While landlords get a lot of heat for some of their questionable rental practices, if you’ve ever rented before, you may be familiar with the term “landlord special.” They also have to deal with a lot of risk when it comes to opening their home up to renters.
Not only do landlords have to trust that the people who move into their property will care for it the same way they would their own home, but they also have to hope that they won’t be faced with any major expenses as a result of renting out their property.
Unfortunately for influencer Jessica is Spoiled, things didn’t exactly work out for her the last time she rented her space out. This week she shared a post about her experience on Facebook, and it quickly went viral, as people chimed in to share their own horror stories and to tell her how she could get help dealing with the damage caused by the renter.
Although this time it wasn’t the home’s two-legged guest that had caused so much trouble, but instead the four-legged one that Jessica says she was told she couldn’t even charge rent for because the dog was considered a service animal.
Landlord Says She Can’t Charge Pet Fees for Service Animals
Jessica shared a photo of the damage she claims was left behind by a renter’s dog, which was designated as a service animal. “Reason 105,836 not to rent,” she began the post, which showed a heavily scratched and gouged wood door, that looked like it had been pawed at by an animal with sharp nails.
“Now regardless of this dog’s statute I feel it’s only fair to have pet fees regardless because at the end of the day a dog is a dog,” her caption said in part.
People Offered Advice and Tips in the Comments
While Jessica was clearly frustrated, it doesn’t sound like she was alone. “A service dog definitely would not do that,” one person wrote.
Another offered up some suggestions about restitution, claiming to be a property manager themselves. “You can bill them for charges even if it was a service animal,” they wrote.
Yet another person had a practical solution for future renters, writing, “That is why we put mini cow bells on our doors for when they have to go out the ring the bell and not scratch.”
You Actually Can’t Charge a Fee for Service Animals
According to the American Apartment Owners Association (AAOA), assistance animals like service animals have legal protections that make them exempt from things like pet deposits and fees. Additionally, landlords and property managers are prohibited from telling someone with a service animal that the animal can’t live in their property, even if they have a strict no pets allowed policy.
That being said, there are some distinct classification requirements and conditions that will apply (for example, you cannot just claim a pet is a service animal, and landlords could request third-party verification to determine if your pet falls into one of the protected categories).
While it’s too late for Jessica to look into her tenant’s pet, her story may help other landlords avoid the same fate.