How Much Is A Pet Deposit Usually
Introduction
So, you have a pet. Great! But if you’re planning on moving out of your current place and into a new one, there’s something you need to know: your landlord is going to charge you an extra fee for having your critter around. Pet deposits are pretty common and vary from place to place. Although some landlords don’t charge them, most do as a guarantee that they won’t be left with any extra damage caused by the animal. Let’s take a closer look at how much pet deposits usually cost and when to expect them!
Pet Deposits vs. Pet Rent
- Pet deposit: A sum of money you pay a landlord when moving into an apartment with a pet. It’s often refundable, but it can also be considered part of the security deposit (which is never refundable).
- Pet rent: A monthly fee you pay to keep your pet in your landlord’s building. Pet rent is not refundable, so it really means that if you want to keep your furry friend by your side while renting an apartment, you have to pay extra every month until the end of your lease or until they kick out all pets from their building.
Is A Pet Deposit Refundable
A pet deposit is usually refundable. Usually, deposits are refunded when you move out and leave the apartment in the same or better condition than when you moved in. Most landlords will have a checklist of what items need to be checked off before they’ll release your deposit. If there’s any damage done to the apartment (or if anything important is missing) that wasn’t on that checklist, and it can’t be fixed by simply purchasing new things or paying for repairs, then the landlord won’t give their permission to return it or they’ll deduct some amount from the total damage costs incurred before doing so.
Sometimes, even if everything seems okay at first glance upon move-out inspection but later turns out not to be once someone goes through thoroughly checking all surfaces with a fine-tooth comb, landlords still won’t give back your full deposit because they feel like something went wrong somewhere along the line (even though nothing really did). This happens especially often when tenants sign leases with no lease addendums attached (which would specify what happens with pet deposits after moving out).
What Can I Do If My Landlord Won’t Allow Pets
If your landlord refuses to allow pets in the rental, there are a few options you can try. The first is simply asking them to reconsider. If that doesn’t work, you may want to consider looking for another apartment instead of breaking the lease (or at least making sure that any damages caused by your pet are paid for so you don’t end up having to pay any costs). You’ll want to be careful when doing this though because if you break the lease and leave without paying all rent due and owing, then it’s possible that the landlord could sue you for their legal fees associated with evicting them from their property!
A pet deposit is a sum of money you pay a landlord when moving into an apartment with a pet. This deposit is in addition to any other fees, such as your security deposit and first month’s rent.
The amount of a pet deposit may vary from landlord to landlord, but in most cases it’s not refundable. It can also be higher than the security deposit or first month’s rent payment; in fact, some landlords only require you to pay a pet deposit rather than both.
Your landlord may want you to pay more than one type of deposit for two reasons:
- To make sure you’ll keep up with the unit (for example, if you’ve already had issues with paying your bills)
- To make sure you’re committed to having a pet in the apartment
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a new place to live but have a pet, it can be stressful. One of the most important things to do is know your rights so when you’re negotiating with landlords, you don’t get stuck in an unfair situation.