I love dogs. Not all dogs, but some. I know that some people feel that their dog is a part of their family. I know that is certainly the case for me and my family. We love our dog dearly.
We get calls on our rentals asking whether we will accept a pet. Well, it really depends on what kind of pet it is. Our insurance will not allow us to rent to people with dogs on the dangerous dog list.
A client of mine is looking for a rental house. He has a couple of children and a 50 lb dog. Everytime he finds a place he likes, the owners tell him that they don't rent to people with pets. Or, the owner won't rent to someone with a dog over 25 lbs. Hmmm. I find this interesting. Can't a 25 pound dog do damage to a property? Or do only 50+ pound dogs damage properties?
I suppose there have to be some type of limitations put on pets, somehow.
Funny, I haven't really had much of a problem with tenant's pets. But, I've have had some tenant's children do some damage to properties. In some situations some people's dogs are more well behaved than their kids. - oops, I'm probably not supposed to say that.
I remember years and years ago, when I was looking for my first rental. I had a Doberman - Great Dane dog. He was nearly 100 lbs. And, I looked for a long time before I found a place that was agreeable to accept my dog. He was a wonderful dog, well behaved and he was very docile. We left after a year, with the property in the same condition as we rented it in.
This article is authored by
Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate
Brevard County Real Estate & Investing
I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.
that for you
I agree Sandy it does depend on how well behaved the dog is not how heavy it is.
That's a good point. My lab is over 50 lbs and is an angel. Our other dog is smaller and has torn apart the house. Weight has nothing to do with it!
I hope you'll remember me if you learn of anyone moving to "The OC" and I will do the same!
Best regards.
Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GREEN GRI
2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors
Sandy, I think any size dog can do damage but it does seem the pet deposits go up with the weight of a dog, rightly or wrongly.
I never even thought about this, but boy my little 12 pound dog (as a 4 pound puppy) did more damage to our furnishings than any dog I've ever seen. She had one heck of a teething problem! Our bigger dog has never destroyed a thing. So those weight limitations are pretty silly when you think about it.
I live in a condo building where there is a 30 lb weight limit. That doesn't seem to stop the dogs from peeing in the lobby or elevators. Frankly I'd rather have one big Lab than a group of some of the little dogs we have around our building.
Whether big or small, dogs usually do damage out of boredom. Having said that, many landlords are afraid they'll have to replace carpeting or battle a flea problem after tenants move out with their dogs. All the Great Danes I've ever met were very laid back and gentle, guess if you're that big, you don't have to sweat the little stuff!
Who couldn't love that face, Sandy? I think people and their kids tend to make a bigger mess of a property than the dog will, no matter what the size of the animal in question. Cats can stink up a place royally and they hardly weigh a thing. In this case, I don't think size really matters. ;)
I've always thought weight restrictions were weird other than for condos where the sound of a 100lb dog running through the house might reverberate too much. But, as for noise and damage, the little guys can do just as much, if not more, than their larger counterparts.
My pets are a perfect example. Jake, the 65lb flat coat retriever, is totally mellow. Our 2 Jack Russells (or Jerk Russell Terrorists as my partner calls them) can do way more damage and can be much more annoying with their barks, digging in the yard, and running around even though we walk them 2 miles each day.
Sandy,
I think it depends on the dog and the owners. A little dog may do more damage.
Ann Hayden in sunny Wildwood, Missouri
Its so true .... wish more landlord understoon this simple fact. They should rather call the previous landlord to check how the property was left after the rental.
Hi Sandy
It's aboout how the dog been trained.
Good luck and success.
Lou Ludwig
Hi SS,
I agree...a smaller dog can do as much damage as a larger dog. Your doggie is real cute!!
You remind me of a time about 12 years ago when I was looking for a rental and no one would take dogs. I cut my beautiful young Shih Tzu's hair off to make her look smaller and less messy. It was a sad day, but did not help. Still no one wanted us. Unfortunately, dogs do a lot of damage, no matter how big.
Hi Sandy-I can attest to the fact that it doesn't make how big or small a dog is it is how they are trained. My Bub is a wild child at 25# and has done her share of damage to stuff mainly because we are gone a lot and she gets bored. Great post. :-)
Hi Oompa: wow, you once had a 100 pound dog? That's pretty big. And yes some dogs do behave better than children.
I think the difference is that if a 25 pound dog is attacking someone, they can probably fend the dog off if they try to. But if a much bigger dog - Great Dane, Doberman, Pit Bull, etc. is attacking you, good luck with getting away and not getting a serious injury. I assume that is why the prohibition exists. The smaller dogs actually seem to be the loud annoying ones, so it can't be because of noise.
My rental policy is that they can't have more than 1 pet and no dangerous animals or breeds that my insurance won't cover.
Sandy - I worked with a guy who had just built his own wonderful home. There was the nice cherry cabinets, and especially the gorgeous front doors with leaded glass windows.
Upon completion of the home,he believed it was time to adopt a Boxer from Animal Rescue. He came to work the next day and was beaming about the new family member. . .BUT when the family returned home that evening, the dog had gnawed the molding away from the front door, and deeply scratched the door. It had destroyed the couch by ripping it apart, and done damage to the kitchen cabinetry. . .That was ALL in just one day:-)
I think the weight limit on dogs is more because of possible aggression problems and that other tenants may fear larger dogs. Also, large dogs tend to need more exercise and room to run and can become bored - and likely to get in more trouble if bored. Right or wrong since I'm a cat person myself and I'm not familiar with dog behavior, just my thoughts.
Sandy, the behavior of a pet is directly related to how they are trained and you are right, some children are not trained as well as some people's dogs!
We just have a list of pets we can't allow in our rentals. While we do ask for the weight of the pet that alone has never been a reason to decline an other wise qualfied tenant.
Hi Sandy, when I was little we had a little dachshund who lactually ate a hole in the door between the garage and the house -- I prefer big dogs, and none of my big dogs EVER did that! LOL!
I've never heard of what Gary said but it's a great thought. I think that a 50 lb kid does more damage to a rental unit than a 50 lb dog. Just me from past experience ..........