In the Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach area of Florida, it is very common for a pet deposit to be charged when renting.
It is very common in rental buildings and property owners to ask the tenant for a security deposit for their pet. That deposit has to be very clear if it is a deposit that is returned in case there is no damage and if it is a deposit that the owner keeps with no possibility of a claim. We suggest being very clear when informing new tenants how much is requested of deposit and if it is refundable or not.
Before putting it on the market it must be very clear if the property, the owner allows the tenant to bring his pet. Condos in their rules are very strict when informing new tenants what are the policies if they allow pets, what is the maximum number of pets allowed, what is the maximum weight of the pet or what type of pets are allowed and which are not.
Pet deposits are designed to protect common areas of the building such as hallways, elevators, lobby, etc. or to the owner, in the event that a pet causes serious damage to a rental unit.
When deciding what is the amount that the tenant will be asked for a security deposit for their pet, keep in mind that if one asked for a deposit of $ 500 dollars and the dog damaged an entire carpet of a house because it urinated everywhere and it has to be replaced and costs $ 1,500 dollars, the other additional security deposit that was requested at the beginning of the lease could be used to cover that expense.
Small Claims Court is there to resolve cases involving $ 5,000 or less without requiring people to have an attorney. However, anyone has the right to bring an attorney if they so choose.