Unauthorized Pet in Rental
Your tenant got a pet even though the lease says no pets allowed.
Send a lease violation notice requiring pet removal or pet deposit/pet rent arrangement.
Start with the lease violation noticeThe order to do this in.
Skipping a step is what gets a case dismissed rather than merely delayed. Work down the list.
Verify lease terms
Confirm your lease explicitly prohibits pets or requires approval.
Document the pet
Photos, neighbor statements, any evidence of the unauthorized pet.
Send Lease Violation Notice
Cite the specific lease clause being violated.
Get the template for this stepOffer options (optional)
You may offer: pet deposit, pet rent, or pet removal by deadline.
Follow up on deadline
If pet remains, proceed with further action per your lease terms.
Three ways landlords lose this.
Self-help eviction
Changing the locks, cutting the utilities or removing belongings is illegal in every state, regardless of how far behind the rent is. It converts your strong case into their damages claim.
Assuming your state works like the last one you read about
Notice periods, deposit caps and required language differ by state and often by city. Verify against the jurisdiction the property sits in.
Waiting too long to get a lawyer
Once the tenant contests, raises habitability, or gets representation, the cost of an attorney is smaller than the cost of the month you are about to lose.
Forms you will need
Keep the paper trail from day one.
Every notice you generate is dated, complete and filed against the tenancy. If this ends up in front of a judge, the record is the case.