Park City Property Management And Pet Rentals
For today's blog post I would like to share a recent situation involving a tenant and the pet rules at a local condominium property. I think this story will help highlight the issue of pet rentals in Park City property management, as well as explain some concepts that might be unfamiliar to some people. I will also share a few statistics on the future of pet rentals that will help landlords decide how to approach the issue of renting to tenants with pets. It's no secret that Park City is a very pet friendly town but not when it comes to renters looking to find a place that will accommodate their dog or cat.
When The Rules Do And Don't Apply
I currently have a tenant that rents at a condominium property that allows a tenant to have pets. Unfortunately for this tenant the owner of the property decided to sell and the tenant had to move. Based on my availability at the time I did not have another two bedroom at the pet friendly property that would fit her and her two daughters. I did however have a two bedroom at another property that was not pet friendly. The important point in this story is that the current tenant had a dog that was registered as an Emotional Support Animal or ESA. I have previously covered the differences with ESAs in a post "Service Animals - Info For Park City Property Management" but to briefly explain an ESA is not the same as a service dog and therefore has some restrictions. Where a service dog has "unlimited public access", an ESA does not. However a property manager or landlord must make reasonable accommodations or changes to the rules allowing a person to keep an ESA, even if the landlord's or community's rules expressly prohibit pets. This accommodation is required by Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 and Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act. I submitted the registration for the animal to the manager of the no-pets community and they were initially resistant to making an accommodation. I explained the requirements and the community manager placed a call to HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development). After speaking with HUD he made the recommendation that the animal be allowed and the tenant was okay to move in. This is an important distinction that needs to be made for Park City property management. If the pet is a registered ESA a landlord must make reasonable accommodations or changes to a no pets policy. Property managers and landlords who do not make these requests can get into serious trouble, including possible discrimination suits from the federal government.
The Future Of Pets And Rentals
While there still continues to be clarifications to the laws regarding service animals and ESAs it is pretty clear that landlords and property managers in Park City property management need to be aware of the legal issues regarding these animals. It is also interesting to note that the number of renters with pets continues to rise. In a recent survey 75% of renters in 2013 stated they had some type of pet, compared with 43% in 2012. Cats and dogs, no surprise, counted for the majority of pets while fish came in a distant third. 51% of those surveyed said that their neighbors love pets while 58% of non-pet owners stated they enjoy living in pet friendly properties.
If you would like more information about pet rentals and ESA requirements, or further information about Park City property management in general click the link below for a free consultation. You will receive valuable information specific to your property that will help you make an informed decision. You will also receive a free, no-obligation quote on our property management services. At CC Realty we specialize in making investment property ownership a trouble free experience. Please contact us today for your free consultation.
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