Why You Should Allow Pets

There are many decisions to make when you are a landlord. You must decide how much to charge for rent, as well as the rules you want your tenants to follow. However, one of the most significant decisions is whether or not you are going to allow pets in your rental properties.

While this is easy for some people, it can be a hard decision for others. Many don't want the mess of pets (and the allergies) while others realize that some of the best tenants have pets.

Here are some reasons you should allow pets in your rental properties.

There are more people to rent to when you allow pets on your properties. According to Firepaw.org, about 50 percent of renters have pets. If you decide not to allow pets, you are severely cutting down on the number of prospective tenants that you can have in your building.

While some don't want to deal with the hassle of pets, many other business owners don't want to push that many people away. Instead, they want to focus on getting and keeping the best tenants possible.

Pet owners can be more responsible than those who aren't in charge of anyone else. Many tenants are young people who can't wait to get out of their parent's homes. They want to live under their own roof (and rules). Many are just starting out with their first job and are ready to let loose.

Though these can be some of the most common tenants, they can also be the worst. They are not always the best at taking care of an apartment. Some can do plenty of damage to an apartment.

Though not entirely true, most pet owners are more responsible. They know they have someone else to take care of and work harder to make sure they can provide for their furry friends. They also take care of their apartments so that they can continue to live there. Not only that, but they don't want to have to go through the hassle of finding another place to live.  

You can also charge more when you allow pets in your units. Many rental places charge significantly more for the same property, just for the convenience of allowing pets. That is supposed to cover the cost of any damages that may occur with allowing animals into a building.

Though you may have to do a little more work between tenants, it may pay off in the long run. You may end up replacing the carpet between every tenant. You may also have to repair your other flooring too.However, by charging more for each unit, you may be able to have a unit with fewer tenants and make more money.

If you don't want your tenants sneaking in pets, you should allow them into the building. Many tenants sneak in pets even when they are not allowed to have them. Whether they don't feel like the rules apply to them or they don't care, they are quick to sneak in a cat or other small mammals such as a rabbit or hamster.

If you don't want this to happen (upsetting your other tenants), you may want to allow pets in the building. By allowing them, nobody will be surprised to find a pet in the building.

Though it is a highly personal decision, there are many reasons you might allow pets or instead turn them away. Tenants with pets make up a large number of renters, so you may not want to push people away by not allowing pets. When you decide not to have pets in your building, you could cut your number of applicants down to less than half (if not more).

There is also the well-known fact that many people ignore the rules and sneak in their pets. While many people can't live around pets due to their allergies and health concerns, they could be upset when they find out that the neighbor is harboring a small animal in their apartment.