# Experienced landlords do you ask for a pet deposit?



## Causalien (Apr 4, 2009)

Hey all, I've been thinking about expanding my tenant selection to people with animals since I have made my place pretty animal friendly already because of my cat. 

Out of curiosity, do you usually charge a pet damage deposit on top of a security deposit? Will that turn away potential tenants with animals?


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

I didn't think that was legal.

Be careful how you word your rules, otherwise you'll get people wanting to move in with dogs, parakeets and reptiles.


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

I'm not a landlord at all, but I think this will vary by province whether you're allowed to do this. In Ontario you can't ask for deposits at all, and your tenants don't have to disclose pets.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

I'm in AB, I usually perfer no pets (except maybe a fish). On the one occasion I have allowed a cat because I really liked the tenant, I did take a pet deposit which is 1/2 of 1 months rent. 

When I advertise, I put pets are negotiable. I will usually choose a person without a pet than one with one, but if the market is slow, or I really like the person, it doesn't preclude them.

I also have it in my lease that no pets are allowed without my prior consent, so they don't bring any in later.


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## Causalien (Apr 4, 2009)

In my province, it is legal. But I understand that legal or not, the norm will be what is going to be accepted.

Also, when I did a test ad on Craigslist, about 4 out of 5 applicants have pets. It's as if they zero in to the two little words at the end where I say pets ok. It's not like put in bold capital saying PETS WELCOME at the beginning.


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

^That's because most places have banned pets. It is difficult to find places that allow indoor cats but no dogs. Cat owners tend to want to keep quiet and not have to hear barking dogs or encounter them in elevators etc.


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## LBCfan (Jan 13, 2011)

Why would you ask for a pet deposit, seems to me you wouldn't want a pet's deposits on your property?http://www.canadianmoneyforum.com/images/smilies/smile.gif


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## arie (Mar 13, 2011)

*pets*

if you are in ontario i believe an extra deposit is not legal; however if both tenant and landlord agree it could be taken

but why would you want to have a pet if you think a deposit is needed ; the dog will destroy the lawn if he's not picked up after and who knows about the home


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## Causalien (Apr 4, 2009)

Ummm cats?

I've spent some time animal proofing the suite that can hold an animal. They can only cause superficial damages by chewing the walls etc. That's what the pet damage deposit is for, I believe. 

What kind of damages are you thinking of? The backyard is a veggie garden, so dog poops are actually welcome, but I'll state in the lease that the tenant needs to clean up their dog poops (if a dog) every day. 

What I am interested in finding out is, whether or not the pet damage deposit is actually commonly asked by landlords for tenants with pets? I mean, I remember paying security deposits where it is illegal, but because there's so much demand for rentals, the landlords just moved on to the next sucker who won't complain.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

We have one tenant who now has a dog and a cat , they rented from us for over a year before they asked permission to get pets.These guys are long term tenants on a 3 year lease so we put a clause in the lease they are responsible to fix any damage caused by pets.In this house we do not mind it so much as our plan is to rip out the carpets when /if they leave and put in laminate floors .The house has builders grade 35 ounce carpet throughout.If any of my other tenants asked to get pets I would say no but at end of day probably not much we could do about it.


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## Young&Ambitious (Aug 11, 2010)

In BC you can do a pet deposit (half of one month's rent) in addition to your regular deposit.

As a dog owner when I looked to rent there were very few options available to me. By allowing pets you would get a much wider selection of people to choose from and as such you are more likely to get a more reputable tenant(s). 

Also, I have seen clauses where pets are only allowed if the owner/property manager meets and approves of the pet - this seems like something that may appeal to yourself.


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## mind_business (Sep 24, 2011)

arie said:


> if you are in ontario i believe an extra deposit is not legal; however if both tenant and landlord agree it could be taken
> 
> but why would you want to have a pet if you think a deposit is needed ; the dog will destroy the lawn if he's not picked up after and who knows about the home


I did some research a while back when I was interested in buying an investment property to rent out. I'm pretty sure any 'no pets' clause is not legally binding in Ontario. Therefore I doubt a pet deposit would be legal. 

I'm sure someone with a more knowledge of the Ontario Tenancy Act can confirm whether I'm out to lunch or not.


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## Causalien (Apr 4, 2009)

Yeah it seems like a good niche market,

I am very surprised at the type of tenants that applied. They are all around 30 yish professional female. So statistically speaking, should be more tidy and responsible. What caught me off guard (and the reason I know who they are) is that they actually send a picture of them and their pet with their application. Something that is usually reserved for the actual showing. Seems like a whole other industry.

Young and ambitious. So do you charge all your tenants both security deposit and a pet deposit?


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## Berubeland (Sep 6, 2009)

Here in Toronto, where no one can enforce a no pets clause in a lease according to the RTA and where there are no pet deposits at all or damage deposits, I did a search for a pet friendly home for a pretty well heeled guy working a great job... there were 0 pet friendly homes available. 

Tenants have no choice whatsoever about lying to their landlords about pets as far as i can tell. 

In your case I would ask for a pet deposit because you can. Why not? You want the most responsible tenants and they will know and prepare for the pet deposit as part of their search. 

About 50% of people have pets, it's just not true that all these pets cause damages. Unfortunately in my experience when you do have irresponsible dysfunctional ndpets compound the problem. If you are so down in the dumps that you cannot pay your rent and maintain your housing (a pretty fundamental life skill) you are not likely to take care of a pet well either. When pets are present in such a situation damages of all kinds including pet damage are common place. 

For example in a recent eviction a tenant with 2 pitbulls were left for hours crated on a balcony barking and pissing and crapping out there. During a cleanup the tenant swept dog urine and feces on another tenant sitting on his patio. The apartment had scratched doors, and urine markings on the corners of the walls. They also had two children who drew all over the walls. 

Is the answer to forbid pets? or children? I say no...the answer is to find responsible tenants.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

I agree Rachelle , Before I had to deal with the Pet issue we always assumed we would not want tenants with Pets.Our tenants are so neat and tidy they must vacuum their sofa 2 or 3 times a day.


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## dagman1 (Mar 3, 2010)

The Ontario Residential Tenancies Act makes "no pet" clauses void. But the RTA doesn't say you can't make the tenant responsible for any regular wear and tear caused by pets. I added one of these clauses to my lease after a tenant's dog ruined my carpets.

The law in Ontario is that is you can't ask for a deposit greater than 1 months rent, hence why the ask is usually first and last's month rent, and the deposit must be applied to last month's rent, and the landlord must pay interest on the deposit (which is never actually done). See sections 106 and 107 here: http://www.canlii.org/en/on/laws/stat/so-2006-c-17/latest/so-2006-c-17.html

So if your tenant's pet destroys your property, from what I understand, you will need to sue them in small claims court to recover your money. If the damage is significant that might make sense.


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## dagman1 (Mar 3, 2010)

By the way, I encourage anyone who wants to be a landlord to make themselves very familiar with the RTA. I know its a boring read but its important. And it might not be bad to pay a lawyer upfront to draft a good lease.


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## Causalien (Apr 4, 2009)

Urine to the wall. I didn't think of that. There's a pet door in the animal friendly suite that leads to the backyard. But that made me realize that some ppl won't let their dog out and thus causing piss damage. Is replacement of the dry wall enough to get the smell out?


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## Mall Guy (Sep 14, 2011)

Causalien said:


> Yeah it seems like a good niche market,
> 
> I am very surprised at the type of tenants that applied. They are all around 30 yish professional female. So statistically speaking, should be more tidy and responsible. What caught me off guard (and the reason I know who they are) is that they actually send a picture of them and their pet with their application. Something that is usually reserved for the actual showing. Seems like a whole other industry.
> 
> Young and ambitious. So do you charge all your tenants both security deposit and a pet deposit?


Yup, that's my tenant! She asked about getting a pet before we signed the lease, so I added a schedule (that required both parties to sign before a pet arrived) that dealt with the type of pet, size of dog, and expectations with respect to the property. Dogs no problem, but then she moved her boyfriend in !!! Funny, I could control if she got a dog, but not if someone else moved in. As someone else said, choose tenants wisely.


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## Berubeland (Sep 6, 2009)

dagman1 said:


> By the way, I encourage anyone who wants to be a landlord to make themselves very familiar with the RTA. I know its a boring read but its important. And it might not be bad to pay a lawyer upfront to draft a good lease.


I hate to say it but complicated or lawyer drafted leases are virtually useless. It doesn't matter that much because you can't contract out of the Residential Tenancies Act and it controls almost every single aspect of the landlord tenant relationship. 

Name, address of the property, landlord name, amount of rent and length of lease. My lease fits on a letter sized page. 

I generally read it to every tenant. The Landlord & Tenant Board has actually ruled that comprehension is an essential part of the lease contract. For those who think that your 29 page lease protects you, think... "Did I read it out loud to my tenant?"

Also pictures, video, and signed move in inspection report. 

Photo ID, employment check and credit check. No one on assistance or disability. No to people who complain about their landlord. No to manipulators. 
Rule of Thumb is if you feel sorry you'll be the one that's sorry.


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## Causalien (Apr 4, 2009)

Mall Guy said:


> Yup, that's my tenant! She asked about getting a pet before we signed the lease, so I added a schedule (that required both parties to sign before a pet arrived) that dealt with the type of pet, size of dog, and expectations with respect to the property. Dogs no problem, but then she moved her boyfriend in !!! Funny, I could control if she got a dog, but not if someone else moved in. As someone else said, choose tenants wisely.


Hmmm, what's a good way to regulate the bait and switch? The eventual moving in of the bf with the bad credit is going to cause some headache.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

My friend is a police officer and he told me about a call they got one time where a landlord living upstairs called in a trespassing call.The tenant had moved in a boyfriend and it was turning into a party house during the day with drugs etc.The police made the guy pack his stuff and vacate as he was not on a lease.


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## Young&Ambitious (Aug 11, 2010)

Hi Causalien, I don't own a rental property but if in future I rent out my condo I certainly would and I would collect a pet deposit just-in-case


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## Causalien (Apr 4, 2009)

marina628 said:


> My friend is a police officer and he told me about a call they got one time where a landlord living upstairs called in a trespassing call.The tenant had moved in a boyfriend and it was turning into a party house during the day with drugs etc.The police made the guy pack his stuff and vacate as he was not on a lease.


Guess there's no legal way to interview the boyfriends/girlfriends.


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