State Specific Question About: CALIFORNIA (CA)

You might want to rethink the puppy and suggest an older dog.

There's a reason puppies are so darn cute. They can be terribly destructive. Suggest an older dog for someone who doesn't want to deal with the issue of chewing/housebreaking/digging and potentially destroying your rental house. We avoid puppies after one ate a porch swing, the plug off a window air conditioner and destroyed a raised bed garden.

Not sure why they'd want a rooster. We have backyard chickens and I like my roosters but shoot, I'd rather have the hens for the eggs.

Do these people work? long hours? Puppies require almost constant attention unless they are crated. An older dog could go 8 - 10 hours without going out, but a puppy needs to go out every few hours to get house trained. The puppy pads are not a way to house train! If my tenant is not familiar with animals and their requirements, I will not allow them to get one. On the other hand, if they have an animal when they move in, I usually allow it after meeting.

As for the rooster, most places that allow chickens will not allow a rooster unless it is real farm country. Why would they want a rooster and no hens? Is this free range or caged. You say the home is on a quarter lot, is that a quarter acre? that really isn't a lot of room.

I would remind her that puppies are as much work and hassle as 2 year old children.

Then say I would approve a dog older than one year. The shelter has a number of them.

No to the rooster.

Would you like it if your neighbor woke you up every morning at 4 am honking the horn? That is what a rooster does. NO to the rooster!

Puppies: NO. They chew and pee everywhere.

Pet Fee?

You need to learn about how the law in CA handles problems.

Be aware that CA law is different from the law in other states.

Here's an answer given by a CA lawyer to the question of whether pet deposits and pet rent are legal:

Marcus William Morales

Marcus William Morales

Family Law Attorney

Santa Barbara, CA CA licensed

Posted on Oct 16, 2012

To my knowledge there is no clarity in this area of landlord tenant law. Yet, here are the basics.

Under CCP 1950.5 a landlord may not deem a security deposit "non-refundable." Your landlord may charge an extra $300.00 security per pet, but it must be refundable at the expiration of your term after all lawful deductions. Your Landlord will most likely deduct the wear tear caused by your pets from your security deposit at the end of the term.

As far as pet rent the law is unclear. It is my legal opinion that it is legal to charge an extra amount per month to allow a tenant to have a pet on the premises. This amount would be need to be reasonable and fair in relation to the pet. For example, pet rent for a small dog should be less than let's say a large horse.

HECK, no. NO puppies EVER. A puppy will destroy your house. No Rooster.

CDM,

Absolutely correct.

The "pet fee" would be considered security, and thus would need to be refundable.

I don't know of any restriction from charging more rent for a dog. Pricing a dwelling at $ X with a dog and $ y without a dog seems quite reasonable to me. I know of no reason that LL cannot do this. It is part of the negotiation over terms of the Rental Agreement. I also do not know of any reason that the amount of extra rent needs to be subject to any test of "reasonable" or even to be limited. I don't think that there is any reason that the amount should be tied to the size of the animal, rather than the actual burden on the LL.

All of the above comments are not meant to be applicable in any jurisdiction that is subject to rent control.

Just thnking of the day when the rooster gets eatten by the dog. And the dog gets regifted !!! Lol.

No one has just a rooster. You need hens too. And a chicken coop, do the take that with them when they move ? Could be an eye sore.