“It should be illegal to turn away someone because they have a pet”
It was the start of a hot headed debate in a local rental Facebook group I use for promotional purposes when we have a vacancy.
Landlords chimed in with horror stories of damage while tenants shared their tragic stories of having to give up their beloved four legged family member because there was nowhere to live that would accept the animal.
Personally I am not a fan of the government telling me what I can do in my rental business so I would MUCH prefer the choice. And, my advice to the tenants on the forum was to make themselves the best possible applicant for a property and they will find that there are more opportunities to live with your pet than you think there are. The problem isn’t always the pet – it’s the tenant’s application.
My experience is that a great tenant is a great tenant … if they have a pet it just means they will probably stay longer and pay me a little more rent.
But there is a lot to consider when you make this decision, including whether you are even allowed to say ‘No Pet’s’ in your state or province (sorry Ontario landlords – you can’t actually say no pets!).
Here are my thoughts on whether you should allow pets in your rentals (thanks for the great question Christine).
If you do decide to make your rental pet friendly, you’ll definitely want to write a great rental ad that sells that benefit. You’ll also want to focus on ensuring you screen your tenant and ask great questions to ensure get the best one.