There is a difference between pets and service animals, and a good Winter Park property management company will make sure that you and your property are in compliance with state and federal laws as they apply to service animals. I was once in a seminar about this topic, and the director said you have to think of a service animal the way you would think of a piece of furniture. According to the law, there’s no difference between a service animal and a couch. You cannot deny tenants when they have service animals. They aren’t the same as pets.
Orlando Property Management: Defining a Service Animal
A service animal provides a service for a person. It could be any kind of animal; cat, dog, pig, hamster, goldfish. All it needs to be protected is a letter from an authorized health professional like a doctor, psychologist, pharmacist, or psychiatrist. That’s what makes it a service animal. You cannot deny a service animal because you don’t want pets or because you don’t want certain breeds. You cannot charge your tenant extra rent or a pet deposit.
Property Management Orlando: Pet Policies
Pets are different, and if you’re going to allow them, you need to have a pet policy in place. With pets, you can charge an additional deposit. You can limit breeds, ages, sizes, and types of pet. You can also say you don’t want any pets in the property. But with a service animal, you can’t do that. There are no certifications or requirements that are necessary for service animals. Nothing official is required except that a healthcare professional signs off on it. You can ask if the tenants have insurance to cover potential damage that a service animal can cause, but you cannot deny renting to them.
Insurance for Your Orlando Rental Property
Your pet policy might require that a tenant provide their own insurance, especially if there’s a dangerous breed of dog living in your property that your own
insurance will not cover. Damage caused by pets is just like any other damage; you can hold the tenant responsible. If a service animal damages your property, you can also hold the tenant responsible for those repairs. The difference is, you cannot collect an additional pet deposit for a service animal.
Tenants with an Orlando service animal are protected. Don’t deny a tenant based on a service animal, and make sure you comply with the Florida law as stated. If you have any questions about pets, service animals, or anything pertaining to property management in Winter Park, please contact us at MoreHouse Realty.
