Q: I am a realtor and an investor. I have 2 rental homes right now, though sometimes I have more and sometimes less. I don’t want to allow pets in my home. Can I prohibit them?
A: Like most other things in the rental business, you can put restrictions in your lease, but an exception may apply. In this case, you can put in your lease that pets are not welcome and will not be allowed. This will be enforced as written and you can reject anyone who applies with a pet. However, if the person is disabled and discloses that they have an assistance animal, your pet prohibition would not apply. As to apply, an assistance animal is not a pet and is needed for the person due to their disability. Since you are a realtor, you are governed by all applicable fair housing laws even if you currently may or may not have the threshold number of homes.
– Mark B. Zinman, Attorney Zona Law
Information contained in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice.
You should always contact an attorney for legal advice and not rely on information published here.