How to Handle Tenant Pet Complaints [ with Steps ]

Tenants have a responsibility to make sure that whatever establishment they reside in, they uphold the agreement made between them and the landlord. So if a certain landlord has accepted at the beginning of the tenant’s stay that a tenant may allow a pet to reside with him or her, then going through the pet agreements is a must.

Those that are able to keep up their end of the agreement and can keep their pets in control can ensure that there will be no issues regarding their tenancy. However, should the landlord receive multiple complaints regarding a tenant’s pet, then it is up to the landlord to know how to properly deal with them. So if you receive any tenant complaints regarding a particular pet owned by an individual residing in your establishment, here are some steps to help you resolve them:

• Listen to the complaints regarding the pet. Always try to understand the problems that the tenant has with this particular animal. Is it because of loud barking? Is the animal vicious? Has the animal destroyed property? Try to find out to help you get a better understanding of the situation.

• Try to determine the seriousness of the complaint. There will be instances wherein there are some tenant complaint reports that have to be prioritized and addressed as soon as possible. You should prepare a rating system which can tell you which complain must be dealt with immediately, and which ones you can deal with at a later time. For example, complaints with a very high rating would usually be one where the safety of the tenants may be compromised because of a pet that has the possibility of injuring any one of them due to violent behavior.

• Know whether the complaint is legitimate or not. Once you have receive the complaint, you must determine whether there is actually any merit to it or not. It’s always best to act only when there is proof that shows that the complaint is true. If one were to notify you that a tenant has allowed his or her pet to defecate freely within the establishment, proof such as pictures can be used as evidence to verify the complaint.

• Once you have determined the legitimacy of the complaint, take action. The type of action you will take will always depend on how serious the complaint is, as well as the terms of the lease agreement. So if the tenant has made a first offense, then you can give them a warning. A second or third may result in a fine, and a fourth offense may require you to evict the animal and possibly the tenant if he or she has broken the terms of the lease. If it is a serious offense such as injuring another tenant, then you may decide to immediately enforce a fine or take legal action to have the tenant remove the pet from the premises as soon as possible.

If you allow pets within your building, you are going to have to make sure that the tenants who own animals adhere to all the rules and regulations regarding owning pets within the establishment. If you receive any complaints, then make sure to let the steps above help you in dealing with them.