A lot of Michigan landlords are afraid of letting their tenants have pets in the residential real estate properties they rent. However, some individuals argue that letting pets in a residence may not actually be a bad thing. In fact, one landlord recently made some poignant comments about a strange policy he successfully maintained, which required all of his renters to own dogs.
The landlord said that he is a dog lover himself, and he knows how hard it is for individuals to find residential real estate to rent that allows them to have dogs. He decided to make it a requirement for everyone that stayed in his properties to be a dog-owner.
Surprisingly, the man said that, in all his 14 years of being a landlord, he never had a single problem with dogs in his residences — nor did he have a problem with property damage or noise troubles. The landlord said that he believed pet-owners were actually better tenants because they were so appreciative of finding a rental property that would accommodate them.
In case a landlord and tenant have some kind of a disagreement over pets in a residential real estate property, both sides will have certain rights and privileges under the law. The strength of one’s position in such matters will largely depend on how the leasing contract was worded. Disputes over pets in rental properties are just one of many reasons why any leasing contract should be reviewed carefully with a fine-toothed comb before the document is signed and ultimately agreed to.
Source: mercurynews.com, “Landlord speaks out in favor of pet-owning renters” Joan Morris, Sep. 29, 2014
