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Put
it in writing... A written agreement can
be in the best interest of both tenant and landlord. With a written
pet approval from the landlord and a signed agreement acknowledging the
pet owner's responsibility in following the enumerated pet rules and procedures,
misunderstandings are less likely to occur.
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Provide
for reasonable pet deposits... Reasonable
pet deposits mitigate landlord concerns over uncompensated pet damage.
What is reasonable may vary with each building, but deposits should not
be so high as to prohibit pet ownership.
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Establish
limits... Problems can be avoided by limited
permissible animals to common household pets, such as dogs, cats, rodents,
fish and birds with other species to be cleared by management, if they
are permitted under local law. A set policy on how many pets each
tenant may own can also help keep the building's pet population at manageable
levels.
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Set
parameters... Should certain types of
pets be confined at all times to tenants' apartments? Should other
pets be permitted in all or only parts of the common areas? Establish
property pet regulations in advance, before any conflicts arise.
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Require
that all animal waste is properly disposed of...
Animal waste can become a problem if it's not made clear that cleaning
up is a tenant's absolutely responsibility. A responsible pet owner
will agree to immediately pick up and dispose of dog feces, bag cat box
filler before placing it in garbage containers, and take other necessary
sanitation measures.
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Require
that adult dogs and cats be altered...
Spaying and neutering can reduce conflicts between animals and the tendency
for males to roam. Plus there's a multitude of health and behaviour
benefits to be gained. Most importantly, spaying and neutering will
eliminate the chance of resident pets contributing to the pet overpopulation
problem.
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Require
that all pets be legal... This means being
licensed, inoculated, and maintained as required by law. It's also
a good idea to make sure that cats and dogs wear identification collars
at all times.
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Establish
emergency arrangements in advance... Arrangements
for the care and feeding of any pet whose owner goes out of town, becomes
ill, or is otherwise unable to care for the pet should be conveyed to
management. For emergency situations, landlords should keep a file
with the names and addresses of each pet's veterinarian and substitute
caretakers designated by the pet owner. (Check out our "In
case of emergency form", works great for this purpose.)
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Put
disciplinary procedures in writing and enforce them fairly...
Written notice to tenants concerning procedures for dealing with pet rule
violations will make enforcement easier for all parties. The procedures
might include a provision for warning(s) before any punitive measures
are taken. Whatever the policy, fair and consistent enforcement
will reduce disputes and make for better relations between management
and tenants.
