Many apartments in my area now have a monthly pet fee.

[raccoon]

Oh, and that’s in ADDITION to the pet fee you paid when you moved in.

I’m lucky; my rent (and monthly pet fee) are both low.
Some places the pet fee is $35 a month.

What’s your experience, fellow DUers?

[cinematicdiversions]

1. I lived in an apartment that had a mandatory Garbage valet service.

Basically, an excuse to soak you for $25 a month since working people could never put their garbage out during the required times and if you put it out outside of those times you were fined.

[SheltieLover]

2. Hellhole red TN very expensive

Up to $1,500 per pet fees, with restrictions, of course, & monthly rent up to $35/month.

Because they can.

[crimsonandclover]

3. I have a dog and 2 cats. Got them after I moved in. Never paid a deposit even thougn they have one

They have never said a word about it. It's a very pet friendly complex. We even have a dog park.

[Jilly_in_VA]

4. When I lived in Richmond

it was $20/month per cat tacked onto my rent, which was already $900/month. Gas and water were free but I had to pay electric, which was sky high in the summer due to a/c being absolutely necessary. Gas heat in winter though, and gas for cooking. The cat fee seemed like nothing but that was why I only had one cat. That was in 2008 though.

[Arazi]

5. Friend in SoCal pays $150/month/pet (has 2 so pays an extra $300/month)

[Shermann]

6. I paid a deposit, but never a monthly fee

I'd ask: what you are getting in return for the monthly fee? The deposit covers possible damages.

[PoliticAverse]

7. Have you seen how much damage a raccoon can do!? n/t

[raccoon]

8. Lots! Lol

[NurseJackie]

9. Or a cat.

Some friends of mine rented their house to a cat-owner. The stench of cat-piss sprayed on the walls and over the edge of the litter box required some major repair. The carpet would have needed to be replaced anyway, probably... but the pee had soaked through the carpet, the padding and into the wood beneath. It smelled like a poorly maintained kennel... and cigarette smoke.

They sold the house and never rented anything ever again. I doubt that a monthly cat-fee would have covered the cost of repairs.

[Demovictory9]

10. when renting..paid about $35 per cat, plus $500 deposit for pets for years... maybe a decade or more

the monthly rent was a total rip off... cat wasn't using the pool or amenities.

[Hekate]

11. Some people are really bad about their adored fur-babies & blind to the damage they cause...

Sadly, you don’t know until they leave.

A couple of examples: A friend walked into an apartment for rent & fleas jumped all over her legs.

Another case, worse, — a house where the cat(s) had been confined to the upstairs. The new owners threw out the carpets & the smell remained in the wooden floor. They scrubbed. I think they finally refinished the wood. No luck: the smell was reduced but never gone.

Worst, the ones who were military & left the cat or dog behind in the apartment when they got reposted.

When I was young and renting I used to think the landlords were just being mean to disallow pets. Pets are really good for the soul, after all. But 50 years down the road I have to admit they had a point.

[csziggy]

12. Never lived in anywhere that fancy

The cheapest place I live had rent of $75 a month for a one bedroom converted garage. They didn't care what you did with the place. It had been painted school bus yellow with a touch of mustard and the bedroom was a magenta purple mix - including the ceilings. I bought the cheapest 5 gallon bucket of white paint and painted everything white. The landlord was delighted. No deposit pets were fine for no extra money.

The most expensive place I ever rented was $175 a month - three bedroom, one bath. One month damage deposit. Yard was a mess. This was after I got married and my husband and some friends cleaned up the yard. The landlady complained because we hauled off some chunks of concrete we thought were garbage. She never thanked us for cleaning up the place and keeping the yard mowed - which the previous tenant never did once. We let her keep the deposit just so she wouldn't keep hassling us. We had cats there, too - no pet deposit or fee.

But I haven't rented for over forty years. I guess the rules have changed.

[catbyte]

13. I had pay an extra $200 deposit. I pay $25 extra a month per cat so I pay $75 extra.

I moved in here 5 years ago and they haven't increased it so I suppose that's something.

[SMC22307]

14. In the DC area that's pretty standard and has been since at least...

the '80s. I've owned since 1992 and have no idea what fees are up to now, but I imagine they're QUITE steep.