Pets: question for propety mangers

So we are currently living in a house I own.
Looking to move and RENT somewhere else.
We have 2 large dogs/4 legged kids haha.

When searching on RE.com I see there is not too many places that come up when the "pets allowed" option is selected..

My question is this:
Are there more properties that will allow pets that show up on RE.com? Ie going direct to the letting agents in those suburbs? Or are those slim pickings just that?...

 

Its slim pickings, most agents / landlords don't allow them. Some will forget to tick the box when setting up the listing to show they're considering them though, so its worth asking the question still.

Within reason, I like allowing them. People with pets generally stay longer in a property and less turnover is a win win for everyone involved. I recently achieved 500pw for a property to a young professional couple with an old dog whilst a nearby cheaper places sat on the market; they needed to be close to CBD where its even rarer to allow them.

Things to consider:
If the person presents well, chances are their pets will too.
If the yard is fully fenced and doesn't have expensive landscaping then it minimises what harm they can do.
Consider age, breed, size and activity level of pets and weigh this into decisions.

 

I love pets at my properties!

IMO the pros outweigh the cons.

Generally if someone has had a bad experience with a pet, the experience usually involves bad tenants too. Not always, but usually. I've not had a good tenant with a pet that's done more than a couple of hundred dollars worth of damage (think scratches on the back of a door, flyscreens). Nothing that cannot be fixed easily and the tenants are usually more than happy to pay.

There's also more properties that allow pets than advertised, but agents forgot to tick "Pets allowed" and therefore their listing doesn't show up. In saying that, it is harder to find a property that allows pets.

The last couple of places we've lived in had "no pets" (we have a cat), previously we've paid $10pw extra or in the case of the current place we paid extra bond. Don't hesitate to negotiate, despite what many people think just because you're renting doesn't mean it's not up for negotiation.

I would recommend always being upfront, I hate being lied to. Attach a cover letter explaining why you're moving, photos of the pets, breed details, references if you have them (friend or family members that help out when you go away etc). You will always get a positive response with an agent if you present your application like you're applying for a job.

 

Great summaries, we have similar experiences particularly with the tenant overview provided by Skater. Generally, well screened high quality tenants with pets offer longer term leases and really look after properties with minimal damage if any at all ...most families have pets and provided safeguards are in place to manage risk such as a detailed Pet Application, clear clauses for agreements between parties re: pet responsibilities etc

Many of our applicants have pet references as well from obedience schools and past property managers!

 

After seeing what my kids can do I think I'll find it hard that a family will have to leave one child elsewhere

 

Agreed, my twin 3 year olds do way more damage than my 9 year old lab x wolfhound!

 

Deciding whether to allow pets in your property is a personal choice and completely up to you as the property owner. If you decide to allow pets, there should be very specific conditions into the letting agreement to protect you as a landlord. Depending on your state, it may be against the law to include a “pet deposit/bond”, however, any specific damage will still be covered using normal bond procedures. At the end of the day, each case should be assessed on an individual basis.

Although pets can increase the wear and tear on your property, there is also sufficient evidence to suggest that allowing pets can create a great point of difference in your property for prospective tenants and actually make your property easier to let. I usually consider it seriously most times there is a request for my own properties because as mentioned, it probably means that they want to stay and as most landlords don't allow them, you'll probably keep your tenant for longer.

When letting a property that is under strata title, you must check the body corporate by-laws to ensure that you (and therefore your tenants) are compliant with any restrictions on keeping animals inside the property. As a general rule, small animals such as birds, fish and other caged animals are usually permissible and even small dogs and cats under a certain weight are allowed in some strata titled properties (weight limit is generally 2.5kg).

- Andrew

 

2.5kg? You will have either chihuahua or Pomeranian in the building, Both breed can be pretty high in energy

 

Well each of our dogs weigh over 35kg... Hehe
I don't think Weimaraners are the sort of dog you could hide from a property manager haha..

 

"It is our grey life size doll" will that work?

 

Dogs? What dogs? They are just our 2 ugly cousins.....

 

What about **** stains and smells? That would be a pain to get rid of even with insurance?

 

Have your vet and neighbours write a reference about the pets and supply a copy to the agent

 

It's very low! I guess it's to act as a deterrent to have people keeping anything besides fish and hamsters

I'd be interested to see whether anyone here owns a strata-titled apartment where the weight limit is higher and what the limit is? Obviously it'll require checking of by-laws.

 

[QUOTE="MyPropertyPro, post: 212475, ]

I'd be interested to see whether anyone here owns a strata-titled apartment where the weight limit is higher and what the limit is? Obviously it'll require checking of by-laws.[/QUOTE]
Our place has no weight limits, just one dog or cat

 

I've seen a couple that allow a 10kg weigh limit. This basically allows a cat or a small-medium dog. Rules have been changing a lot on this on recent years to become more allowing.

 

Are these strata titled apartments or other strata titled property such as townhouses which might have a back yard?