Should You Slip in Your Pet without Informing the Landlord?
If you are looking for a home for rent in Palm Coast area, the rules for allowing pets are the same as they are in rest of the country. You may need to obtain a permit for your pet and pay a deposit fee to cover for the damages caused by the pet, if any. Many landlords place restrictions on pets and their owners. To escape from paying the deposit and to avoid these restrictions, many owners hide the fact from the landlord and then try to sneak in the pet inside the property. They wait till they have signed the lease agreement and received the keys from the landlord. Should you do the same when trying to get a home n rent? You can do it but you should remain prepared to face the consequences which might result in your eviction from the property.
Why some landlords disallow pets owners in their properties
You have a very docile and lovely dog. He remains indoors and never barks or bites others. How could a landlord refuse to give him entry into his property? While some hate dogs and cats, most are afraid of damages caused by animals. They do not want to be held responsible for costly damages. Pets can stain carpets, chew clothes, and tear up the lawn with landlord being asked to pay for the repairs. This is why most landlords in Florida either effuse pets altogether or ask for payment of a hefty pet fee to cover up the potential damages in future.
You think you can hide your pet indoors
Many tenants believe they can hide the fact that they own a pet by keeping the pet indoors all the time. Yes, if the pet is small and docile, you can certainly keep him inside. But what if the landlord pays a visit and finds out about your pet? Landlords and property managers have a responsibility of paying visits to their tenants whether it is for home improvement or an emergency repair. You will face the embarrassment when he suddenly knocks and your dog starts to bark. Your pet could also be reported to the landlord by a neighbor who doesn’t like you. You could be caught because of your social media posts containing images of your darling pet with you. You can hide the pet for some time but eventually you will be caught.
Possible scenarios when your pet is discovered
No matter how this fact comes to light, your position in front of your landlord will be very embarrassing. Depending upon the rules for pets on the property and the nature of your landlord, you could be asked to pay a heavy fine or you could even be evicted from the property. Your neighbors could make a big deal out of this incident and vehemently oppose you in the meeting that is organized to decide your fate. It depends upon how you tackle the situation that emerges after your pet has been discovered. If you are able to convince others about your pet being harmless and docile, you could escape with a light fine but if you quarrel with others and show attitude, you can face a heavy fine up to a few hundred dollars.
Things are not that bad for you if you have behaved like a very good tenant until now and no neighbor has complained about your behavior with the landlord. You could be let off the hook with a fine with the option to pay an extra amount along with your pay checks to make it easier for you. But you should be prepared to face the worst case scenario.
If you’d like to talk more about the value of inspections, or you need help with Everest Property Management, please contact us at Everest Realty.
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As a top producing Realtor and Property Manager; Terry specializes in sales, extensive construction homes, rentals, REO’s, short sales, and all aspects of Real Estate. After graduating the University of Michigan with a master in MBA, Terry continued his endeavor and now has over 15+ years of experience in the Real Estate world. If there is anything that has to do with Real Estate and sales, you can always be sure of Terry to provide important, specialized knowledge.
