Disputes over pets between landlords and tenants are practically unavoidable. This is probably why so many tenants prefer to get a cat or dog without letting their landlords know or without paying the required deposit.
In 2019, renters in Houston had abandoned over 40 exotic petsafter moving out, including chinchillas, hedgehogs, chameleons and a gecko. While all of these were pretty safe, a tiger was found in an apartment in the same year.
However, these matters are pretty mild as compared to learning that one of your tenants has an exotic or dangerous animal. Discovering these animals in one of your renters’ possessions can be really bad news for property owners because of the legal challenges it poses.
If you’ve discovered that one of your tenants is in possession of an exotic and dangerous animal, keep scrolling through:
Verify the News If You Have Received It From Elsewhere
It is not a common occurrence for tenants to report their neighbor having exotic animals such as tigers or alligators. If a person told you that such a creature was in your rental unit, you should verify the news before taking action.
Depending on the laws of your state, you may be able to schedule legal inspections in which you can search for evidence of possession of exotic animals.
Once the situation has been verified, you can start handing out eviction notices. Even though you might have the option to work out other options before eviction, it will work in your favor to start the eviction process immediately. You see, you already have the power to halt eviction if the tenant gets rid of the creature.
Collect All the Necessary Details of the Pet
If the animal can be legally allowed inside a rental unit, you should try to find out why other tenants reported it as a threat. Did the animal attack or bite other residents, neighbors or pets? Or does the animal have a knack for acting aggressively?
Before you can take action against that particular tenant, it is vital that you gather as much information about the potential threat. In doing so, you will be able to write a stronger letter to the tenants or the concerned authorities if the tenant decides to go to court.
If the animal has attacked a tenant or pet already, you will find it easier to evict the tenant or have the pet removed from your property.
Consider the Federal, State, and Local Legality of the Pet
It is very important for landlords to be familiar with the local, state, and federal lawyers regarding the pets in their rental property. As we mentioned earlier, local laws vary from state to state and you need to be absolutely sure before taking action. For instance, all of the following animals are legal in Nevada:
- Tigers
- Ferrets
- Gerbils
- Monkeys
- Lions
- Hedgehogs
- Parrotts
- Elephants
- Camels
- Alpaca
- Ostrich
- Toucans
- Bison
- Zebra
- Domesticated Ducks and Geese
As soon as you have determined the legal status of your renters’ animal, you can move right to crafting letters that mention how the creature is a lease violation and an illegal exotic animal to have in their possession.
The threat of you taking legal action should be enough motivation for them to get rid of their illegal exotic pets.
Final Thoughts
Don’t like dealing with all of these problems yourself? Don’t have much time?. If you’re planning on avoiding these problems in your rental property, you can always delegate these tasks to your property manager or hire the right professionals for the task at hand.
If you haven’t hired a property manager already, click hereto learn more about our services and how an experienced property manager can share some of your burdens.
Writter: Jivko Stefanov Content Manager
