As landlord, I also don't allow my tenants to have pets. That's always a hard one for me because I've had and loved pets all my life. I would never want to live without one (or two) but at the same time I deny families the most wonderful life that pet ownership allows.
Unfortunately, home repair is very expensive. I once had a tenant who was sneaky and had a puppy. I knew it because the deck spindles, wood stair treads and base trim were all chewed. I wish I had a looking glass and could see who would be a responsible pet owner, but it's impossible and there's too much risk in making a wrong decision. If there's a mortgage on the property $2000 in rent along with security deposit doesn't often go very far when considering that possible pet damage would above the standard items the security would cover. And it's not only the money, it's the hassle of having to coordinate and deal with the repairs if any are required.
This is a difficult issue on both sides. I wish you the best in your search.
__________________ Jan  Lexi's Mommy   |