Tampa is an excellent place for property investment, with many potential tenants and a great real estate market. Being a landlord in this area isn't always plain sailing, though.
You'll encounter many additional responsibilities and challenges along the way. One of these is what to do when you receive a tenant application from someone who has a service or support animal.
Different rules apply to service animals, support animals, and pets. You don't always have the final say about whether you can allow them into your investment property.
Read our landlord guide to animals in rental housing for clarity on the matter.
What Are Assistance Animals?
Service animals and emotional support animals are both classified as assistance animals. These creatures perform a range of different tasks for their owners.
Service animals are always trained to perform specific tasks. They usually assist people with physical disabilities.
Seeing-eye dogs are the best-known examples of these animals, but they can also perform other tasks, like:
- Helping deaf people recognize sounds
- Assisting wheelchair-bound people to reach things
- Fetching help in the case of a seizure or fit
Service animals have widespread privileges, as outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Landlords cannot discriminate against people who need service animals. You must waive your no-pet policy and pet deposit for people with service animals.
A property manager can help you with property inspections to help protect your property from any resulting damages.
What's the Difference Between Support Animals and Pets?
The benefits of owning a pet are widely documented and accepted. These furry family members help reduce stress, improve heart health, and assist children with social skills.
These benefits are related more to human responses to pets than they are to the animal's actions.
Support animals perform more specific functions. While many of them are highly trained, they don't perform physical tasks, so they aren't the same as service animals.
Emotional support animals assist people with mental and psychological difficulties. They do this by offering comfort and support in stressful situations.
The biggest difference when comparing service animals vs. pets is that the former is vital for their owner's daily functioning. Pets are simply nice to have around.
Emotional support animals' rights aren't as extensive as those of service animals. Yet, you must make the same accommodations for them in your rental unit.
It's up to you to decide if you want to allow pets in your rental unit.
Make the Best Decisions for Your Tampa Properties
Regardless of their pet policies, landlords must make accommodations for service and support animals. A property manager can guide you through these intricacies.
PMI Tampa Bay is your first choice when you need help managing your investment properties. We are backed by a franchise with two decades of experience, and our team is well-versed in all current Tampa Bay renting laws.
Our bouquet of services includes everything you need to succeed as a landlord. We can offer you expert guidance about accommodating support animals and pets when you most need it.
Find simple solutions to your property management challenges today.
