly prohibited by landlords—Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and German Shepherds—and because they have a reputation for being aggressive, you may choose to ban them.
You can also focus on the dog’s age. Puppies can be more destructive than full-grown dogs, so many landlords protect their property from damage by only accepting dogs over the age of one.
At Good Life, we recommend outlining the criteria for accepted pets the same way you would for a tenant. When someone applies to your property, you should request the following for each of their pets:
- A photo.
- A description of the animal, including age and weight.
- Up-to-date vaccination record.
- Answers to the following questions:
- How long have you owned your pet?
- Is your pet house-trained?
- Has your pet had any obedience training?
- Does your pet have a history of aggression?
Remember, the criteria you set out will not apply to service and emotional support animals. They are NOT considered pets, so any restrictions you have in place will not apply to them.
When you move on reference checks, ask the tenant’s previous landlord if they had pets while living there. If they did, you could ask more questions about what that experience was like if the property was left in good condition, and if they ever had issues with the pet. These insights can help you decide if this pet is suitable for your property.
Make Property Management with Pets a Breeze
At Good Life Property Management, we understand the intricacies of renting a pet-friendly property. We’ve gone through the process repeatedly, and we have the processes and expertise to help you protect your pet-friendly property.
We believe life should be enjoyed, not spent sweating the small stuff. That’s why we set out to make property management easy. We care about you, your property, and your tenant. And we do it all so you can Live the Good Life.
Schedule a call to speak with one of our Good Life experts.
Pet-Friendly Rental FAQs
Do landlords in Orange County have to accept pets?
Is pet rent legal in California?
What is something landlords should check after having a pet in their rental?
Steve Welty
Subscribe to Our Orange County Landlord Newsletter
Get in touch with us:
Orange County Property Management Blogs
SB 602 Explained: Protect Your Property from Squatters
Ever wondered why the topic of squatter rights keeps trending in rental property discussions? It seems the idea of someone taking over your vacant property and living there legally for
Good Life Opens Property Management Office in Orange County
At Good Life Property Management, we believe that owning rental property should be a seamless and rewarding experience. We maintain properties with the highest standards of quality and service so
7 Common Ways to Hold Title to Real Estate in Orange County, CA
As a rental property owner, you might wonder about the best way to hold a title in Orange County, California. It’s important to understand the implications of everything from your
