Your rental your rules.

Puppies do damage. It's not unreasonable to forbid them or charge extra for them.

I like to keep the rent at market rates or below so that if the pet dies the rent is still good. I had one lady with 4 dogs and 3 passed so my effective rent decreased to a level I didn't like. Normally I limit pets to 2.

Create a policy that works for you and stick to it. Change it as your experience changes. Someone will chime in with "What does your lease say about it".

Make a policy:

Animals are allowed on a case by case, rental by rental basis.

Animal size, type, and number of animals are a possible disqualifier.

We do not accept animals on the forbidden dog breed list (see below).

Puppies and Non-Neutered / Non-Spayed animals are not allowed.

No reptiles, fish, birds / fowl, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, or any other type animal.

Tenant must possess equipment sufficient to clean up all feces on and off property.

Duplexes are limited to 1 cat or 1 small dog. Homes are limited to 2 animals.

Non-Refundable Animal Registration Fee of $300

Additional Animal Rent of

$25 per animal per month for animals under 40 lbs

$50 per animal per month for animals over 40 lbs.

FORBIDDEN DOG BREEDS:

Akita Alaskan Malamute / Husky Bull Terrier

Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff) Chow Chow Doberman Pinscher

Fila Brasileiro German / Dutch Shepherd Great Dane

Mastiff Pitbull Presa Canario

Rhodesian Ridgeback Rottweiler Shar Pei

St Bernard Staffordshire Terriers Wolf Hybrids

Or a mix of any of the above - List compiled from Center for Disease Control on dog breeds involved in dog-bite-related fatalities and is disallowed by our property insurance company

To have an animal be considered in your rental application, you must include the following:

1. Photo and name of the animal.

2. Recent medical letterhead from a local vet which includes:

a) If your animal is spayed or neutered

b) Up to date on vaccinations

c) Breed type and weight

Any animal initially accepted will need an in-home visit to verify that they are friendly and social animals.

Make sure your lease addresses pets:

1. Animals & Pets: Tenant agrees not to keep or allow anywhere on or about the Premises any animals or pets of any kind, whether on a temporary basis or otherwise and whether belonging to the Tenant or anybody else, including but not limited to, dogs, cats, birds, rodents, reptiles or marine animals, unless permitted under the terms of an Animal Addendum attached to this Agreement. Tenant shall be subject to a fine of $300 for each animal or pet kept or allowed on the Premises in violation of this paragraph, or of the terms of any Animal Addendum that may be a part of this Agreement, and Tenant agrees to pay any such fine upon receipt of Landlord's demand therefore. Payment of any such fine shall not permit Tenant to keep any animal or pet for which the fine was imposed, and Landlord retains the right to terminate this Agreement if the violation continues following notice given in accordance with paragraph 17.

Does that help you?

Why would you be concerned if it is too high when they broke the lease?

Why are they still there?

Have they been paying the extra rent?

Permitted dogs pay $40-$50, depending on size, which doubles if they sneak one in without permission.

People are so dense, they have no idea how destructive puppy's are.

On on 8 unit building I've owned since 1998, one time 5 different tenants took puppies from a next door neighbor's liter without my permission. This was on a Friday. Come Monday, the tenants went to work leaving the puppy alone in their apartment. When they returned after work, each puppy did the following:

Destroyed all mini-blinds they could reach.

Dig a hole in the carpet/padding trying to exit their front doors.

Tore up furniture.

Made #1 & #2 on the carpet.

Tore up the vinyl flooring.

Around $2,000 in damage from each unit.

I finally got even. Judges would not grant me a verdict in small claims court. You know tenants will be tenants.

So in one case I took the puppy from the unit and deposited in the tenants bosses car, at their work. To dog had a collar, the tenant got fired. They didn't need a job since they refused to pay for the damage to my unit. The City of L.A. forced me to fix everything, then sue the tenant. Not getting a verdict in my favor.

Again with the BS drama.