What Would You Tell a Landlord Reluctant to Let Tenants Keep Chickens?

[calista]

A very interesting thread has been started in the Renting sub-forum on the City Data site, for those who would like to view it. Basically, a landlord has good tenants who want chickens in Irving, Texas, where local ordinances allow small backyard flocks.

He is understandably squeamish and reluctant about "dirty birds" and the possible impact to his property and neighborhood from objectionable noise and odors.

What would you tell him to make sure his tenants do it right -- besides coming here for all the answers to reassure him?

 

[Woodcutterron]

Tell him "Here's a fresh dozen of free eggs!"

In all seriousness, maybe download some pictures of neat and tidy small flock coops/yards. The Chicken Whisperer has a blog about dealing with the myths of keeping chickens like them being noisy or smelly on his website. The loudest rooster I've ever heard couldn't hold a candle to an average yappy dog barking incessantly, and as far as odor goes . . . never had a Chicken sneak into my open car window and spray everything like the average Tomcat, just before it leaves paw prints all over the hood. If a chicken gets out of the yard, not much of a bite risk, and never had a pack of runaway chickens knock over every trash can in the neighborhood either.
Our outdoor birds produce pretty much "No" odor whatsoever, even within a few feet of the pen.

Also, as long as someone knows they'll keep the coop neat and tidy it doesn't hurt to give the landlord a promise that if he feels it isn't going well, you'll get rid of them. (Which he would likely do anyway if it became a problem, even if ya didn't make the promise.)

 

[the duck whisperer]

show him a friends flock maybe and he'll undertand there very enjoyable

 

[LadyinRed]

Are outdoor pets allowed on the lease agreement? What about livestock? If neither are mentioned I would say he should think about asking them to move when the contract is up. Elsewise he should learn to get over it. At least.. If I was the tenant.. Thats what I would do as long as chickens were not a violation of city law or the contract.

 

[dacjohns]

If I was a landlord and the property was in town I could understand not wanting my tenants to have chickens. I would might allow it but I would make the rules very strict. I can just picture unattactive coops and runs that would have to removed when the tenant leaves, yard to restore, feathers all over the place when the chickens molt, and more. Then what happens if the tenant leaves without restoring everything back to original. The security deposit would also be high. Many landlords do not allow pets and if they do they have a higher security deposit.

If the property was rural I would be a little more lenient.

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

I would suggest that the landlord write up a thorough yet flexible contract. Much like the typical "pet contract" wherein all coop designs must be met with approval by the landlord before being built or bought (for asthetics), whether or not to allow roosters should be addressed, a schedule of cleaning and maintenance to be adhered to, and a policy that any damage caused to the property by the birds in question (should they ever escape their enclosure) be paid for in full or repaired/replaced by the owner of the birds. Also, to cover his/her own behind, the landlord should probably request a fair deposit, much like the typical pet deposit to cover damages to the property in the event someone skips out without adhering to the contract. The contract should also state that if the provisions in the contract are not met once signed and agreed to, the landlord has the right to request removal of the birds and their structures or the tenants will face eviction.

Some may disagree with the above suggestions, but we have all heard about terrible tenants, and if I were a landlord, this is what I would do. I would allow chickens, but I would NOT allow the property that will be left behind when/if a tenant skips out to be destroyed by bad owners/renters. If someone makes a big mess out of a good gesture on the landlord's part, it will ruin it for anyone else who comes along later.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Depending on where and how the chickens are kept, they can wreak havoc and destruction on lawn and garden areas. Or not. If I had a tenant wanting ANY kind of pet, I would require a hefty deposit that could cover all perceivable damage costs.

Remember, just because zoning says it is legal does not mean that a tenant has a RIGHT to a pet. or livestock. The condition of the property and its suitability for the desired animal would be important to me as the property owner.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:

There is no way we would allow livestock on any of our rental properties. We have a hefty deposit for pets and limit the number of pets a tenant can have. Currently it is one dog or two cats, not both.

If the renters don't like it, they can look elsewhere.

Jim

 

[Dobela]

Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay :

Quote:

There is no way we would allow livestock on any of our rental properties. We have a hefty deposit for pets and limit the number of pets a tenant can have. Currently it is one dog or two cats, not both.

If the renters don't like it, they can look elsewhere.

Jim

My parents have several rental properties and the do not allow pets or animals. Period. Too many things can go wrong. My dad likes chickens, thinks it is great we will be having several, but doesn't want them on rental properties. On the rare occassions he allows animals, there is a hefty nonrefundable animal deposit and the monthly rent is $100 more than that of someone who does not own pets.

He might, and I say might, consider it if the tenent has been a long term renter that has proven they care for the property, pay on time, and are in general very responsible. But even with that he would require a new lease and extra fees.​

 

[Laigaie]

Okay. I've been trying to stay away from this thread, because it's all from a landlord perspective. We're renters, and we've been renters for years, at this house for three years this May. I've had landlords who were very strict about pet deposits, and I've had landlords who didn't care at all, and from what they've told me about their previous tenants, it makes not a bit of difference. What's more, at our current house, there is no pet deposit. None at all. Our landlords figured out that folks who didn't have pets weren't any less likely to trash the place. Maybe it's all because we live in a college town. Maybe it's because our landlords can't afford their mortgage, and we're the only reason they still own the house.

Anyway, my point is that I rent, and my landlords let us have whatever animals, so long as we clean up after them just like anyone else would clean up after their children. At current, we have three dogs, five cats, two guinea pigs, four mice, a turtle, a frog, and the chickies out back (there are four of us who live here). We're smack-dab in the middle of suburbia and follow all laws and regulations about animals and cleanliness. Our only problem has been from a pair of exceptionally nosey neighbors, who apparently like to call the police for reasons like "parked on the street", even though everyone parks on the street. Were I to talk to a landlord reluctant to let tenants keep chickens, I'd ask him if he allows babies. Or clumsy people. Or incontinent people. I'd ask him if he'd rent to individuals who were known to be members of a fraternity. And then I'd ask him why he thought the chicken-owners were going to damage his property, when he trusted the rest of these people. In the end, it's up to the landlord to make the determination, but chickens aren't likely to damage his property more than a dog who likes to dig for moles.