Cats vs. Dogs: Which Causes the Most Property Damage

By Brittany Loeffler on April 3, 2018

It isn’t uncommon for students to own pets while attending college. This can cause a problem for landlords since tenants with pets can ultimately lead to property damage. Allowing pets is a difficult decision for property owners and landlords to make. Is it worth the trouble of fixing any property damage caused by pets? You don’t want to lose a great tenant just because you have a firm rule against pets.

We’re here to help you understand which pet, a cat or dog, will cause the most property damage so you can decide what is best for you and your rental property.

cats vs. dog, property damage

via Pixabay

Most Common Pets

It can be hard to find a good college student to rent your property, especially when a number of them own pets. The most common pets students own are cats and dogs. Owning a pet gives them a sense of independence and responsibility.

Though pets can be beneficial to the tenant, they may cause a headache for you as a landlord. When it comes to cats and dogs, you can expect the following types of property damage.

Dogs: A Man’s Best Friend

Dogs are the most loyal and happy pets you can ever own! However, they come with a great deal of responsibility and require a lot of attention. If this attention isn’t given, they could cause some major property damage.

Chewing

Depending on the age of the dog, your property could be victim to some chewing. Baseboards, doors, and kitchen cabinets can all fall victim to a dog’s chewing. Chewing is more likely to occur if your tenants don’t keep their dog in a crate while they are out of the house. Though it may not seem like such a big problem, the only way to fix something that has been chewed is to replace it.

Fur

As you know, animals shed. Fur can get absolutely everywhere. If your property has carpeting, a dog’s fur can really get stuck in the fibers. This can cause a problem if your next tenants are allergic to dogs.

Accidents

This type of property damage depends on the age of the dog and how responsible your tenants are. If they are home often and can let the dog out to do their business, then you won’t have to worry about accidents happening in the house.

If accidents happen often enough, the property could start to smell. Carpets also have the potential to be stained and completely ruined as well. If you decide to allow dogs, you’ll want to think about installing hardwood floors throughout the property.

Yard Damage

Dogs make all of your property their home. That includes any type of yard that your tenants have access to. Dogs who are reckless and untrained can tear up a yard by digging holes. This type of property damage is easy to fix, but it can be a hassle.

Biting

You may want to take a look at your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if it covers dog bites. Most policies do cover it, but it’s always good to make sure. You don’t want to owe thousands of dollars if someone is bitten by a dog on your property.

To keep yourself and your tenants safe, make it a requirement for your tenants to have renters insurance. This will also cover dog bites.

Smell

Have you ever walked into a friend or family member’s house on a rainy day and notice that their house smells like wet dog? That smell can linger for a few days. The same goes for tenants who have dogs. If the dog has accidents in the house or they allow their wet dog to lay down on the carpet, there can be a lingering dog smell after they move out.

Noise

Though this doesn’t necessarily count as property damage, allowing a noisy dog to live in your property can cause damage to your relationships with neighbors. You don’t want to be known as the landlord who leases their property to bad and annoying tenants.

Cats: Ms. Independent

Cats are known to be independent, quiet, and mostly keep to themselves. You may not realize just how much property damage they can cause when they live in your property.

Scratching

If your tenants don’t provide a proper scratching post for their cat, it can tear up any furniture you’ve provided or your carpet. This isn’t easy to fix!

Accidents

Typically, a cat uses a litter box. It’s clean and easy. There are some occurrences where cats will have accidents on the floor, though. If your tenant gets lazy and doesn’t clean the litter box or if the cat is sick, this can happen.

This can result in stained carpets and a lingering smell.

Smell

Cats typically don’t smell worse than dogs, but they do have a certain smell. Cat litter can leave a unique kind of smell in the room it’s kept. This smell can be hard to get rid of.

Fur

It’s hard to say which animal sheds more, cats or dogs. Ultimately, cats shed a ton! This cat hair can get stuck in carpeting for months or even years. This can cause a problem for future tenants who may be allergic to cats.

property damage, set limits and expectations, contract

via Pixabay

How to Prevent Property Damage

Cats and dogs may cause property damage, but there are some things you can do to prevent it from happening.

Ask for a Nonrefundable Deposit

It’s pretty common to ask for a pet deposit. You can choose if this deposit is refundable or not to the tenant. If there is any property damage done by the pet, you can use this money to repair it.

Set Limits

As a landlord, you can set limits as to what type of pets are allowed to live in your property. You can even limit it to the weight or type of breed a dog is. Just because you agree to allow pets doesn’t mean you can’t still have a say as to what kind of pet.

Set Expectations

Along with setting limits, you should also set expectations for your tenants. This can be requiring them to keep the dog in a crate when they are not there or vacuuming up pet hair once a week. It’s completely up to you and your tenant to agree upon.

Which Causes the Most Property Damage?

As you can see, dogs typically cause the most property damage. Though cats are still at fault for property damage, dogs bring the risk of biting someone, ruining your yard, causing too much noise, and chewing.

Don’t let this type of property damage intimidate you, though. There are ways to limit the damage by setting expectations and asking for a pet deposit.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Get Student Housing News Monthly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format