Statistics from The Zebra show that around 66% of households in the US own at least one pet.
Pet's are an important part of many families, and most would never willingly part with them. But what does this mean for landlords in Wesley Chapel who don't want to allow animals in their rental properties? In addition to this, when it comes to service animals and emotional support animals are the rules different from those for regular pets?
In this guide, we'll look at the difference between service animals, emotional support animals, and pets so you can determine how you should approach things. Keep reading for more.
Service Animals
As the name suggests, service animals are trained to perform specific services and tasks. People who have certain issues or limitations often own service animals, and they're most commonly dogs.
Some typical tasks service animals perform include:
- Guiding people with blindness or vision impairment
- Identifying sounds for deaf people
- Holding doors open for people with physical impairment
It's vital to understand landlord rights with service animals. In most cases, you cannot deny service animals to tenants in your properties. You also can't charge any additional fees for them.
However, you can seek financial compensation if a service animal damages your property. In bad cases, you may be able to have a service animal removed through legal proceedings.
Emotional Support Animals
Emotional support animals are similar to service animals in that they help their owners, but they do so in a different way. Rather than assisting with specific tasks, they typically provide some kind of emotional support.
People often own emotional support animals to help them with issues such as:
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- ADHD
Both emotional support animals and and service animals fall under the umbrella of "assistance animals". The same laws apply for both, so a landlord can't refuse either type.
Pets
When looking at support or service animals vs pets, there's a distinct difference. Plenty of people have pets, but they don't require them. As such, the laws aren't the same here.
A property owner can decide whether or not to allow pets in a rental property they own. You can weigh up the pros and cons and then decide on your pet policies in Wesley Chapel.
By allowing pets, you can reach a wider tenant pool. You may also be able to charge more rent, and therefore make a greater profit. On the downside, pets can cause various issues, such as property damage or disturbances to neighbors.
Consider all of this before making your decision.
Allowing Pets in Your Rental Properties
Understanding the difference between service animals, support animals, and pets is crucial for a landlord. While you can't deny assistance animals, you need to decide if you want to allow pets in your rental properties. A professional property manager can help you with this decision as well as various other aspects of being a real estate investor.
PMI Noble is a full-service real estate asset management company serving Wesley Chapel and surrounding communities. We have years of experience and use cutting-edge technology to help our clients achieve their goals. Check out our property management page for more info on what we do.
