Make your apartment "cat friendly".

Most of my units are cat friendly. I have 6/10 that have cats never had an issue. A lot of them asked if they could have them. The fact that they bothered to ask was satisfying to know they are decent people, and weren't going to go behind my back. One tenant had been there for 7 years before I bought. He asked for a cat the day it settled. I allowed it and every rent increase he always says he is happy as larry with the increase as long as the cat stays. Happy tenant=happy bank account.

 

So how does a PM pick up on issues swiftly when they are limited by the frequency of inspections?

Do you know how much a cat ****** in 6 months?

Can you explain how the PM enforces this and what the PM does if the tenant fails to do so?

 

That's interesting because I every time I have allowed a tenant with a dog I have had problems.

 

Which state only allows 2 inspections a year? In Perth, 4 inspections per year are permitted. If a PM is doing their job, they should be able to detect issues at the next inspection. The damage you posted looked like it developed over a longer period than 3 months.

 

https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/hou...andlord-or-agents-right-to-enter-the-property

 

"make one general inspection in any six-month period"

Gees. That is slack. That's asking for trouble IMO.

 

To respond swiftly is to address any matter that arises from (1) undertaking an inspection and (2) responding to matters raised by the owner and/or neighbours etc...Being a PM is not about policing people - it is about building and sustaining good relationships with all stakeholders particularly tenants and owners ...when I talk to tenants with pets we discuss the value and benefits of regular walks with dogs to manage behaviours etc - it is about putting safeguards in place to manage risk to one's best capacity...offering tenants ideas on how to manage animal behaviours etc, offering information and helpful advise.

 

I have many conversations with tenants where people highlight to me how much they value being respected - when working from the space of respect I find that people are very open to hearing ideas/advice/recommendations on how to manage their pets

 

From my understanding, cats use kitty litter trays to ablute which requires regular cleaning (cats are very fasitidious hence if kitty litter is not changed they will not use the kitty litter tray). During conversations about pet management we discuss these matters with tenants highlighting that should pet care not be managed then the lease agreement is unlikely to be renewed by the owner

 

The Cat Came Back.



More damage.............two year old carpet, there is more but pics weren't good enough.

 

I like the song, cheers.
Are you sure that's cat damage?

 

Tenant told the agent it was.

There is more damage than in those couple of pics, some carpet will have to be replaced.

 

We make our rentals pet friendly where possible, it attracts a wider market and can be advertised on more websites hence quicker turnover, less vacancies.

Ensure there is insurance.

Jealous ex boyfriends do more damage to properties than any cat can do.
$10,000 damage to one of our Salisbury rentals last year - every window and door smashed includibg garage doors. Cats do not that.
Totally covered by insurance though and my boys had most of the important things handled in a week so that tenant can move back in. Even the one week vacancy was claimed on insurance.

 

Saw a recent episode of million dollar listing-NY and the owner refused to sell because the prospective buyer had a pet wallaby ( the americans called it a kangaroo)...claimed that there might be too much trouble for the other tenants in the apt building.

 

So some carpet was replaced at that time and now it all has to be replaced (less than 4 years old) as a result of another illegal cat............

Carpet company can't guarantee the stink won't rise from the concrete slab after new carpet is laid.

 

Again.....a cat will use a litter tray if one is provided, and it's kept clean. I think you maybe need your PM to be more diligent in tenant selection.

Oh, and BTW.....for the past six months, I have been fostering kittens for the local pound. These are little ones, too young for adoption, and sometimes they need to learn where the appropriate place is to urinate, so accidents do happen sometimes. We're talking 3 week olds, so very young. As they are learning, if they decide that a certain area is going to be their toilet, a dirt tray is immediately provided right where they want to go, regardless of where that area is in the house. If there is an accident, it is cleaned up immediately.

 

Most pet owners make great tenants. But as always, some people are just f..... and if your PM's dhead meter is working, those type of people are usually weeded out pretty quickly.

 

I wish I thought of that when toilet training my 2 year old!

 

My cat STINKS way worse than my two dogs and they're both Great Danes and live with us in the house and sleep in the bedroom.

She's an indoor cat and we keep her litter tray spotless. She ALWAYS used the tray up to about a year ago and now she uses it 99% of the time, the other 1% of the time she uses cushions, rugs, piles of clothes, dogs toy basket, under the bed, in my guitar case, on any shoes left lying around and now the house completely stinks of cat ****. It's almost impossible to get rid of the smell and, as I say, she does use her tray the vast majority of the time.

I've no idea why she started going anywhere she pleases instead, but for such a tiny thing she has stunk the house up way worse that any of our dogs ever have.

She's also wrecked a couple of sofas and some carpet runners and matts from scratching, (even though she has scratching poles and uses them).

Not saying I wouldn't have another one or accept one in a rental, but compared to our two big dogs our tiny little cat does more damage and more stink.

We had a chap out to clean the rugs last year, he said once a cat starts to pee indoors on rugs etc it's very difficult to stop and practically impossible to get the stink out. You can mask it for a while but it will come back.

 

I dont want cats inside my apartment,smelly diseases , peeing everywhere, smelling the place out

I only willl allow cats inside a house that has mice or rats for them to get rid off and then they would stay outside

Cats are a menace to wildlife too