Sometimes conducted through a separate service, pet screenings help you get more information about a tenant’s animal, such as breed, health information, behaviors, and personality. If you’re on the fence about hiring a pet screening service or don’t see the need, you’re missing out on a lot of critical information that can help you avoid future problems. In truth, every landlord that allows pets on their rental property should conduct pet screenings.
Allow You To Verify Information
If you allow pets in your rental property, you likely have some stipulations about what kind of pets are allowed. You may have a limit on weight, size, and breed, and you likely have an exotic pet policy. Conducting a pet screening allows you to verify the information an applicant gives you to make sure the animal complies with your policies.
For example, it’s easy for tenants to lie about their pet’s weight if you never meet them. Meeting the animal and reviewing their medical records can ensure that the tenant is telling the truth and that the animal meets the requirements.
Brings To Light Behavioral Issues
While this may not be an issue for pets such as rodents or reptiles, other animals may have aggressive or troubling behavior that can put your property and neighbors at risk. Conducting a pet screening can tell you if an animal has an aversion to children, adults, or other animals. It can also tell you if they’re potty trained, have chewing issues, or tend to howl throughout the day. While not every animal is perfect, and they’re all bound to have some quirks, you don’t want to put any lives in danger or deal with property damage.
Tells You More About the Tenant
You can tell a lot about a person based on the kind of animal they own, how well they take care of it, and how well their pet behaves. It’s certainly not the be-all and end-all, but a pet screening can help you pinpoint some red flags. For example, if the pet is dirty, aggressive, territorial, malnourished, or just not well taken care of, the tenant may not be the most responsible person, and this is also considered animal cruelty.
While these are general assumptions, there is a correlation between how nice and taken care of an animal is to how responsible and kind the owner is. It shows a considerable amount of empathy and responsibility to take care of an animal, and that’s likely the kind of person you’ll want as a tenant.
Ultimately, every landlord should conduct pet screenings because they’re a great risk aversion tactic. A pet screening allows you to avoid property damage and noise complaints and protects your property as well as the people around it. If you need help finding a pet screening service, let Excalibur Homes help! We’re a Nashville rental property management company dedicated to making the lives of landlords and property owners a little easier.
