Pet Policies for Landlords: How to Set Rules That Protect Your Property

More than 70% of renters have pets. A blanket no-pet policy eliminates most of your applicant pool. A poorly written pet policy leaves you with damaged property and no legal recourse. There's a middle path — and it's better for your vacancy rate and your property.

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The Three Pet Policy Options

No pets allowed — Simple, but you're filtering out most of the rental market. In competitive markets this costs you money in vacancy. In rural and small-city markets where pet ownership is especially common, it can leave units sitting empty for months.

Pets allowed with restrictions — The most common approach. You allow pets subject to specific rules: size limits, breed restrictions, approved species, number of animals. Paired with a pet deposit or monthly pet fee.

Pets allowed, no restrictions — Simplest for tenants, most risk for your property. Only appropriate if you're confident in your screening and your deposit adequately covers likely damage.

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Pet Deposits vs. Monthly Pet Fees

These are different instruments and most landlords use one or the other — some use both.

Pet deposit: A one-time refundable deposit held alongside the security deposit, returned at move-out if no pet damage occurs. Subject to the same accounting and return-deadline rules as the security deposit.

Monthly pet fee (pet rent): A non-refundable addition to the monthly rent — typically $25–75 per month per pet. This is not a deposit; it doesn't need to be returned. It compensates you for the ongoing risk and wear-and-tear that comes with pets.

Which is better? Monthly pet fees are increasingly preferred because they provide ongoing compensation and don't require accounting at move-out. A $50/month pet fee over a two-year tenancy generates $1,200 — more than most pet deposits — and you never have to justify keeping it.

Some landlords charge both — a modest refundable pet deposit plus a monthly fee. That's legitimate as long as your state doesn't cap it.

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Breed and Size Restrictions

Breed restrictions are common but increasingly complicated:

• Many insurance policies exclude certain breeds (pit bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds) and your policy may void if a prohibited breed causes an injury on the property. Verify your landlord insurance policy's animal exclusions before writing your pet policy.
• Some local ordinances limit or prohibit breed bans.
• Enforcement can be difficult — mixed-breed dogs don't always look like what they are.

Size restrictions (no dogs over 25 lbs.) are easier to enforce and less legally fraught than breed lists. If you have concerns about size, weight limits are simpler.

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The Fair Housing Exception: Assistance Animals

This is the most important distinction in any pet policy.

Assistance animals — service animals and emotional support animals (ESAs) — are not pets under federal fair housing law. You cannot charge a pet deposit or pet fee for an assistance animal. You cannot apply breed or size restrictions to a service animal. You cannot deny housing to an applicant because they have an assistance animal.

Tenants requesting an assistance animal accommodation must provide documentation if their disability is not obvious. You are permitted to ask for documentation that the person has a disability and has a disability-related need for the animal.

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What to Put in Your Pet Addendum

A separate pet addendum signed at lease signing is cleaner than burying pet rules in the main lease. Include:

• Species and number of approved pets
• Size and/or breed restrictions (if any)
• Pet deposit amount and refund conditions
• Monthly pet fee amount (if applicable)
• Tenant's responsibility for all pet-related damage
• Requirement to keep pets current on vaccinations
• Rules for pets in common areas
• Requirement to clean up waste immediately
• Right to revoke pet permission if rules are violated
• Acknowledgment that assistance animals are not covered by this addendum

Document approved pets specifically — species, breed, name, and weight. This establishes the baseline if an unapproved animal appears during the tenancy.

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Inspections and Enforcement

A pet-friendly policy requires more frequent inspections. Schedule a walkthrough at the 6-month mark in any pet-permitted tenancy. Pet odor and flooring damage are much easier to address mid-tenancy than at move-out after two years.

If you smell pet odor at an inspection, address it in writing immediately. Odor that saturates subfloor or drywall is expensive to remediate — catching it early is always cheaper.