How to Deal with Unauthorized Occupants & Pets in Your Phoenix Rental

As the owner of single-family rental home in the Phoenix area, you will often find it difficult to gauge how well your residents are upholding each of the terms of their lease. You may have even carefully spelled out the terms in clear language in the lease but several aspects of lease enforcement can be more trouble than others. One of these is the issue of occupancy and pets. Upon, application for the home and lease signing, you probably asked your tenant to provide information about everyone who would be occupying the home, including minors and pets being brought into the home. By clarifying who will live in the home, you’ve taken steps to protect yourself and your investment.

Often times after your tenant moves in, however, you may find it can be difficult to determine whether the occupancy terms are being followed or you find an unauthorized pet.  Occupants of single-family rental homes often invite overnight guests or others to the home and they may bring a pet along with them. But problems can arise when those guests stay for an extended period, or when someone visits with such frequency (such as a babysitter or older adult children) that they appear to be living within the home well as well as their pet. In other cases, residents may be subletting rooms in the property without permission from the landlord.

While accusing your residents of violating lease terms may cause some friction at that moment often times the situation can quickly remedied by the new occupant completing an application so that a proper determination can be made about their occupancy or getting a completed pet addendum and deposit on file. If you suspect an occupancy or pet violation, gather as much information as you can and then take appropriate action with your tenant. If unauthorized people or pets are living in the home, this can put you at risk of increased liability for damages as you have no record of the unauthorized occupants past housing history and / or you may not have a signed pet addendum or deposit on file for damages caused by the unauthorized pet. Allowing unauthorized pets to remain on the property carries risks of increased wear and tear, as well as damage to the property.  

Hiring a reputable property management company such as RPM West Valley Phoenix to help solve this problem. As an experienced property manager RPM WV Phx can help you avoid the murky terrain of occupancy and pet violations in several ways. First, we will include appropriate language in the lease itself for both occupancy and pets. RPM WV Phoenix will properly screen potential renters, checking carefully for red flags and past violations. RPM WV Phoenix will perform property evaluations, gathering information that can identify any contract violations. Finally, we will help you resolve the issue in the event of a violation, giving you peace of mind about your valuable real estate investment.