If you want to buy a pet in a rented apartment, you should ask the landlord beforehand. Can it also have an impact on the deposit?
If you want to buy a dog or cat in a rented apartment, you should ask the landlord beforehand. He may not simply refuse to purchase them for no reason. However, there could be motives that, from the landlord's point of view, speak against the attitude. Perhaps, for example, he attaches importance to the fact that the four-legged friend is not too big for the relatively small apartment, or does not want you to buy a pedigree dog, which typically barks extraordinarily much.
Many people want a dog or a cat – or maybe even both. (Symbolic image) © Jean-Michel Labat/Ardea/Imago
Can landlords ask for more security deposit because of a pet?
If the landlord agrees, nothing stands in the way of the purchase of a dog or cat. Does moving in with a pet warrant a higher deposit? Some tenants also ask themselves this question. Because puppies may hit the carpet if they are not yet housebroken. Or cats mayscratch the wallpaper. Nevertheless, as the German Press Agency (dpa) reports, the landlord may not demand more than three months' rent from his tenant as security. This is what the law provides. Accordingly, this maximum limit may not be exceeded in exceptional cases if landlords assume a higher risk of damage or wear and tear, for example due to animal husbandry in the apartment.
"If the sum exceeds the amount of three months' rent, the deposit agreement is invalid with regard to the excess part," says Jutta Hartmann of the German Tenants' Association, according to dpa. As a tenant, you can either reclaim the amount, as it is subsequently called, or you do not have to pay it at all.
You can find even more exciting animal topics in Landtiere.de's free newsletter, which you can subscribe to right here.
Without dog liability, it can be expensive
If cats cause damage, the normal personal liability insurance takes effect. The situation is different with dogs. The Rhineland-Palatinate Consumer Advice Centre generally advises dog owners to take out dog owner liability insurance. It is not expensive with a contribution of about 50 euros per year, according to the dpa report. In an emergency, however, it is all the more worthwhile. Property damage caused by the four-legged friend in a rented apartment should therefore be insured with up to 500,000 euros, puppies ideally for at least six months before they need their own policy.