Enforcing A ‘No Pets’ Policy

By E-Renter Tenant Screening
Posted on November 22, 2006 under Landlord Tips | icon: commentBe the First to Comment

Owners of houses with large mortgages to pay off, often rent out the basement or a couple of rooms, in order to ease the financial burden. And, many of them, despite specifying a No Pets policy, allergic as they are to cats or dogs, end up with tenants who just because they pay rent, feel their pet is entitled to their living accommodation, as well.

Often, sharing a house means sharing the same heating system, with dog or cat hair making its way through the whole house, triggering off allergic reactions, especially if the landlord is allergy prone, making his / her life miserable. The only thing a doctor can advise is to get away from pet hair and dander, but what is to be done if the tenant refuses to get rid of the pet. Most certainly, it makes for a desperate situation, especially if a long-term lease has been signed. What can be done to enforce the landlord’s No Pets policy?

No doubt, giving up a pet is not easy, but then too allergies are not easy to cope with. However, a tenant who moved in with a pet, despite being aware of the allergy prone landlord’s No Pets policy, has had fair warning. The landlord’s newspaper advertisement made it plain pets were not allowed, and legally binds the tenant to this rule.

As long as, the landlord has not been openly tolerating the pet’s presence, it should not be difficult to convince a judge that as a landlord, you should be able to enforce this rule. Violation of any important term or condition of a rental lease can be sufficient grounds for termination of a tenancy. In such a situation, a suffering landlord needs to send a written notice advising the tenant that he / she should cease violating the lease by finding a new home for his / her pet, or by moving out. In legal terms, a landlord needs to serve a ‘Cure or Quit’ notice to the unruly tenant. Most state laws allow tenants anywhere from three to ten days, in which to comply with the ‘Cure or Quit’ notice. In case, the tenant refuses to follow the directions of the notice, a landlord may file for eviction.

Add A Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.