It’s not a surprising fact – pets can do a lot of harm to the furniture, appliances, walls, and to the property itself. The troublemakers are usually dogs and cats but even rabbits, guinea pigs, and hamsters can also be the culprits behind great amounts of damage. But we all love our pets, don’t we? Our kids love them too. Hence, re-homing our pets is not an option so we just try to shrug it off and pay for any amount of costs. Anything for our little furry friends, right?
Unfortunately for prospective tenants with pets, it may be more difficult to have yourself accepted in applying for a rental, especially if the apartment does not carry a pet friendly label. Landlords and property managers may refuse applications from pet owners based on the idea that their pets will simply damage property and reduce its value over time.
Are these damages that serious to make property managers decide on such? Some information I found on-line reveal that destructive pets can actually cause more than $900 worth of damage to their owners’ homes and property during their lifetime. This cost is a sum of cleaning bills, repairs, replacement of broken or lost items, etc. It is possible that the costs can be even higher, especially if you have a lot of pets. The most common victims are the carpets, which are often scratched, chewed on, or stained. Next are the chairs, followed by chewed or scratched sofas too. Other items that are prone to pet damage include books, magazines, newspapers, cables, curtains, and toilet rolls. That basically includes everything in your property!
So you can’t really blame the property manager for refusing your application. What can you do as a pet owner then? Before considering re-homing your pet, why don’t you look for another property first? The good news is that there are now a lot of apartments and condos that are turning into “pet-friendly” places. You can also work with a property manager to ensure your pets will do minimal damage or that you are glad to be responsible for any damages done by your pet. As a matter of fact, pet-friendly apartment buildings are in such high demand now that property managers have no choice but to consider it if they want their properties to be leased. However, remember that rules governing the permission of pets in apartment buildings vary among states. There are also some restrictions relating to the weight, size, and breed of the pet. So ask your property manager about these details.
The price to pay for owning a pet is definitely high if you want to live in a rental. But what is the cost of having a companion? A friend? A best-friend? It’s priceless.
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