A pet addendum to a lease agreement amends an existing lease so that the renter can have a pet. If the original rental agreement does not contain any clauses mentioning pets, you can generally use pet addendums.
What is this addition involved in the lease?
A pet addendum to a condominium settlement is a binding settlement between a landlord and the tenant. You usually have to “add” the pet settlement to a present condominium settlement.
You can do this via an addendum or modification. It will become a part of the unique legally binding settlement between the owner and the renter.
By signing a written pet addendum, the owner presents the tenant permission to preserve a pet in his home. In return, the tenant accepts that he’s accountable for the pet and harm to the landlord’s property. The basic elements in a pet addendum to a lease agreement are:
- Date. See the unique condominium settlement this is being amended or modified.
- Premises. Identify the area wherein the pet is authorized to be rented.
- Owner. Name of the person that owns the facilities.
- Renter. Name of the renter who you also are the proprietor
- Pet. Name, type, breed, color, gender, age, and weight of the renter’s pet
- Extra fee. The proprietor may also rate a one-time non-refundable charge for preserving a pet. It will be returned if the pet does not harm.
- Additional rent. Extra rent paid periodically for preserving a pet because of accelerated put on and tear.
- Signatures. Both the owner and renter need to signal the pets’ addendum to make it binding.
If you are a tenant and want to bring a pet into your home, make sure you don’t break the rental agreement’s guidelines and don’t risk getting an eviction notice. Bring the idea for an attachment to the owner and discuss it first.
When do you need a Pet Lease Addendum?
People often need a pet contract when they want to update their existing lease or rental agreement. The landlord and renter may originally have agreed to a no-pet policy, but now both parties have changed their minds. The various rights and obligations of having an animal on the premises.
Some animal shelters require a pet addendum from the owner to show that they need to adopt an animal or bring it home. Contact the Humane Society and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) for resources and tips for pet owners who rent.
What should you include when adding a Pet Addendum to a Lease?
A basic pet addendum should answer:
- Who is the owner (i.e. the renter) and who is the owner who allows the pet?
- What does the animal look like, such as name, breed, color, gender, age, weight, and license or registration of the pet?
- Number, if any, of where the animal may be kept (i.e. facilities or “home”)
- When the contract comes into force and when the animal can live with the tenant
- Why the landlord is not responsible for damage caused by the tenant Pet.
- Someone to take care of your pet during the holidays? Make sure you sign a pet care contract.
Consequences of not using a Pet Addendum
If there is no pet supplement, both the landlord and the renter can lose property damage; the tenant for paying a fine. The landlord may have to deal with neighbors who are upset about the pet’s activities, while the renter may be able to abandon the pet entirely.
Relationships between the landlord and owner of the pet
A landlord has the right to say no to pets, but there are several reasons they might want to say yes. Be more responsible as a person who has the compassion and discipline to look after an animal and walk their dog every morning may be more likely to pay on time.
The Fair Housing Act also provides exemptions from the no-pet policy for renters with physical or emotional disabilities, and Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) provides an example of a companion/service animal procedure for tenants with a disability who require a companion or service animal.
Columbia University, the University of California at Santa Cruz, and Wesleyan University have similar animal welfare and service policies for people with disabilities living on campus.
Landlords may not be able to collect pet damage deposits from renters who require a service animal such as a guide dog. Check state and local laws to be sure.
What other details should you include in this addendum?
A pet accessory can also include some or all of the following helpful details:
- As a renter, you promise to be responsible for your pet and its antics at all times. Take care of your neighbors. Avoid disturbing them because of your pets barking or whining.
- Hissing, neighing, or growling too loudly, keep your pet in certain areas of your home if you leave them alone.
- Don’t leave your pet alone as long as there is a risk of the property being destroyed.
- Monitor your pet and keep them fenced or on a leash. Tidy up your pet later, whether indoors or outdoors.
- Always shovel up the feces!
- Follow the applicable rules of the owner or local council.
- Be kind to your pet and others when vaccinating and neutering/neutering them. Suppose your pet breaks something at the end of your rental that needs to be repaired. You have to pay for additional wear and tear and/or a pet security deposit.
- Take out insurance and designate your Landlord as an “additional insured” in case your pet perks up and bites or scratches someone unexpectedly.
- As a landlord, you have the right not to be sued and to receive liability protection if the tenant’s animal injures someone on your property.
- Say no if the pet can no longer stay or simply has to leave because the pets on the lease have been violated and need to be terminated.