Should pet bans be banned?

[Catherine]

Of course I think any kind of pet ban is wrong and discriminatory and any other words you can think of.

However the issue is different for a Landlord.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-co...-1.3487719

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-co...-1.3486534


I am lucky that Ontario is pet friendly, but people in BC have a harder time.


Landlords are afraid of damage to their property, but pet owners need a place to live and do not want to give up their pets.
There must be a way to make the rental situation more pet friendly without putting landlords at risk. After all, they have legitimate concerns. It  just isn't fair if they ban all animals without giving them a chance.

I have seen tenants without animals do a lot of damage  to rental properties so it is not just a pet issue. Responsible pet owners are good stable tenants. They will look after the place for the sake of their pet. Maybe they need an ad campaign that explains why pet owners make good tenants.

[LPC]

Well, we actually had a little experience of this, in the past! We used to let out our smaller house in Normandy to holidaymakers (one, two, three weeks at a time). Many people do holiday lets (called vacation rents I think on the other side of the pond), but obviously do not want a house full of "wee" or "poo" to clean when new holidaymakers are arriving in a few hours. We were one the few people in our area who allowed pets in a holiday home. But there were conditions: we asked for a larger deposit (which we told the renters would be used on cleaning if necessary). Most pet owners were so glad to find somewhere they could stay in the heart of the countryside with their pet(s) that they were happy to pay a higher deposit. Almost everyone was very careful and considerate. We only had one case where there was a lot of dog mess left outside the house (we asked that this be cleared up before departure).

To be honest, almost all the pet owners were very responsible. We had more problems with young children making a mess than pets! One child tore up a toilet roll into tiny shreads and it was blown all over the house! Another left piles of sea shells scattered all over the front garden - and I mean a lot! Even then, the parents did apologise profusely and we let them off.

I would have thought that a reasonable compromise for a long-term let (which we have never done) would be to allow landlords to charge a larger deposit for accepting pets. This would protect them from possible damage - say urine-ruined floors or chewed furniture. I think most pet owners are so glad to find somewhere to live (as many are refused outright) that paying a slightly larger deposit would seem very acceptable.

I write this, of course, as a pet lover myself....

[Catherine]

You write as a pet lover and someone who has rented to pet owners. A damage deposit is a good idea. Alberta has damage deposits on rental properties for everyone(at least they did when I lived there). We were careful because we wanted our money back. It wasn't just a pet issue. 
Here in Ontario we don't have a damage deposit and tenants can be destructive, again, not a pet issue. A guy who lived above me knocked a hole in the drywall because he was curious to see what was behind it. Another guy got upset about something and kicked a wall in, at 2am. He only stopped because I told him I would call the police. This is a nice area and they were nice guys, but they did stupid things. Again no pets were involved.

I have seen pet damage, but I think people who let their pets wreck a place would probably do other damage.

The only time I rented a furnished place the landlord claimed my cat ruined his new couch and I wrecked the bathroom ceiling.
The damage to the bathroom ceiling was under his bathtub and not near my shower stall. (I no longer rent where the landlord lives upstairs or where it is furnished)
The new couch? I had a friend who was an insurance adjuster who had a talk with the landlord. That type of couch had not been produced in over ten years so it was not new. It looked as good as a well used ten year old couch should look. He thought he could keep my damage deposit because I had a cat and I wouldn't argue with him.

Now we would all take pictures with our cell phones and have proof about how a place looked.

[Ruth]

I live in an apartment place that allows dogs, cats, birds and whatever you have. The landlord makes us pay a $300.00 deposit for animals and it is non-refundable. He now also made us all get renter's insurance. Almost everyone living here in 100 apartments has a pet or multiple pets. I didn't know that they accepted dogs and cats when I first moved here and when I found out I went and got Suzy. She has dug up the carpet by the door when I was out. So I put a rug over that. She will dig up the carpet if I leave her in the living room when I'm gone. I usually take her with me but when I have certain appointments and she can't go I put her in the kitchen and close the doors in there. I also leave a toy with her. The kitchen is a good size and she doesn't bother the tiles in there.

[Catherine]

I guess the $300.00 non refundable covers the minor damage that can occur and carpet cleaning, things like that. 

Too bad Suzy scratched the carpet. Good thing you can put her in the kitchen now. I am sure she is fine in there.
You would have had some wear and tear on the carpet anyhow.

Most pets do not damage things. It is a rare occurrence. At least I hope it is. Did you end up getting renters insurance? I have never bothered.

[Ruth]

Yes, we are required to have renter's insurance here. I have heard stories of how some pets have torn up some of the apartments. When dogs have separation anxiety they can tear things up. Suzy has that.

[Catherine]

Separation anxiety can really bother a dog. It is too bad people have to leave their pets at home alone. I wish I could spend more time with my babies.

Has Suzy gotten any better with time?

Can she be trained to accept being alone a few hours?

[Ruth]

Suzy is doing better since I put her in the kitchen. I had her on medication for awhile but took her off it because it made her sleep a lot. Now she sleeps a lot and I don't know why. She is getting older, going on 7 years old. I have to take her to the vet and get a blood test and get her shots. I have wellness insurance that covers a lot of it. I get her blood checked every year now that she is getting older. She is such a great dog. She loves to sleep on my chest or stomach on the couch and she is like a little baby!

[Catherine]

Suzy has finally matured and takes life more calmly. I think animals do sleep longer when they mature. Seven is past that young over active stage. 

I notice my guinea pigs sleep a lot now that they are older. All reptiles sleep a lot so who knows how to judge age or health from sleep.

Good thing you have pet health insurance. You will feel better if you get her checked out regularly.

[Ruth]

I do feel good because I do get her checked out regularly. I have to wait until the new insurance term kicks in to take her for the wellness exam. I will probably do it next week.