Legal Q&A: OK to allow pets in some units but not others?

September 17, 2015

Question: We allow pets on our property but only in certain units. Sometimes there are no pet units available. Is this policy legal?

Ted Kimball
Kimball, Tirey & St. John LLP

Answer: It is in the landlord’s discretion to allow or not allow pets or to allow them only in certain units. Just make sure your policy does not apply to assistive animals which are not considered pets.

Question: A tenant’s child broke a glass shower door. Can I charge the tenant for the repair of the door?

Answer: The tenant is liable for any damage done by its invitees, guests or other occupants of the premises. The tenant should have to pay for the repair of the door.

Question: After a tenant moves out and gives their change of address to the post office, how long are the landlords responsible for any correspondence that may still arrive at their former address?

Answer: You should let the post office do their job and if the forwarding address has expired, give it back to the post office and indicate that the person no longer resides at the mailing address. We do not recommend you help accommodate your former tenant by playing “post office.”

Kimball, Tirey & St. John LLP is a full service real estate law firm representing residential and commercial property owners and managers. This article is for general information purposes only. Laws may have changed since this article was published. Before acting, be sure to receive legal advice from our office. If you have questions, please contact your local KTS office. For contact information, please visit our website: www.kts-law.com. For past Legal Alerts, Questions & Answers, and Legal Articles, please consult the resource library section of our website.

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