Landlords: Don't Automatically Say 'No Pets'

The shelters are full and some people are just leaving their animals to fend for themselves.  Just like this little girl.  Her family was forced to sell their home and go into a rent where the landlord does not allow pets. 

If you are a Landlord, please reconsider before you say no pets.  You’ll actually open yourself up to many more potential tenants and you might get the best tenant of all if you just say “yes” to pets.  

Before you make the decision not to allow pets, here are some things to consider.

• Go visit where they live now and see how they live.  We do credit checks on people so why would we not do a home check for a pet. 
• You can also increase the rent a little for a pet or you can ask for a pet deposit.  Just be careful with the pet deposit.  In Connecticut you cannot ask for more than 2 months security and only 1 month security for people over 62.  So whether you call it a pet deposit or a security deposit, it can’t be more than the CT law allows.
• You can also require that the tenants have an insurance policy for extra protection.

Pets are part of the family.  I could not imagine someone telling me I had to get rid of my pets.  If anyone knows me, they know I would live in a tent before that happened.  How can you say to a family that they have to leave their pet behind. Please re-think before you say to someone that no pets are allowed.

If you would like to adopt this cute little girl, please e-mail me at jenn.buehler@cbmoves.com for more information.