For a good percentage of vacation renters, their four legged fur baby is an important part of their family, and would prefer to go on vacation with their beloved pets. However, the number of pet friendly rentals are low, causing them to have to change the dates of their vacations because the few pet friendly units available have limited availability or have to put their furry friends in a kennel. Making your Cape Cod vacation rental pet friendly is a quick way of increasing your rentals. The number of pet friendly rentals is low on average because of the potential risk involved in allowing animals on and inside your property. For more tips on how to make your property stand out and attract more tenants, check out our blog, “How to Make Your Cape Cod Vacation Rental Stand Out Among Its Competition.” How do you take advantage of this demographic that is in need of accommodations but still protect your property from the wear and tear and responsibility of housing pets? Here are our tips to making your Cape cod vacation rental pet friendly.
Security Deposit or Pet Fee
Including a pet fee or security deposit can cover you in case there is damage done to the property by the pets that the tenants bring to your vacation rental. When you make your Cape Cod vacation rental pet friendly, you open your home up to a lot more damage and wear and tear that the typical tenant without a pet may not cause to your property. Charging this security deposit covers you in case the tenant does not clean up after their pet and you need to do an additional cleaning to the yard or the inside of the home (that goes above an beyond the standard pet cleaning), or if your property was damaged by the pet. This could mean a tear in your chair from a pet’s nail or bite marks on your table leg. Regardless, it is always a good idea to cover yourself by charging a security deposit when pets are coming to your rental. Working with a Cape Cod rental agency can help you with securing this extra security deposit. To find out more reasons why it is beneficial to work with a local agency instead of listing on your own, check out our blog, “4 Reasons You Should Rent Your Home with a Cape Cod Rental Agency.”
Cleaning Service
It is a good idea to have an extra thorough cleaning done in between guests when pets are involved. While you will attract a number of guests that are looking for a pet friendly rental, you still want to be considered a desirable rental property for tenants looking for a pet free experience. The last thing that a tenant wants to smell while staying in your rental is someone else’s wet dog or bathroom accident. Keep products such as carpet and upholstery cleaners handy and scrub brushes in case of pet accidents for the pet owners to use, or the cleaners when they come to prep your property once the pets have left. Most vacation property owners charge an additional cleaning fee on top of the typical cleaning fee for tenants that bring pets. The additional cleaning charge is usually about $75 for a 2 bed home.
Insurance
When opening your home to pets, you are welcoming in a new group of tenants but you are also welcoming in a new list of potential problems. It is important before you add to your rental listing that you have made your Cape Cod vacation rental pet friendly, you go over your insurance policy. Some policies do not cover pets in the rental, in which case you can find yourself in a lot of trouble if something happened. Call or meet with your insurance agent to see if pets are covered on your policy and if they are not, discuss with them what it would cost for you to add this to your policy. If you are part of a home owners association, it is important that you check to see if you are able to allow pets in your rental property. It is important to do your homework before making your Cape Cod rental pet friendly to avoid costly problems down the road.
Pet Policy
The best thing that you can do when making your Cape Cod rental pet-friendly is creating policies regarding the pets that you allow onto the property. Your insurance policy and/or homeowners association will dictate many of the terms of your policy such as the size of the dog. Here are some other terms to put into your pet policy:
- Weight: Familiar with the expression “Bull in a China shop?” It might be a good idea to put a weight or size limit on the animals that you will welcome to your vacation rental. Remember that these pets will be potentially resting on your furniture and roaming freely in your home while you are not there.
- Number of pets: Families come in many sizes, and that includes pets. To avoid a house full of animals in your rental property, it is important to put a cap on the number of pets that a tenant can bring to your property.
- Types of pets: Does your insurance policy or homeowners association dictate the breed or type of animals that are allowed in your property? It is a good thing to check out before listing your Cape Cod rental pet friendly. List what types of pets you will allow in your property (dog, cat, etc) in your pet policy.
- Bathroom habits: Do they need to be housebroken? It is essential that you tell potential tenants that the pet they bring to your property is housebroken or you could open yourself up to issues. Do not assume anything. You also need to tell guests what to do when the pet goes to the bathroom. It may seem like a given, but you need to tell guests to clean up after their pets and what to do with the waste. Be as clear as possible so there is no confusion and your next guest is not greeted with a lawn full of animal waste from the tenant that just left.
Making Your Cape Cod Vacation Rental Pet Friendly
Making your Cape Cod vacation rental pet friendly will open you up to a whole new demographic that is eager to find a vacation property because the inventory is low. This could help you boost your number of weeks rented easily, but it also opens you up to potential issues that you need to be prepared for. Take a look at our inventory of Cape Cod Pet Friendly Rentals. Before listing your property as a pet friendly vacation rental, speak to the professionals at Leighton Rentals. The professionals there will help you cover all your bases so you are ready to begin allowing tenants with pets on your property and protect your investment property.
