Property Management Blog

At Keystone Realty & Management, we strive to help ensure mutual accountability and responsibility for the benefit of our Home Owners and Tenants. It’s imperative that ALL of our tenants fully understand and acknowledge our animal-related policies. We require EVERYONE to complete a third-party screening and review process in regards to animals. There are three categories for this screening; tenants that have pets, tenants that do not have pets, and tenants that require an assistance animal. This quick and easy process ensures we have your animal-related policy acknowledgments, animal history and records, and legal verification of truthfulness and accuracy on file. For Tenants with Pets, the Pet Deposit is $250 for each pet and is NON-REFUNDABLE. Additionally you will be required to pay a monthly pet rent in the amount of $45 per pet. 

• No Pets or Animals
  • This is a required application process for anyone that does NOT own a pet or animal. There is no cost ($) to you for completing the application process
• Household Pets
  • This is a required application process for anyone that owns a household pet. This includes any animal, whether mammal, reptile, bird, fish, rodent, or insect to include animals contained in tanks (because of the contained water).
• Assistance Animals
  • This is a required review process for anyone with a non-obvious disability and disability-related need for an assistance animal. This process provides a HIPAA compliant and secure way of submitting a reasonable accommodation request for an assistance animal (service animals, emotional support animals, companion animals, etc.). The application will be reviewed by a third-party legal review team to ensure the accommodation request meets HUD’s Fair Housing Act guidelines. There is no cost ($0) to you to submit an accommodation request. Please make sure you are aware of your State’s laws, if any, for submitting a fraudulent accommodation request

Keystone Realty & Management Animal Screening Process and Policy

At Keystone Realty & Management, we strive to help ensure mutual accountability and responsibility for the benefit of our Home Owners and Tenants. It’s imperative that ALL of our tenants fully understand and acknowledge our animal-related policies. We require EVERYONE to complete a third-party screening and review process. There are three categories for this screening; tenants that have pets, tenants that do not own an animal, and tenants that require an assistance animal. This quick and easy process ensures we have your animal-related policy acknowledgments, animal history and records, and legal attestation of truthfulness and accuracy on file. 

For Tenants with Pets, the Pet Deposit is $250 per pet and is NON-REFUNDABLE.  Additionally you will be required to pay a monthly pet rent in the amount of $45 per pet. This fee will be determined once the Animal Screening/Verification is completed, there is no fees for legitimate Assistance Animals. 

Unless the parties agree otherwise in writing, Tenant may not permit, even temporarily, any animal on the Property (including but not limited to any mammal, reptile, bird, fish, rodent, or insect. This will include farm animals/livestock on properties that allow them). Tenant will protect, defend, indemnify, and hold Landlord, Landlord's property manager, and Landlord's agents harmless from any damages, costs, attorney's fees, and expenses that are caused by the act of any animal or Tenant

Violation of the animal policy may result in the following:

• Default/termination of lease agreement and/or eviction
• Removal of animal (to local authorities with notice to tenant)
• Additional fees charged to the tenant. Possible charges include: 
  • •Fees/Additional rent in the amount of $500 and $10 per day thereafter per animal for each day tenant violates the animal restrictions
  • •Cost to remove unauthorized animal
  • •Pest control costs as a result of unauthorized animal
  • •Cleaning/Deodorizing charges or unauthorized animal
  • •Costs for damages as a result of the unauthorized animal

Tenants Responsibilities:

• Take all reasonable action to ensure that any animal does not violate the rights of other persons
• Comply with all applicable statutes, ordinances, restrictions, owners' association rules, and other enforceable regulations regarding any animal
• Keep the rabies shots of any animal current
• Confine any animal that is a dog or cat, when outside, by fences or on short leashes under Tenant's control
• Confine any animal other than a dog or cat in appropriate cages at all times
• Promptly remove any animal waste from the property, including all living areas, garages, storage areas, yards, porches, patios, courtyards, and decks 
• Promptly remove from the Property any offspring of any animal
• Tenant agrees to abide by all state and local laws in regards to animals as well as requirements to immunize the animal(s) in accordance with local laws and requirements
• Noise (ie. Barking) will not be tolerated in that it is considered to be a nuisance to other tenants
• Tenant must remove or confine any animal at any time that the animal is likely to limit or prohibit Landlord or other persons access to Property as permitted by the lease
• Liabilities - Tenant is responsible and liable for the following:
  • •any damage to the Property caused by the animal
  • •any personal injuries to any person caused by the animal
  • •any damage to any person's property caused by the animal
• Property Upkeep and Move Out:
  • •Tenant will be responsible to have carpets professionally cleaned and deodorized and a receipt must be provided at the time of move out
  • •Tenant will be responsible to have the property treated for fleas and a receipt for treatment must be provided at the time of move out, or turned in to the office prior to the move out inspection

If Tenant breaches any provision in this animal agreement, Landlord may exercise any or all of the remedies described under the lease agreement in regards to termination/default.

PROHIBITED BREEDS: Akita, Alaskan Malamute, American Bandogge, American Bully, American Eskimo Dog, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Wolf Dog, Bandog, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, Chow Chow, Dalmatian, Doberman Pinscher, Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux, Fila Brasileiro, German Shepherd Dog, Giant Schnauzer, Gull Dong, Husky, Malamute, Mastiff, Miniature Bull Terrier, Neapolitan Mastiff, Pit Bull, Presa Canario, Rottweiler, Siberian Husky, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Tibetan Mastiff, Tosa Inu, Wolf Dog Mix, and any mixed breed including one of the above.