Buying or Renting a Pet-Friendly Home

Dogs are people too. Well, to some folks they are. And to most people their pets are part of the family (just as my Yuki is). Today I want to talk about some considerations when buying or renting a home if pets are part of the family.

So, your real estate agent just found you the purrfect home. There is plenty of room for Johnny and Susan and a big backyard for Sweety the Pitbull, Dumbo the Bull Mastiff, Tiny the Yorkshire Terrier, and Morris the Persian Cat. You put in an offer and the seller accepts! There is lots of paperwork, voluminous HOA (Home-Owners Association) docs you barely skim over, and packing to get done. Phew.

You move into your new home and all is great. An envelope shows up in your mail that week and you open it: "Dear Homeowner, there have been complaints that your dogs bark all night long. We are fining you $100. Please take the necessary means to keep your dog quiet. Love, Heavenly Homeowners Association." Excuse me?!?!?!?

Two days later: "Dear Homeowner, as you know the HOA rules allow a maximum of two domestic pets per household. You seem to have four. We are fining you $200. Please take the necessary means to get rid of two of your beloved pets immediately. Love, Heavenly Homeowners Association." What?!?!?!?!?

Five days later: "Dear Homeowner, as you know the HOA rules do not allow dangerous dog breeds to be anywhere in the community including Pitbulls, Akitas, Staffordshire Terriers, and Chows. We are fining you $300. Please take the necessary means to get rid of your beloved Pitbull immediately. Love, Heavenly Homeowners Association." My Pitbull is sweet, what the !?!K are they talking about?

Six days later: "Dear Homeowner, as you know the HOA rules do not allow any pets over 35lbs. Your Mastiff looks like a horse, what did you feed him, your Pitbull? We are fining you $200. Please take the necessary means to slim your 80lb Mastiff to 35lbs or get rid of your beloved Mastiff immediately. Love, Heavenly Homeowners Association." HELP!!!!!!!

Okay, yes this may sound like an impossibility. But any or all of these situations could happen to you if you don't read the HOA documents carefully. And yes, these scenarios do occur. Even in communities that don't have a governing HOA, local laws and CCRs could still have the same effect especially if you have a neighbor or two that get annoyed.

HOAs do provide a valuable service for those that like an orderly community. And most communities with Associations are very livable and even desirable. In Las Vegas nearly all newer communities are governed by an HOA and many older ones as well. So, what should you do to help avoid fines or worse, having to get rid of your four-legged family members?

When Buying

1. Get the HOA documents (CC&Rs/Rules and Regulations/Latest Board Meeting Minutes if possible) as soon as possible after getting your offer accepted.

2. Read the documents thoroughly. If there is something in there about pets that you don't understand, contact your Realtor or the Association directly and ask.

3. Check for: A. How many pets in total are allowed. B. Is there a weight limit. C. Are there restrictions on certain breeds. D. Barking/Nuisance rules and remedies.

4. If you are not familiar with the local laws, check those as well. Some states have already or attempting to ban the ownership of certain breeds all together!

For Renters:

1. Before signing the lease agreement, get a copy of the HOA documents too even though you don't own the home. As a tenant you are responsible to follow the rules and regulations. Many leases will assign the responsibility of paying any fines onto you.

2. Most rentals won't allow pets and those that do usually require an extra security deposit. Before even looking at a rental ask your agent or the property manager/landlord, what are the pet restrictions? Many will say "up to landlord's discretion" on what pets they will accept. This means you provide details (and sometimes pictures) about your pets on the application. Then the landlord says yay or nay. By the way, most landlords won't allow "dangerous" breeds to be in their properties even if there are no regulations against it. Also, many won't allow aquariums either for fear of water damage should the aquarium break.

Questions, comments?

-John