If you are similar to most renters, you anticipate the day when you will get your security deposit back. Having a pet while renting a home may make it less likely to get a full refund. Even though your SoMa property manager might allow pets, it depends on you to ensure your pet doesn’t damage the property. If you don’t prepare ahead of time to guarantee that they are properly cared for and well-behaved, you run the risk of losing your deposit or even paying more for any damage caused by your pet. The great thing is that as a pet owner and a renter, you have a lot of chances to minimize the impact your pet will have on your rental property.
Keep Your Pet Clean and Healthy
Among the greatest methods to protect your pet and your SoMa rental home is to assure that your pet is clean and healthy. Habitually bathing and grooming your pet can help keep them comfortable and reduce unpleasant odors that can accumulate on furniture, walls, and carpeting. You should also take appropriate steps to keep your pet free of fleas or other parasites, which can infest a home and harm your pet’s health. Preventing fleas is much easier than removing them later, so it is worth the effort to be proactive about it.
Train and Supervise Your Pet
Another crucial way to protect your rental home from unwanted damage is to train and supervise your pet properly. Pets like cats and dogs need to be trained to use a litter box or a yard to eliminate waste. If such training does not occur, pets can urinate or worse inside the rental home, leading to severe damage to walls, floors, and even fixtures. Once carpeting has been urinated on, it is very hard to completely clean again. In its place, make sure you give your pet an appropriate place to do their business.
If accidents happen, enzyme products have to be used to entirely remove the smell of pet urine and discourage your pet from returning to that same spot. Unnecessary urination, chewing, and other behaviors result from leaving a pet home alone for hours or even days at a time. Even pets left in the yard all day will dig holes, chew up sprinkler lines and plants, and lead to other sorts of damage. There are many ways to keep your pet and your property safe while you are gone, from having someone check on them during the day to crate training them (for dogs). As a tenant, it is important to properly supervise your pet or risk losing your security deposit when you relocate.
Clean Up After Your Pet (the Right Way)
Completely, to minimize your pet’s presence in your rental home, cleaning up after them regularly (and immediately) is important. Pet waste should be promptly and properly disposed of, and pet beds, kennels, cages, or other areas should be cleaned regularly. Pets living in filthy conditions can contract a wide range of diseases, many of which can pass to humans. Complicated pets, yards, and homes also tend to be a magnet for insects and unnecessary pests, which pose further health risks and can cause more damage to the property.
When you move out, it’s even more crucial to completely deep-clean the property and evaluate any damage your pet could have triggered. If you can make small repairs yourself, that can help a lot. For example, fill in any holes dug in the yard, clean up pet waste outside and inside, and properly wipe down all walls, baseboards, floors, and other areas the pet had access to. If your pet caused damage you can’t fix, don’t try to hide it! It’s best to document the property’s condition and report it to your landlord if a dispute arises.
Owning a pet is a big responsibility, but it doesn’t need to interfere with getting your security deposit back. Taking a few proactive steps ensures that you, your pet, and your home are clean and properly cared for.
Are you looking for your next SoMa rental home? Check out our available rentals or call us at 415-989-2000 for more information.
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