Pet addendum template for a lease

The most common reason a pet addendum is needed is a tenant who wants to get a pet halfway through a tenancy. The lease already exists and does not need to be rewritten: the addendum amends it for this one point, both parties sign, and the original lease continues for everything else.

A tenant who simply brings a pet home under a no-pets lease is usually in breach, and the landlord can require them to remove it or to sign an addendum. Agreeing the terms in writing first avoids that conversation, and gives the landlord a deposit or pet rent to cover the extra wear.

A refundable pet deposit is returned at the end of the tenancy if there is no pet damage, and is held like the security deposit. A non-refundable pet fee is a one-off charge. Pet rent is a monthly amount added to the rent. Many jurisdictions cap the total deposit a landlord may hold, and some restrict non-refundable fees, so check the rules where the property is before choosing.

Assistance animals are different. In the US, service animals and emotional support animals are generally not treated as pets under fair housing rules, and landlords usually cannot charge pet deposits or pet rent for them. Elsewhere, similar disability protections apply. Do not use a pet addendum to impose pet charges on an assistance animal. This is general information, not legal advice.

An addendum only helps if it can be found when it matters, usually at move-out. Store it with the lease, against the tenant and the property. In The Property Tool the signed addendum sits on the lease record, and it can be sent for signature online with e-signatures instead of being printed and scanned.

For the full background, including what else a pet clause can cover and how other landlords handle it, see our guide to pet addendums. If you also use a house rules addendum, the rules addendum guide covers that document.