What's pet screening? Before allowing animals into rental homes, landlords carefully review them using pet screening. Many houses these days have cherished dogs, but having a furry buddy may complicate things even more when renting. 

Pet screening guarantees the pet fits well in the rental setting and helps safeguard the property. Usually, a pet screening for rentals involves a rental application with a section for pets for rental wherein renters supply information on the breed, age, health, and behavior of their pet.

To better know the background of your pets, some landlords ask for references or conduct interviews. Typically, depending on how fast the renter turns in the required documentation, it takes one to seven days. Scroll down now to get more information on the advantages, procedure, and how to arrange pet screening for your rental!

Pet screening often includes a digital pet profile, risk assessment, and a FIDO Score for each animal.

What Is Pet Screening for Rentals?

Then, what is the pet screening process truly about? Before letting a renter into a rental home, landlords and property managers go through a procedure known as pet screening to assess their pet's status. As more US tenants choose to bring their pets with them and pet ownership increases, this procedure becomes essential.

Regarding the pet screening procedure for rentals, it is a methodical approach to find out if a pet will match a rental property. This process is also a part of the necessary tenant screening procedure that every landlord should follow. 

More importantly, pet screening helps landlords evaluate the animal's health, temperament, and fit with the property and community policies. This process helps landlords minimize risks like property damage, noise complaints, or aggressive behavior, while allowing responsible pet owners to find housing more easily.

What Does a Pet Screening Consist Of?

The process generally includes several things below:

  • Pet Application for Rental: Tenants fill out a detailed form about their pet's breed, age, weight, training, vaccination status, and behavioral history.
  • Pet Interview: Some landlords meet the pet in person or via video to observe temperament and behavior.
  • Veterinary Records: You will want records of vaccines, spay or neuter status, and general health for your animals.
  • Pet Resume for Renting: Many tenants provide a pet résumé with references, qualifications in training, and details on the kind and conduct of the pet.
  • References: Landlords should ask prior landlords or veterinarians for references to confirm the conduct and health of the pet.
  • Background Check: Some landlords use third-party services to check for any history of aggression or property damage

Pet screening for apartments is especially important in multi-family buildings, where noise and safety concerns are higher.

How Long Does Pet Screening Take?

Though the schedule varies, most pet investigations span one to seven days. Renters' ability to provide required documentation, complete interviews, and respond to follow-up questions determines the speed. While hand inspections or missing documentation may create delays, employing internet platforms fortunately speeds up the process.

How Pet Screening Protects Both Landlords and Tenants

Pet screening can reduce unauthorized pets in rental units by requiring upfront documentation and approval.

Benefits for Landlords

  • Reduces Risk: Pet screening helps landlords avoid property damage, noise complaints, and liability issues from aggressive pets.
  • Legal Compliance: Ensures landlords follow fair housing laws, especially for service and emotional support animals.
  • Better Tenant Relationships: Clear rules and expectations reduce misunderstandings and arguments.
  • Lower Vacancy Rates: Pet-friendly rentals attract more applicants and can lead to longer tenancies.

Benefits for Renters

  • Easier Approval: Responsible pet owners can show their pet's suitability, increasing their chances of approval.
  • Transparency: Tenants know what's expected regarding pet care, noise, and property use.
  • Stronger Applications: A well-prepared pet application for rental or a pet resume for renting can set tenants apart from others.
  • Fair Decisions: Pet screening for apartments ensures decisions are based on facts, not stereotypes about certain breeds or animals.

Pet Resume for Renting: Why It Might Be Necessary

A growingly crucial phase of the renting process, pet screening clearly benefits renters as well as landlords. Fundamentally, pet screening, often incorporating a pet application for rental, vet documents, and sometimes a pet summary for renting, is a systematic assessment of a pet's health, temperament, and fit for a rental property. 

By ensuring that dogs are well-mannered, healthy, and comply with property laws, this approach helps landlords avoid hazards like property damage, too loud noise, and liability concerns. 

It also guarantees legal compliance, particularly when differentiating between typical pets and help animals, such as service or emotional support animals, that fit with fair housing laws. Pet screening for houses or flats may provide renters access to more pet-friendly accommodation choices and guarantee fair, uniform treatment across candidates. 

Pet screening also speeds up approvals, lowers conflicts, and promotes a harmonious living environment for every resident by clearly defining expectations and offering complete documentation.

A strong pet resume for renting includes

  • Pet's name, age, breed, and weight
  • Vaccination and health records
  • Training certificates (obedience, housebreaking)
  • Photos and a short description of personality
  • References from previous landlords or neighbors

How to Set Up Pet Screening for Your Rental Property with LeaseRunner

Pet screening is now standard in the US rental market, helping landlords assess pets before approving tenants

Here is a detailed guide broken out step-by-step:

Step 1: Define Your Pet Policy

Start by creating a clear and comprehensive pet policy for your rental property. Specify the types of pets you allow (dogs, cats, birds, etc.), any breed or size restrictions, and your expectations for pet behavior and maintenance. Be sure to outline any associated costs, such as pet rent and pet deposits, and verify local regulations regarding refundable deposits or fees to ensure compliance.

Learn more about pet deposit regulations on LeaseRunner’s blog.

Step 2: Add Pet Screening to Your Application

In LeaseRunner’s system, pet screening is integrated as a dedicated section within the rental application, which is submitted alongside the tenant screening request, simplifying the process for everyone.

Using LeaseRunner’s customizable application templates, request detailed information about each pet, including breed, age, weight, health status, and behavioral traits. 

Step 3: Collect Documentation

For renting, ask for veterinary documents, evidence of vaccinations, spay/neuter certifications, and a pet summary. The decision you make will be better with the more knowledge you possess.

Step 4: Optional—Conduct a Pet Interview

Meet the pet in person or via video call. Observe its behavior, temperament, and interaction with its owner. Ask questions about training, routines, and any past issues.

Step 5: Verify Pet References

To confirm the pet's background, get in touch with past landlords or vets. Search for any warning signs, including property damage, too loud noises, or hostility.

Step 6: Make Your Decision

Go through all the information you collected—application details, documents, interview notes, and references—then decide if the pet fits your property’s pet rules and community standards. Clearly tell the tenant your decision to keep things transparent.

Step 7: Complete the Lease

If approved, include a pet addendum in the lease agreement that outlines all pet-related terms such as rent, deposits, rules, and tenant responsibilities. If the pet is not approved, clearly explain the reasons to avoid misunderstandings. 

Pro Tip: LeaseRunner provides customizable lease agreement templates tailored to every state to ensure your documentation is complete and legally sound.

Bottom Line

In conclusion, we hope you are now understanding what pet screening is about and realizing that it is very important in the rental market of today. It gives renters with pets a fair opportunity to choose a house and helps landlords preserve their homes and keep a pleasant neighborhood. 

Clear guidelines, exhaustive review of vet records, pet applications, and sometimes interviews assist landlords in meeting fair housing rules and reduce risks. Using a pet brief to provide thorough details on the health, temperament, and breed of their pet can help renters get accepted faster and open doors to pet-friendly houses.

Want to learn more about effective screening and rental best practices? Check out the LeaseRunner Blog for expert tips and in-depth guides to help you navigate tenant screening with confidence.

FAQs

Q1. How to vet potential tenants with pets?

To guarantee the pet is fit for the property, landlords should follow a methodical pet screening procedure, including gathering comprehensive pet information, verifying references, evaluating health records, and maybe even behavioral evaluations or interviews.

Q2.  What is a pet application for rental?

Along with supporting paperwork like references and vaccination certificates, a pet application for renting is a form that renters complete, providing details about the health, personality, breed, age, and history of their pet.

Q3. Why is a pet resume for renting important?

A pet resume for renting helps tenants present their pet's best qualities, training, and references, making it easier for landlords to assess the pet's suitability and speeding up the approval process.

Q4. How can landlords set up pet screening for rentals?

Landlords should define clear pet policies, incorporate pet screening into the rental application, collect all necessary documents, conduct interviews or assessments if needed, and finalize agreements with a pet addendum in the lease.

Q5. What if my pet fails the screening?

If a pet does not pass the screening, the application may be denied. However, tenants can request feedback, address the issues (such as additional training or updated vaccinations), and reapply in the future.

Q6. Does pet screening apply to service animals?

No. Although landlords may ask for suitable paperwork for service animals and emotional support animals, legislation protects them, and they cannot be rejected for disability grounds under the Fair Housing Act.