If you’re a renter and you own a pet, you might be familiar with the term pet rent. There has been a lot of discussion about the meaning of pet rent and controversy as it isn’t a synonym of a pet deposit, so we are here to explain what the meaning of pet rent is, if it’s legal and why it is charged if you already paid a pet deposit. So strap in because we are going to settle the animal lover’s conundrum once and for all.
What is Pet Rent?
The pet rent definition is a sort of monthly fee that allows you to have a pet inside your rental that is completely legal. In other words, it is your pet’s monthly rent. Like you, your pet will inhabit the apartment along with you especially if you live in an unfriendly city where your pet is your best friend and if you were thinking that a pet doesn’t have to pay rent, we apologize for having to burst your bubble. As a pet owner, I can safely say that I’d rather pay pet rent than have to live without my pet and I understand the reasoning behind it.
Pet-friendly rentals charge this pet rent to allow their renters to house a pet inside of the unit. However, as any animal lover might know, animals can cause wear and tear in a home, which is why it was implemented. A pet can create damages inside your apartment especially if you’re used to pampering them. From muddy carpets to scratched-up walls, doors, or furniture, especially owners of large dogs or cats know the effect a pet can have on the interior design of a home. The landlord needs some type of coverage for these potential repairs and that’s why pet rents became so popular.
What’s the Difference between Pet Rent and Deposit?
So if pet rent covers damages that your furry friend might inflict on the apartment, what are pet deposits supposed to cover. Well, they cover the same things, but, and this is a big but, while the deposit is refundable, the pet rent is not. Also, while a pet deposit does also cover damages, some damages can not be covered by it which is why pet rents were implemented.
The biggest difference between pet deposits and pet rents is the actual value of each. While the monthly pet rent is 1% to 2% of your monthly rent which can translate to $10 to $60 per month, pet deposits are between $100 and $600. Important to note here is that state and local laws may differ and in some cases, landlords may not be allowed to demand a pet deposit as well so make sure to check.
Popular Real Estate Terms
When you hear a real estate agent talking about a client that's an empty nester, it means said client suffers from empty nest syndrome. But what is Empty nest syndrome? Empty nest ...
The "frost line" is a critical concept in real estate and construction, especially in regions with cold climates. But what exactly is the frost line, and why does it matter? Let’s ...
Landlord's right to receive the value of the tenant's property to pay for unpaid rents or for damages to the leased premises. ...
The definition of gross sales price in real estate refers to the combined cost of a property or listing before subtracting the real estate agent’s commission, sales tax and other ...
The depreciation method where an equal amount of depreciation expense is allocated to each full period of the asset's useful life. The amount of depreciation is computed as follows; Annual ...
Average of what savings institutions in the 11th district of the Federal Home Loan Bank System ( California, Arizona, and Nevada) are paying in interest to depositors and other sources of ...
Legal obligation to pay for a benefit received as if a contract has actually occurred. This may arise in a few cases so that an equitable situation occurs. An example is when a homeowner ...
Unit of metric are measurement where one hectare is equivalent to 2.471 acres or 107,637 square feet. For example, a 3 hectare parcel of property is equivalent to 7.413 acres or 322,911 ...
An opening with a hinged cover allowing access from one level to another in a structure. Often installed in a roof or the floor of a building to allow the entrance of people and materials ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.