Landlord Question and Answer Forum

Pet Violation

Tenant just moved in 4-03-10. Lease states NO PETS ALLOWED, Went to Rental unit to paint garage at tenants request, 2 pitbulls chained in the back yard. How do I handle this. I dont want pets on the property. Also lease states no one else is to live in the premises, I believe mom, brother and boyfriend are also occupying my rental, which is to small for 7 people. Can I put them out? It hasnt been 30 days yet, and they have no respect for the lease agreement.

You should send them a letter and tell them that they are breaking the lease agreement and give them some time to remedy the problem , Now some insurance companies do not cover dogs like pit bulls because of the reputation,what happends if he nips someone, another thing it is hard to prove if these people staying over are overnight guests or live ins, you have to detective work like mail and car parking and how long , if they are recieveing mail then chances are they are staying there , do not harass them .

Posted by Donald G, MA on Wednesday, April 14, 2010

You should send them a letter and tell them that they are breaking the lease agreement and give them some time to remedy the problem , Now some insurance companies do not cover dogs like pit bulls because of the reputation,what happends if he nips someone, another thing it is hard to prove if these people staying over are overnight guests or live ins, you have to detective work like mail and car parking and how long , if they are recieveing mail then chances are they are staying there , do not harass them .

Posted by Donald G, MA on Wednesday, April 14, 2010

You do have to send a letter directly informing them that they are violating the lease and give them a specified time to remedy the problem. If they do not adhere, you can issue a notice of eviction. If the contract clearly states no pets, take pictures of the dogs and keep a copy of your initial notice in case you end up having to go to court. If you do find that other people are occupying the rental, check your state law because it may also be a fire code violation depending on the size of the home. While you cannot harass the tenants, you can enforce your contracts and within your notice you can and [should notify] the tenant that if they do not adhere to the lease termination/eviction that you will use lawful measures up to and including sheriffs and courts to regain your premises -- and that they will be responsible for cost of such. So many LLs write broadly worded contracts, however they must be as specific as possible while staying in the context of state law.

Posted by Lynn S, GA on Tuesday, August 17, 2010