Many landlords are concerned about allowing pets to live in a rental property. But when you learn why Belleview landlords should have a pet screening process in place you can rest assured that you are making a fantastic decision.
Assistance/Service Animals
At Real Property Management Diversified we guarantee that the properties that we handle are equal opportunity homes, and accommodate a wide array of possible residents. But many landlords do not understand that just like there are various kinds of residents, there are also many different animals that are permitted on the property by legislation.
Under the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, assistance and service animals are permitted on any land if they are enrolled as a service animal for a disability, which is characterized by the FHA as “a physical or mental impairment which significantly limits a person’s major life activities”.
Thus, even in the event that you’ve told residents, they’re not allowed to possess pets at your house, you’re still required to provide “reasonable accommodation” to residents with service animals. Service animals administered by the ADA are lawfully permitted anywhere and are described as a dog or mini horse that’s been trained to perform work for the sake of someone with a disability.
This is a significant distinction to create as you do not want to wind up trapped in a legal issue by turning away a resident as well as their assistance or service animal by confusing it with a pet. But by using a screening procedure in place you’ll be able to ascertain if it is an assistance animal by requesting documentation from a physician or therapist who acknowledges that the resident’s animal is a service animal.
Contact Past Landlords
One of the very best screening hints if allowing pets in your rental property is to contact past landlords, pets may get references, also. This will give you a better understanding as to whether the creature ever caused harm to the house, disturbed the peace of neighbors, or caused some other problems.
This is a quick and easy method to help steer you in your choice, without turning a potential resident off. Do not be scared to lease to a resident using a moderate or large sized dog as a result of unfounded fears. The big bully in your mind could truly be a large teddy bear that does more to make your residents and neighbors happy than annoyed.
Include Pet Riders in Lease Agreement
Another important step to your pet screening procedure is including a pet rider in your lease agreement. This ensures that the animal’s existence on the property is both known, and accounted for with regard to property damage. Some landlords will add a pet addendum if their existing residents wish to obtain a pet as soon as they have moved in, but it’s ideal to get a pet rider in the original document.
Some basic components the pet rider ought to include are:
- Pet Details: breed, color, gender, age, and weight
- Pet Fee: if it is not an assistance animal you are able to charge a fee for a resident to own a pet on your property
- Damage Deposit: this deposit will be returned if the pet does not incur any damages during its stay
- Vaccination List: have resident include type of vaccination and date
Having a legally binding document ensures that no additional pets can be added without your consent and that the pet residing on the property is fit to be around other animals and residents of the neighborhood. This legal rider will ensure that if any curve-balls are thrown your way, it is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that the issues are handled properly.
Take Photos of Pet
Another important step in the pet screening process is to take photos of the pet. Imagine the surprise you would have when making an entry on a property to perform maintenance only to discover that the small Chihuahua that your resident signed for is actually a Great Dane.
By taking a photo, and recording details such as the type of animal, its general measurements and markings and any other important information about the pet will help ensure that one pet doesn’t turn into three, and a small dog doesn’t end up being a much larger issue.
Do More Business
Finally, having a pet screening policy makes it possible to do more business. As you might initially shy away from letting non-assistance creatures on your property many potential occupants look for single-family-homes to rent over apartments based on having a pet. You can even make additional money if you choose to charge pet rent that the resident must pay each month.
Furthermore, pet-owners are often more responsible than your average resident. If they’ve taken the opportunity to train their pet, find appropriate care for their pet when they are gone and are disinclined to leave their pet due to rental coverages then this may be the kind of resident that you want on your premises. Even though this isn’t accurate for all pet owners, it is something to think about when screening both occupants and animals.
When you rely on Real Property Management Diversified for your property management services we do more than just respond to repair calls. We assist landlords and investment homeowners alike to put responsible, compatible residents in your rental property and to ensure that all possible liabilities such as pets are properly screened so that the rental experience is a good one for both you and your residents.
Start realizing the benefits of having a pet screening process and get in touch with Real Property Management Diversified to learn more about our services. You can contact us online or call us at 352-854-2221.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
