Tenant Requesting for Small Dog in Apartment

CheapSticks on 14/02/2018 - 22:59

hi

I am in NSW and my tenant has requested for a small dog. Generally they have been good in terms of paying rent, my agent tells me that they maintain the property well. Agent is for us letting them have a dog. I am told that I can't ask for a "pet bond".

My concern is around that both the partners work - though some day from home. Our lounge/dining/hallway has pretty expensive laminate (recently laid) which won't withstand the dog relieving himself - i cant say about scratching surface etc.

Wondering if anyone had any ideas before i say "No"!

Home & Garden

Comments

      • nickj on 15/02/2018 - 10:50

        Pretty sure you're joking, but if not …. you can't prevent tenants from having kids, and they don't have to tell you when they do, and the new kids are not on the lease (old lease applies until new one is agreed upon + on a new lease they're not even named as legally children cannot enter into a contract).

        • Quantumcat on 15/02/2018 - 10:59

          If a tenant has kids partway through a lease, they'll be newborns and then just babies for the whole time. Even if they give birth right at the beginning of a lease, a one year old can't do a huge amount of damage. Then you could just not renew the lease.

        • wordplay on 15/02/2018 - 21:25

          @Quantumcat:
          like someone commented on the other page about dogs probably applies to children too:
          "then there the issue of faeces on the walls and floors"

        • Quantumcat on 15/02/2018 - 22:01

          @wordplay: true, most people use change mats or change tables though

  • Seraphin7 on 15/02/2018 - 09:50
    +13

    Pro tip … save yourself a world of grief and just say no today. Even the best case scenario here is going to end up costing you.

    • sparkles on 15/02/2018 - 10:48
      +9

      As someone who has experienced the aftermath of a dog in a rental property firsthand, take this advice. Especially so, if both people work and the dog will be left unsupervised for long periods.

      • CheapSticks on 15/02/2018 - 14:26
        +3

        I think "No" it is !!

        its exactly as you say above - both working and dog unsupervised - nowhere to go !

  • tranter on 15/02/2018 - 11:20
    +11

    It's sad that so many animals are ending up in RSPCA shelters because of difficulty to find rental properties that allow pets.

    • Quantumcat on 15/02/2018 - 14:03
      +3

      They should let landlords ask for a pet bond

    • [Deactivated] on 15/02/2018 - 15:01
      +19

      It is a shame that so many people buy dogs without thinking how they are going to home them.

      • tranter on 15/02/2018 - 16:12
        +9

        They have a home when they aquire the pet. Because of the general climate of instability and insecurity that renters in Australia face, invariably issues arise.

        At least the recent law changes in Victoria have corrected the imbalance somewhat.

        There are many European countries where renters are not treated like second-class citizens.

        • MetaphorOZB on 15/02/2018 - 17:20
          -6

          What exactly are these instabilities and insecurities that renters face?

          If you aren't responsible enough to be able to offer your pet a home at all times, you shouldn't have one in the first place.

        • tranter on 15/02/2018 - 18:14
          +3

          This very forum topic is just one of many issues.
          http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-16/no-pets-rental-poli…

          I haven't got time to get into all the other issues (and yes there's lots to talk about) but there are plenty of recent articles written on the subject easily found on google.

          It's being talked about a lot more in recent times and there is movement across the board to bring a better balance to the rental industry.

          Victoria is just the start.

        • SkMed on 16/02/2018 - 00:09
          +4

          ^ Thiis! The way renters are treated in Aus is abysmal compared to some European countries. In Germany renters are actually treated as customers and landlords go out of their way to make sure their tenants stay and are as comfortable as possible etc. Something will have to change as more and more people are forced to rent here though.

        • SkMed on 16/02/2018 - 00:10
          +3

          @MetaphorOZB: The instability of possibly being kicked out of your home at any time perhaps….

        • Powershopz on 16/02/2018 - 09:25
          -1

          @SkMed:

          I think you've been watching to much A Current Affair and only been privy to the horror rental stories that come up.

          The vast majority of renters are doing just fine and have a good relationship with their agent/land lord.

        • SkMed on 16/02/2018 - 09:34
          +1

          @Powershopz: I don't think you understand what we are saying. Never seen A Current Affair and only have the experiences I have had myself and all of my friends as well as friends who are real estate agents.

          While there might be people out there with good relationships with their LL/RE (ours currently is actually good, but I wouldn't say amazing simply due to the laziness/negligence or just no incentive to do a good job on the RE side), the industry here is just completely different compared to some European countries where renters have security and piece of mind. Even if you have an amazing Relationship with your LL/RE if you're a renter in Aus you'll never have complete security and piece of mind with the current laws and the way things are, the reality is that you can just get evicted and have your life turned upside down out of no where in a matter of months.

        • SkMed on 16/02/2018 - 09:38
          +1

          @Powershopz: Examples:

          In Germany if your landlord decides to renovate your apartment they will happily pay for other temporary accommodation to keep you on as a tennant (customer) and sometimes even pay you for your hassle etc.

          In Aus you will just be served an eviction notice and the LL will just happily get someone else in.

          In Germany you are able to paint your rented apartment/house, put a nail in the wall to hang a picture, sign long-term 5 year leases where the LL has to give you like 1yr notice to vacate.

          In Australia you can do none of these.

        • SkMed on 16/02/2018 - 10:01

          @Powershopz: Oh here is a good one that I personally experienced at my last rental. A huge garden in a rental where 6 adults live. LL only gave us a tiny recycling bin, and general rubbish bin. We requested a Green bin and to have the other two bins upgraded to larger sizes due to an overflow in garbage/green waste and recycling. LL denied our requests even when we offered to pay the increased rates.

          I told my german friend about this and they didn't actually believe me lol.

        • knk on 16/02/2018 - 10:03

          @SkMed:

          Provided council provides larger bins as an option (green bin is a definite) - landlord is a dick. You're showing you want to actively maintain the garden by requesting a green bin and they're denying you….where's the logic.

        • SlickMick on 16/02/2018 - 10:14
          +1

          @SkMed:
          I treat my tenants as customers and go out of my way are comfortable etc, but allowing pets is too far.
          I'm not an ogre - there are other rentals that accept pets.
          You just can't choose a no-pets home then expect the rules to change.

        • SkMed on 16/02/2018 - 10:48

          @knk: Yeah bins need to be requested by the landowner as the larger bins mean he has to pay slightly higher rates (about $100 more a year I think). Yes, he was a dick, and lived directly across the road lol. Was one of many reasons we ended up moving (also the bathroom wall was filled with mould and fell in, then he just plastered/painted back over the mould without cleaning it lol.

        • SkMed on 16/02/2018 - 10:51

          @SlickMick: No I totally understand your position on pets, if there is a legitimate reason to not allow pets then thats fine, I don't think pets should be locked up in an apartment other than Fish, mice, lizards etc.

          Our point is just that in Aus renters are treated as second-class citizens in the eyes of the law and to most LL and RE currently, but with rental generations growing i'm confident things are going to have to start changing for the better pretty soon.

        • SlickMick on 16/02/2018 - 11:20
          +2

          @SkMed:
          I've noticed in threads like this landlords and tenants defend or claim rights to suit themselves.

          I'm both, and in my experience landlords are okay, and tenants are okay, but property managers treat both poorly.
          Obviously you can also get a landlord from hell, but if you dealt with each other directly you'd know and avoid. Similarly there are tenants from hell, but it isn't hard to check rental history.

          I don't believe laws are the answer. We already have way to much restrictions on people trying to do business. eg. the person breaking the law by paying $3000 "extra bond"/ deposit/ rent in advance.

          If your landlord is no good, walk away. If your tenant is no good, give them a notice to leave.
          Surely the bad eggs will be left without tenants/ a home and will reconsider their attitude??

        • SkMed on 16/02/2018 - 12:02

          @SlickMick: FYI, There is no law against paying rent in advance (not in Vic at least) I pay my rent 6 months in advance currently and looked into it before offering to do so. If I were able to sign a long term lease I would happily pay 12 months in advance!

        • SkMed on 16/02/2018 - 12:07

          @SlickMick: I agree that a lot of the time it is the RE being the problem not passing on messgaes, repairs, requests etc. I would happily cut them out and deal directly with the LL if possible. But I really do think there need to be better laws in place to hold dodgy LL/RE accountable.

          Currently Tenants can be blacklisted so the same should be true for LL/RE for example. Long term leases need to be an option and we desperately need easier ways to report LL/RE who arent playing fair, most renters don't report dodgly LL/RE for fear of being blacklisted/homeless or simply dont have time (iv'e been in that position many times).

          I'm confident an online service will soon come along to shake things up the rental/RE industry much like shopping, travel etc and i'm looking forward to it. Possibly even a service which you can deal directly with the LL through an app of some kind, I think this would solve a lot of problems instantly.

        • Baghern on 17/02/2018 - 21:14

          @SkMed: have you considered the cost of property and rent…

          and of course opportunity cost…

          Using Germany as an example is useless since situations are different.

  • bohn on 15/02/2018 - 12:05
    +2

    I would only consider it if there was a yard available to the dog, and it could be kept there whilst the owners were out.
    If these tenants want a dog, they need to start saving and get into their own property (or at least rent a place with a backyard).

    • knk on 16/02/2018 - 10:05

      My mate leaves his dog in the house all day, claimed he had no issue for the first year.

      Went over there the other day lol and one corner of a wall has all the plaster and skirting board chewed out lol.

      • bohn on 16/02/2018 - 10:07

        heh, yeah I have seen dogs that scratch at the doors when people come knocking. It was a lovely old house with quality wood - not easily replaced.

        • knk on 16/02/2018 - 10:09

          Yeah - I've come to terms with the fact that when I sell / rent this house out the laundry is going to need a new door and edging around the frame because mines scratched the shit out of it.

        • Euphemistic on 16/02/2018 - 11:06

          @knk: Our house has several damaged doors and windows due to dogs scratching to come in. The 1st owner was known to be not very house proud.

  • kelza83 on 15/02/2018 - 12:17
    -3

    Legally you can’t stop them anyway. I wouldn’t like a person having a dog in my house if I was living there but I find it hard to deny the right of a person to have a small companion. Unfortunately animals crap and pee inside so there will likely be cleaning expenses at the end of lease sigh.

    • try2bhelpful on 15/02/2018 - 19:48
      +2

      Young children crap and pee in the house as well. Unfortunately you can't stop them renting your home.

    • [Deactivated] on 16/02/2018 - 08:59
      +2

      Of course you can stop them. You just say no!

      • kelza83 on 16/02/2018 - 20:15

        Good luck trying. Should try living above said nightmares of animals in rental properties - also try evicting a person when they smash the house up. It’s not easy. Squatters rights are also a thing. It’s a logistical nightmare and an emotional roller coaster. Landlords have trouble. I realise some tenants are also suffering at the hand of real estates and landlords but most landlords suffer with damages to property by tenants.

        • [Deactivated] on 17/02/2018 - 10:15

          I think you are a bit confused. I was replying to your comment about not being able to stop tenants having a dog. The landlord has the right to say no, you can't have one.

        • kelza83 on 18/02/2018 - 04:20
          -1

          @4sure: I realise what you were replying to. What I was saying is that regardless of what the landlord can and can’t say, they legally can’t do anything about a tenant getting a dog after they move in. In Victoria at least because I read the tenancy rights thing regarding it when I moved into a house and had some issues with the landlord. I wasn’t after a dog or cat, but I read the section where it says that a landlord can not deny your right to own a pet as it is deemed as something that can be therapeutic

        • [Deactivated] on 18/02/2018 - 09:44

          @kelza83: These are proposed changes that are not yet in force, and if the Body Corporate Rules say you cannot have a pet then the landlord can still refuse.

        • kelza83 on 18/02/2018 - 14:28
          -1

          @4sure: where does it stipulate that it is “proposed”? I’d love to see the link to the tenancy regulatory statements that show this.

        • [Deactivated] on 19/02/2018 - 09:52
          +1

          @kelza83: This gives the full picture. Scroll down to the bottom if you just want to know the current position.
          https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/resources-and-tools/legislat…

        • kelza83 on 19/02/2018 - 22:35
          -1

          @4sure: As you will see (or not see) is the right of a landlord to prevent you from having a pet unless you are in a boarding house or renting a site at a caravan park. There is no point looking to future legislation, as we can only go by what currently exists. I realise tenants are getting evicted for reasons of owning a pet however I believe if their pet isn’t doing anything wrong at the property, the tenant would have a good case with VCAT or equivalent state tribunal. If they are evicted for having a pet, there would generally be a significant reason such as noise complaints, destruction to the property etc. http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/ltobjst10.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/21B8F8A1A9C7EB2BCA2581E1007F1C62/$FILE/97-109aa083%20authorised.pdf

  • mattyman on 15/02/2018 - 12:22
    +8

    Not sure why you would buy laminate floor in a rental to begin with. The stuff if horrible and easily damaged with water. Linoleum would've been a better choice, or tiles.

    • CheapSticks on 15/02/2018 - 14:29

      Bcoz we were going to live in it and then circumstances changed bcoz of complaint of noise of my 3yr old kid by the people downstairs !

      • IWoNdEr on 16/02/2018 - 00:33
        +10

        If they can't tolerate a 3yo noise, I doubt they would adapt to a dog barking.

        • kelza83 on 18/02/2018 - 04:38

          And it’s the responsibility of the landlord to ensure their tenants don’t disturb the peace. IMO who would ever want a dog in an apartment? That’s such an odd scenario. I would definitely say no and hope for the best. Like I’ve said in another comment, saying no doesn’t guarantee they won’t get one anyway but it’s at least helping you when it comes to getting bonds and suing etc.

    • Sensiekatie on 15/02/2018 - 14:44

      My thoughts exactly. Rental property improvements need to consider avoiding/limiting damage + cost of replacement.

      Places allowing pets cost more usually in Qld and the agreement adds pest control to the clean on exit.

      Can you legally change or modify the agreement?

      Adult Pets mostly do less damage then kids but a puppy has accidents and left alone they can scratch and do lots of damage.

      However, if there is no yard area or largish patio with a way out there when tennants are at work, say no. You can get training mats and also a system to put on a waterproof area for them to wee on (& on a patio that would be good). A puppy though - especially if the tennants have no experience with handling dogs and training/handling puppies, then it would be a no for me.

      Check the body corporate rules too as many say no. Additionally I read that there was legislation pending in many states (& passed in some) saying no animals in body corporates unless unanimous yes decision by body corporate members.

      Honestly if there is no outdoor area, it isn’t very fair on the dog in such a setting - or the neighbours if it is an annoying barker!

  • simmos on 15/02/2018 - 14:30
    +2

    Value greatly a tenant who is clean tidy, takes care of your place and pays rent on time. This is a big point. I would insist that there should be a weight limit on the size of the dog and that the cleaning on departure must totally cover all pet related matters. I can't see how a vinyl floor is going to be worse treated by a dog than a 100kilo human stomping all over it. I have 3 rentals and 20 years experience. Believe me, I have seen it all. This is the best 10c I can give you.

    • CheapSticks on 15/02/2018 - 14:51

      Do agree with that - that is precisely the reason i thought may be there are ways i can get comfortable as pet bond is technically not possible in NSW.

      btw i hv laminate not vinyl.

  • [Deactivated] on 15/02/2018 - 15:03
    +5

    They may be good tenants now, but a dog left all day will bark and may cause damage if it has separation anxiety. This will cause problems with other tenants and will probably let you see just how good your insurance/pet bond is!

  • Mikinoz on 15/02/2018 - 15:09
    +8

    Say no and move on with your life

  • try2bhelpful on 15/02/2018 - 15:18

    I would be much more worried if they decided to have children, rather than dogs. The irony would be if you told these people no pets, they decided to leave and the next people in just trashed the place. Perhaps you can talk to them about getting a cat rather than a dog. Cats are a lot less likely to damage the property, particularly if they have been neutered and are provided with a lot of scratching posts. There are plenty of breeds of cats - Burmese, Somalis, etc that are more dog like in their behaviour. I wouldn't rule out allowing them a pet just see if they are set on a dog.

    There are certainly things like putting mats down etc to minimise the damage done to the floors and you could insist the place is professionally cleaned when they leave. Most people who are responsible pet owners would have no trouble with these sort of conditions. YOu could also ask them to allow regular inspections so you can see how the place is going.

    • wordplay on 15/02/2018 - 21:28

      or tell them to get a pet lizard, or pet rock, less chance of damage.

      • try2bhelpful on 15/02/2018 - 21:30
        +1

        depends on if they decide to throw the pet rock at something.

  • samfisher5986 on 15/02/2018 - 15:22
    +4

    I don't understand why there needs to be all this discussion.

    Tell them yes if you can increase the rent in proportion to how much tenent insurance costs.

    Charge them extra rent, everything is safe.

    Problem solved.

    • The Wololo Wombat on 15/02/2018 - 16:25

      Yes. Done.

    • ms_caz on 15/02/2018 - 18:02
      +1

      "tenent insurance" - if you mean landlord insurance - the policy taken out by a landlord in relation to a rental property - will generally not cover damage caused by pets. I have read through many landlord insurance PDS and although they may cover for malicious damage, damage caused by pets is not considered to be malicious.

      Charge extra rent if the market will bear it, by all means, but don't think the landlord insurance will come to the party when it comes to paying for any damage.

      • samfisher5986 on 15/02/2018 - 18:22
        +2

        A quick google shows that there are insurers that cover pet damage.

  • markb28 on 15/02/2018 - 16:12
    +6

    Good tenants with a dog = long term tenants. It's a pain in the backside looking for houses when you have pets. I've been both a landlord and a tenant with pets. Pets so far haven't caused any problems. Dogs will do less damage than partying young people. If NSW follows VIC's rules at some point you will end up allowing pets anyway.

  • idonotknowwhy on 15/02/2018 - 16:30
    +4

    Renter here. Just say "No". I wouldn't expect to hear a "Yes" if I asked for this.

  • Rhubarb Jones on 15/02/2018 - 16:43

    Is there actually a clause in the NSW act that disallows pets?

    i.e. Do they even need to ask?

  • imurgod on 15/02/2018 - 16:51
    +4

    Just say no.

    We don't allow pets in any of our investment properties because, no matter how clean the animals are or how well-meaning the tenants are (and a lot of them mean well), animals ruin the place and neighbours will complain.

    Not worth the headache unless you get a substantial increase in rent and a further bond to fix all the damage.

    Units are not for animals.

  • shandawgg on 15/02/2018 - 17:14

    Say no or put conditions on having the pet there i.e. comply with local council laws, size of dog, type, grooming and washing conditions, no persistent barking, cleaning up dog faeces, permission can be revoked at your sole discretion.

  • Rhubarb Jones on 15/02/2018 - 17:28
    +1

    What is the cost to you if they move to a pet friendly property?

    • CheapSticks on 15/02/2018 - 18:01
      +3

      2 weeks of rent i suppose - 1 week vacant and 1 week agency cost

      • Rhubarb Jones on 15/02/2018 - 21:46

        Not much risk on that side then.

        • CheapSticks on 15/02/2018 - 21:53

          Yes mate - think decided

  • GourmetFoodie on 15/02/2018 - 18:04
    +3

    I'm a renter, and I definitely think you should reject. I cannot for the life of me understand why people think dogs are suited to small apartments and why they are so self entitled about having pets in a rental property,

    The dog destroying the apartment should be the least of your worries.

    Consider the complaints from other neighbors if it's yapping all day from loneliness if the owners both work.

  • Toons on 15/02/2018 - 20:50
    +2

    Timely topic

    They were actually talking about this on the news today

    The UK are debating the possibility of introducing legislation to allow pets in rental properties to stop the growing number ending up in shelters because they have moved into a place that won't allow the pet so they have had to give it up leaving the shelters overrun and costing a fortune to either find a new home or dispose of it, then they started talking about should the same thing be introduced here.

  • fozzie on 15/02/2018 - 21:30
    -3

    I don’t know how you would loose good tenants because they’d like a small dog. I am glad you are not my landlord though. That is the reason why I prefer to have a mortgage rather than renting. Landlord can be unreasonable such as in this case. Also laminated floor is not that expenive.

    • CheapSticks on 15/02/2018 - 21:51
      +3

      May be 5k plus lost rent is not expensive for you but it is for me

  • freakatronic on 15/02/2018 - 21:49
    -8

    Tell them no. People who can't afford a house don't get to decide what happens in yours.

    • OzzyOzbourne on 15/02/2018 - 23:02
      +4

      Well, despite your arrogance, I think they do to a large extent.

      • freakatronic on 16/02/2018 - 16:17
        -2

        I let my tenant have a dog in the house that I own, that they rent from me. That's what I agreed to, because they asked me and I couldn't see the harm.
        If someone else owns a house that is rented from them, they have every right to refuse any activity on their property that they think might be harmful to their property.
        I can't see what's arrogant about that, but whatever.

  • OzzyOzbourne on 15/02/2018 - 23:01

    Just say no, job done

  • justwii on 15/02/2018 - 23:43
    +1

    This is just a matter of getting a dog officially after a yes or unofficially after a no.

    • SlickMick on 16/02/2018 - 10:21

      quickly followed by a notice to leave

  • SkMed on 15/02/2018 - 23:55
    +3

    I would just say yes and be glad they aren't having a baby! Now that's actually something that would damage your property and no permission is needed by the landlord on that one. haha

    • whooah1979 on 16/02/2018 - 05:56
      +2

      An infant won't normally cause physical damage to property until a few years old. A pup on the other hand will start to chew on stuff when they're teething.

      • SkMed on 16/02/2018 - 09:43
        +1

        True I suppose, but there isn't really much in a rental apartment that a puppy can easily chew on is there? Would have to be something detached and small enough to fit in their mouth and chew-able, if there are toys around they will usually be happy chewing on those…

        My last housemates got a 6 week old Jack Russell in our last house, he didnt chew on anything except his toys (and their socks), there wasn't really any part of the house he could have chewed on that I can recall.

  • SkMed on 16/02/2018 - 00:01
    +1

    My Girlfriend and I recently adopted a Kelpie in our Melbourne Rental, its a "villa" though (kinda like a granny flat with a big courtyard, trees, gardens etc).

    We moved in a year ago with the intention of getting a dog in the near future, so to stay on the LL and RE;s good side we pay our rent 6 months in advance, so when the time came to ask for a dog they said yes right away thankfully.

    I'm betting if we got the dog first then tried to find a property we would have had lots of trouble, and will have trouble when we eventually move :( But hopefully the long term lease laws kick in here soon and we can sign a 5 year lease at least.

    I would have also been happy to pay some sort of extra bond to have a dog if the LL/RE requested one as we don't plan to have kids and our dogo brings a tonne of happiness to our lives so totally worth it if he did happen to do any damage, if he did we would just fix it ourselves, same as we have just been doing basic repairs to the house ourselves lately as the RE/LL take too long to do anything and we are getting worried about pestering them too much.

    • SkMed on 16/02/2018 - 00:03
      +1

      However in saying that I would never have a dog in an apartment…

  • aspirepranesh on 16/02/2018 - 07:30
    +3

    I made a Post a while ago from my perspective as a renter, but I'm in Qld. There was some misunderstanding with the ad when we inspected the property, which had said pet friendly and we assumed it wud be okay. We moved in Aug and had been actively looking for a dog and finalised everything in Nov only to be told that the apartment building premises Is pet friendly and it is upto the individual owner to allow pets. Our owner was initially reluctant even though his wife was all for it. Our property manager has seen how maintain the property and she was happy for us to get a dog. We wrote to the owners about the kind of dog we are getting, the nature of my work (I work from home predominantly) and my wife's work Nd our plans for the puppy to be trained professionally and also how and where we set up his things in the apartment. Apparently it is illegal here in qld to take a pet bond and they couldn't add $3000 which we put up to our rental bond as it is considered a bribe. So we are now $3000 advance for our rental payment (which we offered to give peace of mind to the landlord's) and our inspections so far have gone well. Each case is different, but at times it is good to hear both sides of the reasoning. One good thing for us, our apartment is carpet and also has a big enclosed balcony.

    • CheapSticks on 16/02/2018 - 08:37

      That’s a good idea. To have an rental running in advance.

      • aspirepranesh on 16/02/2018 - 10:13

        I dont know these people and how your apartment/house is. If there is a balcony which can be closed off, that could be an option for them. I mean, if they are reasonable people, they would already be thinking about how to manage the dog while both of them are at work. We left our 4 month old puppy alone for the first time last week for 3 days, but on the balcony with all his toys, food and plenty of water and we have set up an indoor potty grass with a pad below it and he only pees or poops there. My wife came home every 3 hours from work to check on him to make sure he was okay. Yes, we have had couple of mishaps when we got him initially, but we had purchased urine remover, sanitiser and pads to make sure we clean the areas immediately. Trust me, we have realized that if our puppy does relieve himself inside accidentally, it is our fault than his bcoz he is still young and learning.

        It may sound as if I am giving you reasons to say Yes, but you don't have to. I am just giving you an other perspective of how things have been for us as a renter.

        initially our landlords said no, because of their concern for any damage. It took us 3 tries and my wife and I wrote a heartfelt letter to them explaining everything about the breed of the puppy, our jobs, puppy day care, training, etc. On top of that we agreed to put forward $3000. Again for us, we dont have to plan a baby. For us, he is our child at the moment. and yeah.. definitely worth it. But I am already thinking about renewing the lease for 12 more months (our lease expires in June) because we love the apartment and get along with the property manager and the landlords.

      • SlickMick on 16/02/2018 - 10:29

        It only offers peace of mind for the months until that rent is consumed. You can't be asked to pay any more rent until there is no more in advance.

        Rent is advance is a seriously flawed concept. You get 2 or 4 weeks in advance before tenant moves in, but then they don't have to start paying regularly until the rent in advance is consumed.

        • aspirepranesh on 16/02/2018 - 10:53

          I may have not been clear in my statement above.

          In our case, the $3000 always sits in the account with them. I still keep paying my monthly rent as always. I dont skip paying rent because I have paid them $3000. The thing we have worked out with the property manager and the landlord is, if there are no damages by the time we vacate, they would have to return the $3000 to us along with the Bond. But if there are any damages, we work out the cost and I pay from the $3000 or anything more to cover it.

          I think it is a fair deal and they are on board. The $3000 will make some interest for me sitting in my savings account, but I am happy not getting it for the sake of having a pet.

        • SlickMick on 16/02/2018 - 11:09
          +1

          @aspirepranesh:
          Yeah that's all fine… just isn't legal. They can't ask for any extra bonds or deposits or rent in advance, so there is nothing making you continue to pay rent.

          I wanted to do something similar, but couldn't find a legal way of asking tenant for the $$.

        • aspirepranesh on 16/02/2018 - 11:28

          @SlickMick: Not sure if you read my initial comment. I was already aware that adding more money to the bond wasn't legal. But paying rent in advance is legal, there is nothing stopping the tenants from paying the rent in advance. In my case, I had the option to pay my rent in Brisbane weekly/fortnightly/monthly where I have to initiate the transfer or even pay in advance, in Melbourne I had only one choice .. to pay monthly and it was a direct debit. It was interesting to learn that rental agents/landlords cant do a direct debit here in QLD!

          Anyways….I dont think OP's post has anything to do with legality. if that was the case, straight up answer is NO since the initial lease agreement had NO to pets. Since we are talking about OP's post from more of a social/moral perspective, I was adding my 2 cents. In my case, the option to pay the $3000 was something that I went forward to my landlords with. not sure if they were thinking about it, but I wanted to make sure they had the confidence in us.

        • jace88 on 17/02/2018 - 07:58

          @aspirepranesh: In a previous previous rental agreement I had (I was LL) I was in a similar boat and agreed to 12 months rent in advance (not for pets but because they didn't have stable income nor enough to cover the weekly rent) but I didn't realise at the time it just meant prepaid and then once the time finishes then they pay - I assumed it was always 6 months ahead. AFAIK there is no legally permitted mechanism to get them to pay more deposit/bond in NSW.

        • SlickMick on 20/02/2018 - 17:52

          @jace88:
          Yeah to do it legally, the landlord's cover diminishes over time until the prepayment is used up, then they're covered again etc.

          What's been done here is not rent in advance, it's an illegal bond.
          I wonder what the rental ledger looks like: rent paid 6 months in advance, then weekly payments dated 6 months in the future??

          But I guess if the tenant is agreeable and hasn't been coerced I don't see any harm in it.
          I wanted to organise something similar, but couldn't find a legal way to do it.

  • Geryatric on 16/02/2018 - 07:41
    -1

    Say 'not a chance in hell'

  • shamid202 on 16/02/2018 - 09:52

    Hi

    its perfectly fine to say no.

  • [Deactivated] on 16/02/2018 - 10:16
    -1

    You can apply through the housing board to get a 'small animal bond', this way youll get back the money if those scummy tenants mangy mutt destroys the precious floor

  • cocomelon on 16/02/2018 - 10:39

    the decision is yours, the contract was drafted without the dog in the picture. you could either say no or increase the rent.
    i have a lapdog and it is not hard to house train them but it needs a consistency for the first 3 months.
    through winter as it could get really cold outside i let him sleep inside, in the beginning 3 out of 10 he would missed to pee at his pee pad. fast forward he is now a pro, he never pee inside the house anymore.

  • geoffs87 on 16/02/2018 - 10:44
    +9

    Writing as a landlord, and as a dog owner…

    Pros:
    - improved relationship with tenants
    - likely to stay longer in your property as its so hard to find pet friendly rentals
    - due to the above, probably more amenable to more frequent rental increases, which will cover the cost of any (unlikely) damage to your precious laminates…

    Cons
    - potential minor damage to your laminates, which really isnt the end of the world…
    - Dogs can be barky/yappy and annoy neighbours

    Comments:
    - Dog owners generally want to train their dogs properly. Mine doesn't EVER relieve himself inside, and he's 4 months old
    - my dogs nails are always kept short, due to frequent walking (or if not regular trimming), and so don't scratch the floors
    - I thought the point of laminate flooring was to be waterproof compared to floorboards.

    Honestly, i think the pro's far outweigh the cons. Maybe be open and friendly with them, and suggest they ensure the dog is trained to only toilet in a tiled laundry/bathroom (which is usually where owners keep puppies until theyre trained) and their nails are kept short, as you want to ensure the property is well maintained.

    At the end of the day, in 10 years of investment properties, I've never claimed on a bond, pets or not.

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