How does having a pet affect a home's resale value? Dogs?

Question

I want to get a dog and my landlord is against it. I want to know if having a dog will affect the resale value of the apartment (high rise) and if so, by how much. I need some ammunition but also want the truth. I mean not including actual damage to the home of course but having a pet in general. Thanks.

Answer 1

I don't think it should affect the resale value at all. As long as the dog is obedient, and not a barker or do his duty in the apartment, no one would know you have one. But the dog has to be walked and trained.

And it also depends on where you live. People in apartments in NYC all have dogs and no one complains.

Landlords would rather have house cats than dogs, but I agree with you, dogs rule!

Answer 2

It doesn't take down the home value.  Your landlord is probably just concerned about a pet ruining carpets, digging up yard, etc.

Answer 3

Pets totally affect value.

They are tough on floors of any type.  They run and walk all the time, tearing up carpet, scratching wood, dulling the finish of tile.  If they are not properly house trained, they can pee on carpet and walls making the place stink forever.  That stuff never really comes out.  They make the carpet smell like them and that is tough to get out.

If they bark, it can annoy the neighbors and as the homeowner, I am sure the landlord would get complaints.

Also, it is tough to have a dog in an apartment.  You'd have to go outside early in the morning and late at night so the dog could go to the bathroom.  As a puppy, that will get really annoying.

And what happens to the dog during the day?  Apartments are boring for dogs.  It might eat up your shoes, furniture (I know a bored dog that ate a couch once... tore it in a million pieces).  

If the dog has separation anxiety it will whine and bark all day.

Just wait until you can rent a house.  Dogs need yards.

Answer 4

Having a dog is going to mean dog hair on the carpet. yes you can vacuum but dog hairs never come completely out -also odor-now by that i dont mean just if the dogs has an "accident" -but just pet odor in general.

Then of course there is the actual damage that owners worry about--which i know you are not talking about---but dogs can and do  do alot of damage sometimes-especially puppies.

Answer 5

Pet's do create damage, even my three cats do. But it's a fact of life for most people.  If your landlord is unwilling, maybe it's time to find new digs.  You might start by telling them that.  Good tenants are hard to come by.

Answer 6

Yhea im with kassie,

I  personally have a dog and live in an apartment,

Obviously the landlord charges extra rent (non refundable,about 100 dollars more a month) just for the remote possibility that my dog might  ruin the carpet or the place too much and when i move out they have to replace it.

So maybe your landlord is worried that your to be dog might ruin something in the apt that will be too much (money) to replace and he just doesnt want to go thru the trouble

to fix it later or simply he hates dogs and made that up.

other than that I can't find a reason why that would affect the home's resale value.

Answer 7

You mention 'home', then 'landlord', then 'apartment'.  Which is it?  Different dwelling have different rules and effects.  Are you  renting a high-rise apartment from the owner?

With pets, it mainly comes down to damage.  Having a pet p**s in the carpet goes right down to the floor - replacing carpets for pet owners will be essential.  Some pets chew and gnaw but usually to your furniture.  Pet hair can be a problem too - it gathers in the ducts and other filters around the house.  Bowls of food and water can attract unwanted visitors (mice, etc.)

Keeping a pet requires lots of maintenance and cleaning for your dwelling.

Answer 8

the dog barking would make the real estate less desirable.

Answer 9

I'm in escrow on a short sale condo for $202K and the unit next door (model match) just went on the market for the exact same price. So, my real estate agent and I visited it today to see what the other place looks like (if it's significantly better or worse for the same price).

The people have a bulldog and the first thing you experience when you walk in is the pungent smell of dog. It was almost sickening. The carpets are completely stained and worn. There's like a black sheen all over surfaces where the dog walks by, and probably all over the surface of the tile floor, too.

Because of the mess and the smell, we figured it would take about $5000 to clean the place, paint, and replace the carpeting to bring it up to the condition of the one we're buying (it's pristine and move-in ready). And, who knows if tht smell will ever go away? So, we feel good about our price and the purchase. But, the presence of that dog made that condo repulsive to be in.

If the people living there themselves weren't such pigs, maybe the dog wouldn't be either. But, in this case, having a dog in that condo definitely brought down the resale value.