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| Icy when she was a puppy, chewing Gumby to bits. |
Do Landlords Hate Dogs?
It's not that there are no dog loving landlords, there are tons of them. It's fear of damage, liability, and irresponsible owners that makes some landlords refuse pets as tenants.
When I was a free-wheelin' young, single girl I was ready to buy my first home. My amazing realtor Suzanne found me a fabulous house in a prime area but it was over my meager budget. It had a small rental apartment upstairs and Suzanne explained how I could afford the house if I rented out the upstairs. I was terrified to become a Landlord, but I wanted that house so bad. I took a deep breath and went for it. It was like "POOF! You're a Landlord!" and I began searching for a quality tenant.
Everyone advised me not to allow pets, especially dogs. Dogs were bad news they said, they'd trash your apartment, annoy the neighbors, and might bite the hand off a small child. As a lifelong animal lover with a cat, I couldn't accept that so I allowed cats and small animals.
Everyone advised me not to allow pets, especially dogs. Dogs were bad news they said, they'd trash your apartment, annoy the neighbors, and might bite the hand off a small child. As a lifelong animal lover with a cat, I couldn't accept that so I allowed cats and small animals.
I quickly found a great tenant. Ray was fabulous in every way and so was his beautiful cat! Except that after he moved out I learned he was apparently flushing cat litter into the toilet bowl instead of using the garbage pail! And of course, wasn't it the clumping kind.
There were traces of litter swirling around in the toilet for months after he moved out. No biggie, that wouldn't deter me from continuing to be a pet friendly landlord!
Fast forward several years. I've since acquired a husband and a few more rental properties, all of which are pet friendly, at my insistence and my husband's dismay. I should probably mention that he's a 20+ year insurance veteran, specializing in property damage appraisal, LOL!! He'd seen the kind of damage pets could do to a house; chewed moulding, sheetrock, and toilet bowl water lines, dogs jumping through screen doors and glass windows, lawsuits due to dog bites, and a host of other bad stuff. Well color me BLUE!
But I insisted we remain pet friendly landlords. I must warn you, this next story is very upsetting. If you think it will disturb you hearing about a dog tragedy, skip down several paragraphs!
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| Landlords don't hate dogs but they fear the damage they can do |
Fast forward several years. I've since acquired a husband and a few more rental properties, all of which are pet friendly, at my insistence and my husband's dismay. I should probably mention that he's a 20+ year insurance veteran, specializing in property damage appraisal, LOL!! He'd seen the kind of damage pets could do to a house; chewed moulding, sheetrock, and toilet bowl water lines, dogs jumping through screen doors and glass windows, lawsuits due to dog bites, and a host of other bad stuff. Well color me BLUE!
Why Some Landlords Don't Allow Dogs or other Pets
But I insisted we remain pet friendly landlords. I must warn you, this next story is very upsetting. If you think it will disturb you hearing about a dog tragedy, skip down several paragraphs!
One of our rental properties was a cute little house in a nice neighborhood close to a school. For the most part our tenant was a good tenant, but the first hints of trouble began the weekend she moved in. She had a cat, and two dogs that were supposed to remain with her ex-husband. But from day one there they were at our newly renovated rental house despite the fact that we said the cat could move in but not the two dogs.
The next door neighbor, an elderly woman living alone, called me that weekend to say my new tenant's petite Pitbull was continually jumping up on the 6 foot high concrete wall that separated the two houses. She was terrified that the dog would make it over the wall and attack her, and her dog .... a very large, unfriendly male Rottweiler!
Well color me Shocked! I had no idea the two dogs had moved in along with our tenant. I also didn't know they were "outside" dogs. One was the sweetest little Pitbull mix named Daisy, the other a large male Rottweiler who "didn't like people".
Well color me Shocked! I had no idea the two dogs had moved in along with our tenant. I also didn't know they were "outside" dogs. One was the sweetest little Pitbull mix named Daisy, the other a large male Rottweiler who "didn't like people".
After going over to meet the dogs (at my insistance), I told her Daisy could stay but she'd have to do something to prevent her from jumping up on the wall, and why couldn't the dogs just stay in the house? I couldn't risk the unfriendly Rottie being left in the yard all day while she was at work. What if he jumped over the backyard gate and bit a small child as she walked home from school, how could I live with that? Not to mention the liability aspect.
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| What if an unfriendly dog had chompers like these and bit a child? |
My tenant was unable (or unwilling) to keep the dogs inside, so her brother took the Rottie and poor Daisy got tied down in the yard on a long lead that prevented her from jumping up on the wall. Here comes the shocking, disturbing part.
One holiday weekend our tenants went away, leaving Daisy all alone, tied up in the yard all weekend. A relative was supposed to stop by and look in on her, but failed to do so. Daisy must have become agitated and frightened being left alone in the yard for so long, so she tried to jump over the backyard gate to get out. She made it over the gate, but the lead wasn't long enough to let her feet touch the ground. Poor, sweet Daisy hung herself trying to get out of the yard. No one saw her, no one came to help her. My tenant found her dead when she returned home from the long holiday weekend.
Learning of Daisy's tragic death was devastating. If only she had let Daisy stay inside! If only she had called me, I would have been happy to come over and look in on Daisy or take her to my house for the weekend. First I was heartbroken. Then I was angry. I was angry at our neighbor who had to complain about sweet little Daisy jumping up on her stupid wall. I was angry at our tenant for being so fu**ing irresponsible! I was angry at myself for allowing her to have a dog in the first place. "That's it! No more dogs in the rental properties!" my husband yelled. He was as upset and angry as I was.
Learning of Daisy's tragic death was devastating. If only she had let Daisy stay inside! If only she had called me, I would have been happy to come over and look in on Daisy or take her to my house for the weekend. First I was heartbroken. Then I was angry. I was angry at our neighbor who had to complain about sweet little Daisy jumping up on her stupid wall. I was angry at our tenant for being so fu**ing irresponsible! I was angry at myself for allowing her to have a dog in the first place. "That's it! No more dogs in the rental properties!" my husband yelled. He was as upset and angry as I was.
Over the next year the anger subsided, our tenant moved out, and I was left with the sadness and the memory of that sweet, friendly, darling little Pitbull mix. Her adorable smiling face still haunts me. I was a lot more cautious about enforcing serious pet rules after that, and more than a little bit jaded.
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| One of my foster dogs, Howdy, relaxing in our yard. |
We remained pet friendly landlords, we were just more cautious about the restrictions. Our next tenants were probably shocked at how many questions I asked, not about them but about their pets and how they are cared for. Do landlords hate pets? No, but we fear the potential damage, liability, and sometimes even heartbreak that can go along with renting to pet owners that are not as responsible as they should be.
If you were a landlord, or if you are a landlord, would you apply restrictions or limitations on allowing pets? What questions would you ask prospective tenants about their pets?
38 comments:
We have been trying to find a different place to rent for a while now, and they have all turned us down because of our huskies ;(
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
The dog in this blog is gorgeous..
As a renter with 5 cats, I can totally relate to the trouble of finding a place to live that will allow pets, especially cats. I've come across so many that allow dogs, but not cats - I assume because of the reputation cats have for going to the bathroom outside of the litter box. We are now in a house, and our landlords had absolutely no problem with our cats. We had to pay only a very small pet deposit, and that was it. As a renter, I am thrilled, but at the same time, shocked. My cats are all well behaved and use their box, and I consider myself a responsible pet owner, so I know that we won't cause any trouble... but our landlords don't know that! I couldn't believe that they only made us pay a small fee and told us we could have as many pets as we wanted. They are lucky that we are responsible pet owners!!!
Wow... this is a really eye opening story. Fortunately we now own our home, but your account really shows us the challenges from all sides. I applaud you for continuing to make your properties pet friendly AND for being extra cautious. I think if I were in the shoes of a landlord, I'd interview a prospective renter much like a responsible shelter would interview a prospective adopter.
I'm glad that you changed your mind and instead asked pet-friendly renting questions. Is there a clause in your contract that covers what happens if tenants don't give adequate care to pets while living in your rental? I'm not sure if you can, legally, but it would be wonderful if you could.
Never been a landlord and likely never will be. I can see about the damage but some people can cause at least as much. Such as our past neighbor who burned the house down because felt like home-made deep-fried chips after a long night of partying. The fire was so hot that the stove melted ...
Wow what a tragedy! When I had 4 dogs I never had any trouble finding places but they are 2 Corgis and 2 chihuahuas so maybe size mattered? I hope you never have to go through any of that again! I have 4 cats now and fortunately am able to rent one of my mom's properties because I'm guessing we'd have issues.
What an awful fate for Daisy. She should never been kept tied up. I am shocked and dismayed. I can see from the landlords point of view why they wouldn't want their tenants having pets from a liability standpoint but imagine how many more pets would have forever homes if landlords couldn't discriminate against pets.
I'm so sorry you had to go through that. It can be so frustrating because irresponsible owners tend to ruin it for the rest of us. Or a landlord can have preconceived notions of a specific breed. My first landlord highly advised against adopting a husky mix from our local shelter because "huskies are a dangerous breed". My heart hurts for poor Daisy and I hope for a world when such preventable deaths do not occur.
Oh what a story! Poor, poor dog. I live in a dog-friendly apartment complex. And I can't imagine how it has remained dog friendly. You can see people move in with their dogs, and almost immediately the patio door blinds are shredded, there is constant barking, and so on and so on. And no one here picks up the pet poo. No one. With all of the complaints, mediating between people who complain and who are causing the complaints, and the damages, I don't think I could be a pet friendly landlord at all. So good for you. I applaud you. And I'm sad that as usual, a few bad humans ruin it for the rest of us. It's really not that hard to manage your pets. If I can manage Willy and prevent damage and complaints, it seems like everyone should be able to. Again, good for you for continuing to allow pets.
The problem is rarely the animal as you illustrated but the owner. Pets often take the blame for the bad behavior of humans
Irresponsible pet owners are irresponsible in all areas of their lives, and often it's the pets that take the blame for humans failings!
Poor, poor Daisy. It is irresponsible owners that make things difficult for everyone else.
Oh no, that's awful! I know how hard it is find a rental when you have multiple dogs. I have a few suggestions, I'll email them to you. Thanks for stopping by
Oh, thank you! If you mean the Husky, that's my girl Isis. The little black dog was one of my fosters, named Howdy. Thanks for stopping by!
That's great, so glad you found a good landlord! I never charged anything for pets, it's hard enough for folks to find pet friendly apartments. Charging for pets makes people not want to get any more pets and also makes it too expensive to rent. I think that's unfair. Thanks for sharing your experience!
It was very eye opening for me too. I'll always allow pets, how can I not when I love them so much myself! I hated being a renter and not being able to have pets. Besides, the more renters who can have pets, the more cats & dogs will be adopted from shelters! Thanks for stopping by!
Interesting question, I never thought about adding something w/ respect to the care of pets. I just have context around how many, what kinds, and that they're responsible for any damage. I did add that dogs cannot be "outside" dogs, they must live in the house not outdoors. Thanks for that suggestion Amy, I'll look into it.
Yikes!! They burned the house down?? Wow, that's awful. I think I'd have a heart attack! You're right, people can do damage too; the same tenant whose beautiful dog died needlessly had some giant holes in the wall of one bedroom. We think her daughter's boyfriend was there and got really angry. She had to pay for the repairs. Thanks for stopping by & for sharing that story! I feel really lucky right now LOL!
That's really lucky, glad you were able to find a pet friendly landlord! Relatives are always more understanding, aren't they? I wouldn't have an issue w/ multiple cats as long as they're litterbox trained and the person knows how to vacuum! Thanks for stopping by.
It really was awful, it still haunts me. We are still pet friendly landlords, just more cautious about how prospective tenants care for their pets.
So true, irresponsible owners ruin everything, don't they? It's weird that many people do think Huskies are a dangerous breed when they're one of the friendliest. People believe too much of what they read I think. My hear hurts too. Thanks for stopping by Kelsie.
That's so awful that people don't have respect in your complex. Wouldn't it be great if apartment complexes could provide information to pet owners about how to deal w/ behavior issues and the importance of cleaning up waste - and enforcing it when they don't? It's just not that hard! Thanks for stopping by the blog, Dawn!
Oh yeah, it's like 99.9999% the owner's fault! Too many ignorant disrespectful owners out there.
You're absolutely right! There are very few "bad" pets, just bad owners. Thanks for stopping by!
Daisy was so sweet, I was crazy about her! True, there's an abundance of irresponsible owners out there, they ruin it for the rest of us! Thanks for stopping by!
I have two pet rats.
It's been interesting for me to see how different landlords view pet rodents!!
My current landlord has no problem with them, but in my last apartment, I had to pay a pretty large pet deposit for them. And I've found plenty of apartments that wouldn't allow them at all!
Oh interesting, I hadn't considered rodents. As long as they're in a cage and don't roam free unsupervised in the house I would be fine with it. I wouldn't want them to get inside the walls & chew wire or something else that could be dangerous. A rat is the same as a hamster or guinea pig to me in terms of having a pet in the home. Thanks for stopping by!
Are you still giving advices on a way to find a place to move with pets. I live in Northern California and have 2 Chihuahuas n 2 cats and can not find a place to move please help
Sorry to respond so late, I would just search on "dog friendly places to live in (your city)", or "dog friendly apartments in (your city)"
That story is a perfect example of why so many places are now passing laws regarding how long a dog can be left tied outside - if you aren't there to check in on your dog, how can you keep them safe? I can't IMAGINE leaving our pack alone for a holiday weekend. I'm sorry that you had to deal with that - I can only imagine the emotions that you have been feeling. Please know that it's not your fault in any way for allowing them to have the dog there.
Being a Dog Mom I could never say no to a dog owner if I was a landlord but I would have a long list of restrictions to make sure the pet is safe and the house is safe. In my building they are now charging a monthly fee for your dog like rent to protect themselves plus when I moved in here I had to put a deposit down for Layla.
Good question. If I were a landlord, I'd screen the tenants carefully. I find the dogs in themselves are not the problem but the way they were raised, trained, treated and so on. Many times we observed the close connection between the personality and other traits of the owner and their dog.
I hate so much that some renters with pets give the rest of us a bad name. We had to move unexpectedly last year and it was SO SO hard to find a rental that would allow my two small dogs, despite the fact that we're very responsible pet owners. We ended up having to pay a lot extra per month to be allowed to keep the dogs in our rental. It sucks and makes it harder for us to save for a place of our own, but there's no way I'd give my little ones up. If I'm ever a landlord I would allow pets. I understand the risks, but I also know how insanely hard it can be to find a pet friendly rental, and pets are family!
What a tragic story, but one that definitely didn't need to happen. I love hearing the property owners side of why properties aren't pet-friendly or have limitations. You did a terrific job on explain this from that standpoint and from being an animal lover. Excellently written and explained. This is exactly what people need to hear in today's rental market. I'm sharing with all my pet parents!
Oh, Cathy, do I ever feel your heartbreak over that dog's sad and horrific tragedy. (Which by the way, was in no way your fault, although traumatizing and would haunt me as well). Years ago my family dog was a German Shepherd/Akita mix we adopted from our local shelter as a puppy. We were always home. I mean, always. One time, I drove my daughter to a birthday party and was gone a short bit and my Chelsey was out in the yard (not tied, she roamed free. We had gates and a fence, and she was not an escapee type of dog). She must have gotten spooked by something and tried to climb the fence and her collar got caught and she was hanging. (I found this all out afterwards). My neighbor thankfully was a vet tech who just happened to work for my vet that was literally in our backyard (as the crow flies). She heard my girl, called the PD who broke down our fence and together rescued her. My neighbor then brought her over the our vet hospital and thankfully - she was OK. But it could have gone so wrong. From that day forward, my girl and future Huskies all went collarless in my yard. (They were all chipped). We did Husky-proof our yard when we had the FiveSibes, and thankfully, no other scary things like this happened again. I was thankful my Chelsey was okay - and I cannot even imagine leaving a dog unattended for a long period of time, and leashed....oh, that poor pittie mix. I don't have rental properties, but I would have to say after reading your tragic story, and my experience with my Chelsey, and having five Huskies and all the repairs we did to our house (lol) and knowing they are escape artists, I would - sigh - probably not allow renters to have pets. We can control our own pets' environments, but can't for others, even ones we think would be good caretakers. I, too, used to work in insurance, and I think all these reasons it would be a "no pets" from this pet-loving gal.
I can't even imagine how tragic that was for you. And I can completely understand asking the additional questions. I feel like situations like this are something for us to learn and grow, not to completely turn away from. By asking the long list of questions now, it makes sure the tragedy doesn't happen again, and allows you to continue to support the renting dog community. -hugs to you - <3
I'm so sorry for Daisy and everyone else in this story! I am grateful that there are pet-friendly landlords!
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