Why Pet Screening Is A Good Idea

Pets make a lot of people's lives so much better, so there is no surprise that so many people have them. Whether it’s a dog or a guinea pig, it’s hard to come across potential tenants who don’t have pets anymore. That’s why you should consider pet screening first instead of saying no to letting any tenants who have pets rent your property. 

Instead of saying no straight away, pet screening allows you to do a ‘background check’ on a potential tenant’s pet to see if it would be a good fit for your property. It opens up your candidate pool and means more people can find their ideal property to live in without being turned away for having a furry friend. 

Why you should allow pets in a rental property

 Many landlords don’t conduct pet screening because they don’t allow tenants with pets in their properties in the first place. However, there are actually a lot of advantages that come with accepting pets:

• Larger candidate pool

 Sometimes it’s hard to find a good tenant who will pay their rent on time every month and treat your property with care. When you don’t allow pets, you have a much harder time finding the ideal tenant since 75% of renters come with a furry friend. Even if a tenant does have a pet, they could be a better tenant than one who doesn’t, so you’re allowing yourself to let your property to the best person by allowing pets.

• Higher chance of renewals
   

High tenant turnover is never a good thing, and it means there may be some months when you aren’t receiving any rent for your property. When you allow pets in your rental property, your tenant will have one of their biggest needs fulfilled, so they won’t want to look elsewhere for a while. This, therefore, increases the chance of them renewing their tenancy agreement. 

• Better protection

When you allow pets in your rental property, you can sign up for the right pet insurance. This can be included in the price of your tenant’s rent and ensure that your property is protected in case the pet causes any damage. If you don’t allow pets, your tenant may still sneak a pet in anyway. If this pet causes damage, you aren’t protected, and you will be responsible for handling it in the end. 

Why pet screening is important

When you allow pets on your rental property, it’s important to know what they are like. Just like if you were to screen your tenant before you allow them to move in, you want to do the same for their pet to ensure they won’t cause any damage or noise disruption. 

Pet screening looks at the animal’s health, behavior, and personality. If it is a breed or species that are known to cause disruption, you can turn the tenant away and look for an animal that is calmer. Similarly, the tenant could have a dog with a health problem that causes it to urinate frequently. By knowing this, you can avoid letting out your property to a pet that could urinate on your carpets or furniture. 

You want to ensure your property is in the best shape by the end of the tenant’s rental contract, and pet screening is one way to help you do this. 

What happens during the pet screening process?

There are a few steps to a pet screening, and these are the ones that landlords and property managers typically take:

• Talk to your tenant about what having a pet on your property means

Every landlord is different, and you may have certain rules about pets on the property. Before you consider a tenant for a rental agreement, you want to be sure they know everything that is expected of them as a pet owner. This could be things such as extra rent for having a pet, a higher deposit, and the entire pet screening process. 

• Filing out the pet screening application

As a landlord, you put together the questions you ask in the pet screening application yourself. This is because you may have different rules and regulations than others, so you can make it a bit more personalized. However, some of the most important questions you should as include the following:

• What animal is the pet?
• How long have you had the pet?
• Does the pet suffer from any behavioral problems?
• How long will the pet be left alone each day?
• Have you housetrained the pet?

If you are lost for other questions, you can use an online pet screening with a property management tool such as Hospiria. It also makes it much easier for you to review the answers between different tenants, so you can choose the best one. 

• Meet the pet

Of course, a questionnaire isn’t always the most reliable screening method. This is because tenants can lie and say that their pet doesn’t have any behavioral problems, so they get accepted to rent the property. That’s why you will also want to meet the pet, especially if you are unsure of some of the prospective tenant’s answers. 

When you meet the pet, you’ll want to check that it meets all the answers the tenant has provided you from the questionnaire, such as the type of pet and how big it is. You may also be able to pick up on any behavioral issues and see if they are housetrained.

Service and emotional support pets - how are they screened?

When it comes to service and emotional support pets, things get a little bit different. If you don’t allow pets in your property at all, you may have to waive this policy since the Fair Housing Act states that a tenant should be allowed to have their service animals with them. 

Due to this, it may be harder to screen one of these pets because you cannot say no to them. However, these animals are mostly highly trained, so there isn’t much cause for concern when letting them stay in your property. 

How often should pets be screened? 

Every pet that you allow to stay in your rental property should be screened at the beginning of any contract. However, while you may be happy with the initial evaluation of the pet, this shouldn’t be the only time you screen the pet. 

Just like humans, pets can change over time, so you are advised to request updated health records and behavioral issues each time your tenant renews their lease. You can use the same process as before, and it helps protect the condition of your property over time.