Are you a dog person? Or a cat person? Maybe you love all animals or maybe you don’t like animals at all.
Regardless of how you feel personally, you need to decide whether you’ll allow pets in your rental property. If you’re worried about the potential mess and damage and even the extra liability, we get it. But, you might be barking up the wrong tree if you decide to stick with a strict no-pet policy.
Here’s why.
RentSimpli is a full-service San Diego property management company specializing in single family homes, townhouses, condos, mobile homes, small commercial buildings and small apartments. Today, we’re sharing what we usually tell our owners when they ask us whether they should rent to tenants with pets.
Pet-Friendly Homes Reduce Vacancy
You reach a larger pool of tenants when you accept pets.
More than half of the tenants looking for homes to rent in San Diego own at least one cat or dog, so you’re really reducing the number of tenants who may be interested in renting your home when you don’t allow pets.
Vacancy is a huge money drain, and if you have to wait longer to find a tenant who doesn’t have a pet, you may be losing money that you’ll never recoup.
Not only do pet-friendly homes rent faster, they often do a better job of retaining tenants. When a tenant with pets pays a pet fee to move into your home, they’re not going to be eager to move at the end of the lease term. It would only mean paying another pet fee elsewhere.
Pet-Friendly Homes Deliver Higher Rents
Pet-friendly homes also allow you to earn more.
You can charge a pet fee, and that fee can apply to every pet. So, if you ask for a $200 fee per pet, you’ll earn an extra $400 from a tenant who has two dogs.
Pet rent is also pretty popular in the San Diego rental market. Tenants are willing to pay $20 to $50 a month in extra pet rent just for the privilege of living with their furry friends. This increases your rental value and your income.
Mitigating Pet Risk in Your San Diego Rental Home
Many San Diego rental property owners understand the benefits but worry about the risk.
If a tenant’s dog attacks a delivery person, you may find yourself facing a lawsuit. Pets can make messes, chew up floorboards and gardens, and scratch right through carpet or hardwood floors. Odors can often linger even into the next tenancy, causing problems for you when you try to re-rent the home.
The best thing a San Diego property manager can do when you’re renting to a tenant with pets is to implement and enforce a pet policy. A good pet policy will include:
- Breed restrictions. Some insurance policies won’t cover homes where there’s a dangerous dog breed.
- Pet fees and pet rent.
- Screening procedures for pets, including vet information and proof of vaccines.
- Instructions and rules. For example, dogs must be leashed at the property and owners must clean up after them.
We understand the anxiety around allowing pets into your San Diego rental home. However, with good screening and a strong pet policy, we believe you may be better off providing a pet-friendly home.
If you’d like to hear more, contact us. RentSimpli is a full-service property management company serving landlords, investors and property owners in San Diego & Riverside Counties, including La Mesa, El Cajon, Chula Vista, Santee, Rancho Bernardo, Escondido, Fallbrook, Temecula, and Murrieta.