Last year some college students rented one of our Tempe rentals. A few months later the tenants called saying there were problems with the lights. I figured it was just light bulbs so, armed with a ladder and replacement bulbs, I visited the property. There were several burnt out light bulbs. Also, to give the students credit, there were electrical issues with the lights and an electrician had to be called.
While visiting the property I observed a four-legged tenant who was not on the lease as a very friendly puppy came running to greet me. I asked about the puppy to confirm it belonged to one of the tenants, which it did. Then I explained they needed to get permission BEFORE they got the dog. They begged me to let them keep the dog because they had just spent $3,000 on emergency surgery because the dog had chewed and swallowed an old cable line. The owner agreed to let the dog stay with an additional non-refundable pet deposit provided the tenant purchased insurance in case the dog bit someone or caused other property damage. In addition the tenants had to make sure the dog was properly trained so it did not destroy property, bite someone, bite another dog or bark.
A secondary issue is many HOA’s and apartment complexes do not allow dogs over 40 pounds or do not allow pets at all. Eventually this dog will weigh more than 40 pounds so finding a future rental may prove difficult unless it is a single family home with no HOA or an HOA that does not have a dog weight limit restriction. Adult children also need to understand having a pet can be an expensive proposition. If the dog damages the property then the tenants will not get their security deposit back. I doubt the parents of this college student were happy with the unexpected $3,000 vet bill. The bottom line is parents need to make sure their college students do not get any pets without getting permission from both them and the landlord.