What should you look for in a dog? The dog should be house trained, and not a puppy. Puppies chew stuff. The better the renter, the better the dog will behave. Meet with them and see if the dog will heel, off leash. Check for the standard obedience commands. Come, sit, stay, heel, etc. They are easy commands to teach, but deadbeats don’t teach their dogs anything. If the dog is not disciplined, skip it. Above all, responsible tenants have responsible pets. Look to the owner’s background, and you can see the pets background.
If you do take the dog, I would charge a larger deposit. People with dogs are used to it. In my units, I charge $25 more per month in pet rent (not a non-refundable pet deposit which by law, must be returned). Some places I have seen charge both. Odds are, the dog will cause less damage than a 3 year old boy.
I have had potential tenants that had a 200 lb bull mastiff. They even had pictures of their 2 year old kid riding on it’s back to prove that it was a gentle dog. I have no doubt that it was a nice dog, but what will most of my other tenants in the multifamily building think? Will some be afraid of such a large dog and move out? Or step in a pile that was not picked up? Will the large dog bring in muddy feet and ruin the carpets?
All dogs are a problem, but they are generally a manageable problem, especially if you get $25 extra per month. The larger the dog the more messy they are. But it could keep your tenant in the rental longer, they are not going to leave their best friend behind.
Check with your insurance agent, “No Akita, Chow, Pit-bull, Rottweiler, or any cross bread with wolf” is common.
What kind of dog do you own? Are you a renter or a homeowner? If you are a landlord, do you take pets? What are your pet restrictions?