I currently have a policy on dogs of 25# or less and only 1 per home. I charge a pet fee monthly for this. I am thinking of changing my policy to a NO PETS policy…Period… After 3 years of doing this we are currently in the process of writing up new leases and park rules to adapt from the things we have learned along the way. Has anyone made a change like this? what are the thoughts in the industry on pet policies? after dealing with BS of dogs it seems like a hard no is an easier approach, But I could be wrong.
thanks,
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You can’t expect the people who are good paying tenants, or owners to suddenly get rid of their pets. You could state all incoming tenants what the new rules are, but grandfather in the pre-existing dogs.
You didn’t state what the issues are….whether it’s barking, or peeing on the landscaping, or owners not picking up the dog messes. These are owner issues, and if they do not comply with your rules then serve them eviction warnings, and fines.
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Due to our inept Federal govt ANYONE can easily get ANY kind of Dr to sign the therapy/comfort/service dog paperwork! With that we now allow dogs as to not lose the many good pet owners that want to live in the Park. Law is abused and they are more concerned with new tax laws, like a bigger estate tax!
i believe there are bad dog owners, not so much bad dogs! enforce your rules! Warn tenants if they violate them. breaking rules is cause for eviction. THIS PERTAINS TO SERVICE DOGS AS WELL, ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE LEGIT SERVICE DOGS ARE WELL BEHAVED.
The most relaxed any pet rules a park owner should offer are:
Max 35 lbs
No aggressive breeds
Leash Rule
One bite/attempted bite and gone
No dogs left unattended on leashes/ropes outside the home
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We changed ours to 15 pounds which has worked out well. Because 25 somehow turns into much more be it someone being sneaky or inability to do math.
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Interesting comment and I agree. When you lowered the weight limit, was that for new tenants or did you go through and force folks to get rid of any existing 15+lb dogs?
in my experience managing, the residents with huge breeds just hide them better, they never get rid of the dogs even if they say they had. Plus, agreed on the online docs ok’ing all dogs for service animals, happens everyday. The pet policy is only as good as the owners. Enforcing issues and following state/city breed restrictions saves headaches, then taking it one by one as issues arise for biting or running loose, or whatever. Rather than trying to chase a losing battle with residents who won’t comply no matter if you try to take them to court on it or whatever.
I had rental houses as well. Options: I required tenant to have liability insurance, mobile home owners can get that as well; I required vet records on what breed the dogs were (my insurance company has a list of forbidden breeds and will cancel if those breeds are allowed). I “interviewed” dog to ascertain personality!
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Barbra is right - tenants love to hide dogs they say they’ve gotten ride of. Because of that, park owners must be diligent for signs that a tenant has hidden a dog that management advised them was unacceptable. Examples would be: dog poop in the yard, dog bowls outside, neighbors sending reports the bad dog is still there. These signs will all be used as evidence in court that a park owner knew or should have known that Roofus the Killer Pitbull still lived there. And when Roofus bites off the face of 5 year old Sally Anne next door, prepare hear to hear at court that you as the park owner cared only about that $350/month lot rent and not at all about Sally Anne.
I don’t currently have a park, but SFH. We charge monthly and a registration fee of $150. Should an unregistered pet be caught pet rent applies to the start of the lease.