Pet Addendum (VA)

Tenants often wish to have pets, and while you may want to accommodate this, it is important that you protect yourself and any other residents. A Pet Addendum allows a landlord to define, document, and change pet policies that apply to their tenants. A Pet Addendum helps to ensure all the details of your pet policy are clear and well documented.

You can use this addendum whether you are executing a new lease/starting a new tenancy, or where there is already a current lease/tenancy in place, but you need to add information on pets.

As a starting point, this legal document will define the amount, type and size of the pets the tenant is allowed to have. It also states in writing that the tenant will be responsible for the pet(s), requiring that they keep the pet(s) under control, that they do not make an excessive disturbance on the property, and that the pet owner is responsible for any property damage caused by their pet(s). If permitted in your state, you can also set a fee and/or deposit that the tenant must pay.

While this Pet Addendum addresses requirements for service and emotional support animals, we suggest if you want to impose any restrictions on those types of pets, you should review the special protections those pets are entitled to under the law.