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Originally Posted by delicatepuzzle  Have you heard of those apt that charge a pet fee per month. RENT FOR A PET???!?!?!? How much space are they taking up???? The only thing my roommate and I could think of was ... They better have a service that picks up my furbutt's hershey kisses. |
I know this is a bit off the airline subject, but just wanted to give you a reason why some places might ask for a pet rent. The pet rent is there to help the owners pay for the extra insurance rates for having an "extra liability" in their building, and is usually small (typically way under $100/month, the average in my area is $25/a month). You have to remember that not everyone sees puppies the way we do, as part of the family. To insurance adjusters they're an extra liability because they might:
1) Fight against other dogs, risking a lawsuit to the owner for allowing vicious animals inside the building and potentially putting people in harms way
2) Cause damages to the outside of the rental unit that is not covered by a pet deposit (since it's outside)
3) Be a cause for unsanitary conditions. (like attracting rats) Owner either spends extra time making sure everything is sanitary for people, or they hire someone to do so. Unfortunately, not everyone picks up after their pets.
4) Some Owners pay certain utilities, like water. Dogs take drink water and take baths too!!
I know there's more but I can't think of them right now, and I know for sure the insurance thing is the #1 reason for an increase in fees.
I know these rules sound ridiculous, or at times extreme, but what everyone should keep in mind is that not all pet owners take the time to properly train, clean after, or socialize their pets which may cause a problem. Owners of rental properties can't just assume that everything will turn out ok, they have to protect themselves and the rest of their tenants from a potential worst case scenario. I found all of this out while researching potentially making the apartment building my dad manages pet friendly to attract tenants. There was more to it than I thought of!!