CHBO Property close-icon
Property Management Toolbox

Make Room for Fido: How to Pet-Proof a Rental Property?

post image Admin
Published Date: 2009-10-12

Is your rental pet-proofed? Pet proofing a rental means that your unit is prepared to receive tenants with pets. Let's face it, pets are the new surrogate kids nowadays. Housing seekers traveling with pets use gentle persuasion with terms like: "well-mannered, house-trained, small/medium-sized, quiet, mindful and clean" to describe their pets. The pros in considering a tenant with a pet is a renter's willingness to pay more and the ability to attract more renters. The con is the possible wear-and-tear of the property. Therefore, it makes sense to pet-proof a rental so that it can attract more renters. Here are some pet-proofing tips:

  • Plan ahead and get furniture that can be cleaned easily such as microfiber. Avoid material like leather that can be scratched up.
  • Buy furniture covers for couches and chairs. These covers can be found at places like Ikea or Target.
  • Buy a hepa-filtered vacuum and a handheld vacuum and negotiate with the tenant to use them frequently. Outfit the rental with a portable air purifier. These devices also use hepa filters to help refresh the air inside a room.
Also, if you have pet-proofed your home, make sure you mention it when marketing your rental. State in your listing that you will "consider" a pet. You can even ask to see the pet and decide if it's a good fit for your rental. If you decide to accept the pet, make sure the contract stipulates the accepted pet and the number of pets the renter is bringing. Also, when allowing pets, be sure to ask for an extra deposit or ask the pet owner to cover the cost of the departure clean. If you have carpets, get some professional estimate amounts and pass this amount onto the tenant. Or charge a higher rental rate and offer to provide the tenant with regular maid service to keep the pet dander at a minimum. These are some tips to help you accommodate pets in your rental home. Good luck!


Contact Us CHBO