Fairly new to landlording and have a person who wants to rent a house we have. Problems is they have two female cats. Is cat urine and odor as much a problem as everyone says. Is it a good idea to rent to cat owners or am I just asking for trouble.
Lyle
Renting to pet owners is a matter of personal opinion and also your area. If there are not many rentals in your area that allow pets, you may want to allow them to make your property more attractive (and possibly higher rent). Cat urine sucks but also consider that many people are allergic to cats which could pose a problem for a follow on tenant. I would get an extra deposit (refundable - if no damage) per pet, plus a cleaning fee (non refundable) per pet as you will have to do extra cleaning after renting to a pet owner.
This is just my personal opinion, but in a tight rental market, renting to pets could give you an extra edge. Many people looking to rent SFH tend to have some sort of pet, so excluding pets also excludes a lot of potential renters…
Phil
I think Phil is right on the money. Get a good deposit and a cleaning fee…we (my wife and I – she’s also my real estate partner) are cat lovers but we won’t allow an unneutered male cat. Usually, neutered males and females are OK as far as smell goes. Phil is also correct about the allergies…my ex- was allegeric and as soon as she went into a house with cats (I almost said ‘cat-house’…lol), her eyes would swell and water…
This is not to say they can’t do damage – my own knuckleheaded neutered male likes to bite the cabinets and dug at the carpet when he got locked in a room by accident.
Keith
It is the male cat urine that wont come out because they mark their territory. Sometimes if they are neutered young enough they wont be in the habit of spraying. Female urine smells, and like all urine must be treated to get out the smell. We find the male cats are more affectionate than female cats and make for a preferred pet.
Remember that it is natural and an instinct that cats have to bury their waste so the female cats are not going to give you grief.
If more communities/landlords supported pet owners, and rented to people who adopt pets, think of how many pets lives would be saved rather than overpopulated and end up being destroyed needlessly. Please help people who adopt pets and rent to them. The pet deposit is a great idea.
Thanks! 