a question for current or former landlords re: pet deposit

[fizzgig]

i am looking for a new place and am seeing a lot of places that require non-refundable pet deposits, but am unsure as to the justification for this. i can understand, and have to problem with, needing to recoup the cost of any cleaning or repair associated with my pets, but why should i just fork over $400-$600 for my cats who have never once gone outside the litter box or destroyed carpet? shouldn't i be refunded the difference like i am with the damage deposit?

i hate looking for a new place x(

[LeftyMom]

1. Non-refundable is BS

AFAIK, everyplace around here that accepts pets does a refundable deposit.

-LM, former rental property manager

[fizzgig]

3. it is bs and completely aggravating

most places have refundable pet deposits, it's just frustrating because it seems to be a trend with the more affordable places here in town.

[blueraven95]

2. speaking as a tenant who has paid a refundable pet deposit

I wasn't aware that they even could require a non-refundable deposit like that. :shrug:

My gut instinct is to not pay it and insist on a refundable one.

[fizzgig]

4. my first place didn't even have a pet deposit

and my current place is refundable, but it is just appalling to me that some people think it's an acceptable thing to charge. it's a deal breaker for me and i will try to negotiate with the landlords but, if they don't want my money because i refuse to pay that much money and not get it back, that's fine by me.

[alarimer]

5. Nonrefundable is not a really a deposit.

Technically anyway.

Around here, all apartment complexes require a nonrefundable pet "fee" of $150-$300. Since it's nonrefundable anyway, I don't really have to care about what the place looks like when I leave. If it was refundable, I would certainly make sure I at least tried to keep my cat from doing too much damage. Since I lose that money (and since this place is falling apart- cracked or shifting foundation) I don't give a shit.

[haele]

6. It really is a fee, not a deposit.

I asked a co-worker who's wife owned some apartments why no one ever got it back, and he indicated it was because they had to "deep clean" after a renter who owned pets to make sure all the dander and other pet leavings were out of the apartment before they could rent it again. This was to protect them from new tenents who might be allergic and sue them after they find out a pet was there before.
Because they also saved it in an escrow account to collect interest for repairs due to damage the animal might have done along with the regular deposit for repairs due to the people that rented, they called it a deposit - but they weren't required to also add it to the deposit return when they zeroed out the book on the lease because of the "deep cleaning" they had to do.
He seemed suprised when I told him "Then don't call it a deposit if the people aren't going to get it back!"
I also wondered why they didn't do that if they had tenets that were smokers - I could never rent a place a smoker had lived in for any length of time, those places still reeked after cleaning. Guess no one tried suing them for that yet...

YMMV, but that's what the "pet deposit" is supposed to be for. Personally, they should include a "kid deposit" - the average tweener or teenager causes for more damage to a rental unit than most pets would.

Haele

[laconicsax]

7. Check the laws in your state

Deposits are, by definition, refundable. Your state probably has a statute saying something along the lines of, 'a landlord has X days to return all unused portions of deposits and provide an accounting of the used portions.' If it does, you can let them know their terms are illegal, or just go with it and sue them for the amount when you move out.

[fizzgig]

11. i've found a bit of info on that regarding security deposits

and the language is similar to that, but i don't know if pet-specific deposits fall into that category

[blondeatlast]

8. Try to negotiate out of it; I was able to and I have abig, fluffy girl.

I have to pay the pet rent, but I own a bird and a soft-coated Wheaten Terrier and paid no deposit whatsoever.

[Zavulon]

9. As a former landlord,

I simply refused to allow pets. Pets drive up your insurance rates, so if I were to allow them I would probably charge you the deposit AND the fee, reserving the right to keep the deposit and certainly keeping the fee.

If after your stay you were a good tenant whose pets didn't leave turds all over the place (I'm not just talking about the carpet, I mean the courtyard as well) or bother others, I would probably return the deposit but would definitely keep the fee.

Either way, if I were to allow pets (I wouldn't, but for argument's sake...), it would cost you more no matter how well-behaved they were. Sorry.

[fizzgig]

10. how do pets drive up insurance?

[Zavulon]

12. The same way everything else does.

Whatever they can charge you for, they will. We had 14 apartments, and were told that allowing pets would cost us more.

[fizzgig]

15. i've spoken with my friends who own their homes

all of them have cats and all of them said that the fact they have cats doesn't affect their homeowner's insurance. if it doesn't increase insurance rates, how would you justify a non-refundable pet fee if the animals do no damage?

[Zavulon]

16. Have you spoken to

any landlords? Just because homeowners you know don't pay more doesn't mean landlords don't have to. Homeowners have 24/7 access to their own homes and their own pets, landlords don't monitor every pet in every apartment and can't enter apartments without notice, so they have no way of knowing which pet owners take good care and exercise good judgment with their pets, which ones keep up on their pets' shots and hygiene, etc.

As for your second question, if it's my property and I'm renting it, as long as I'm not breaking the law I justify by virtue of being the property owner. Actually, as I said, I wouldn't allow pets anyway, so the point is moot, but the justification is this: my place, my rules, and you're not required to rent from me.

[dysfunctional press]

17. as a former landlord, i never heard of such a thing.

we always allowed pets (1 dog or 2 cats), and never asked for extra deposit or rent, and never had any problems due to tenant's pets.
:shrug:

i'd generally even take care of them when the tenants were out of town.

[Dappleganger]

13. Deposits are only such if they are refundable.

Obviously, non-refundable means it isn't really a deposit.

If a LL doesn't want to have pets in their apt. or house they shouldn't allow it, rather than pretend they do and charge these probably illegal fees. Children are FAR more destructive than pets, do they charge extra for them?

I'd move on rather than rent from an extortionist.

[Dappleganger]

14. Deposits are only such if they are refundable.

Obviously, non-refundable means it isn't really a deposit.

If a LL doesn't want to have pets in their apt. or house they shouldn't allow it, rather than pretend they do and charge these probably illegal fees. Children are FAR more destructive than pets, do they charge extra for them?

I'd move on rather than rent from an extortionist.