Pet Policy and Screening

Pet Policy and Pet Screening

Pet & Animal Policy

Owners reserve the right to allow or set limitations and/or restrictions on any pets. A pet must be fully vetted. Additionally, applicants should have a 620 or higher credit score as rated by Experian for pet approval. We fully comply with Service Animal and Emotional Support Animal requirements and no application fee is required.

Any pet considered violent or vicious will not be accepted. The following list are examples, but not conclusive, of unacceptable breeds: Doberman Pinscher, Great Danes, Mastiff, Bullmastiff, Akita, Chow Chow, German Shepherd, Pit Bulls (American Standard Terrier or any similar variation), Presa Canario, Huskies, Saint Bernard, Malamutes, Rottweiler or any mixed breed dog that contain one of the preceding breeds, and/or any dog (regardless of Breed) that have been in a biting incident.

Please note: Any application that is found to be falsifying information regarding service animals, emotional support animals and/or pets, will be declined.

Pets are never allowed on the Premises unless written permission has been obtained in advance from the Landlord. If permission is given, no more than (2) pets are ever allowed unless agreed upon and stated in this lease, excluding tropical fish. If Tenant has a pet(s), the pet(s) must be listed on the lease, and by listing them, Tenant agrees to be fully liable for damages and injuries they might cause to both property and people.  

There is a $300.00 refundable pet deposit if no damage is incurred.  

Tenant must complete a Pet Screening Profile for each pet. See below. 

Tenants specifically understand and warrant: 

A. No dog or cat under the age of one will be accepted.

B. All dogs and cats must be either neutered or spayed.

C. That the pets, if they are dogs, have not been attack trained nor are they known to be vicious, nor do they have a history of biting people or animals, or of causing property damage. 

D. That Tenants are solely responsible for any and all damage or loss to the Landlord's property caused by their pets including, but not limited to, the premises, carpeting, draperies, wall coverings, furnishings, appliances and landscaping including the lawn and shrubbery. 

E. That at Tenant’s expense, to rid the property of all fleas, or other pests and restore carpet to its original condition removing all evidence of pets including pet odors, even if it means replacing the carpet and pad at Tenant’s expense, regardless of the carpet condition at time of move-in.

 F. If Management discovers a pet on the property, whether or not owned by Tenant, Management shall assume pet has been there from the date of possession and Tenant agrees to pay additional rent of $75.00 per month per pet beginning the date Tenant took possession. In addition to this rent, undisclosed pets may result in default in the Lease at the sole discretion of Management. 

G. That all pets, when outside, must be kept on a leash or caged and under full control of Tenant at all times. All pet waste shall be removed and disposed of properly. 

H. All pets shall be maintained so as not to cause annoyance or irritation to others.

 I. A refundable Pet Deposit, in the amount of $300.00, is required.  The Pet Deposit will be returned with no damage. Upon vacating, carpets are to be professionally cleaned, by an approved vendor of management and paid by tenants. Premise must be treated for ticks and fleas by a professional exterminator upon vacating and paid by tenants. Proof of both carpet cleaning and tick and flea treatments must be provided for the return of Security Deposit. 

J. That proof of vaccination of pet, where required by law, including but not limited to rabies, must be provided. 

Pet Screening Policy

Our Pet Screening Policy requires ALL new and renewing leases to set up a pet profile for each pet, whether or not you have a pet.  Sugarwood Real Estate Services strives to be fair in screening your pet for consideration which is why we use a third-party service for impartial screening. To help ensure ALL of our tenants understand our pet and animal-related policies, we require EVERYONE to complete a third-party screening and review process.This process ensures we have formalized pet and animal-related policy acknowledgments and more accurate records to create greater mutual accountability.

1.    You are required to set up a profile for pet screening even if you do not have a pet. There is no charge for you to do this.

2.    You are required to set up a profile for pet screening if you have a pet. There is $20 fee for the first pet and a $15 fee for the second pet profile.

3.    You are required to set up a profile for pet screening if you have an assistance animal. There is no charge for you to do this.

4.    All profiles are active for one year upon completion.

5.    ALL cats and dogs must have a rabies vaccination and the current vaccination certificate must be uploaded to your pet profile.

6.    You will be required to renew your pet profile every year. For #1 and #3 above, there is no renewal fee. For #2 above, there is a $10 per pet annual renewal fee.             

7.  You will be required to renew your pet’s rabies vaccination when due and upload the new vaccination certificate to your pet profile.

Below are the categories regarding the pet profile.

No Pets or Animals:  This is a required application process for anyone who does NOT own a pet or animal. There is no cost to you for completing the application process.

Household Pets:  This is a required application process for anyone who owns a household pet. This includes dogs and cats and might include pets that live in cages such as birds, hamsters, rabbits, snakes or fish tanks (because of the contained water) so please ask your housing provider for clarification regarding these types of pets.

Assistance Animals:   This process provides a HIPAA compliant and secure way of submitting a reasonable accommodation request for an assistance animal (service animals, emotional support animals, companion animals, etc.) that will be reviewed by a third-party legal review team to ensure the accommodation request meets HUD’s Fair Housing Act guidelines. There is no cost to you to submit an accommodation request. Please make sure you are aware of your State’s laws, if any, for submitting a fraudulent accommodation request

CLICK HERE to read more about the pet profile or to set up a Pet Profile. Clicking on the link will take you outside Sugarwood Real Estate Services website.