Should You Allow Pets in Your Rental Property?

Saying "no pets" feels safe. It's also one of the most expensive decisions a Lubbock landlord can make, because it cuts out a huge slice of the qualified tenant pool before they ever see your listing.

The math on pet owners. Roughly two-thirds of U.S. households own a pet, and pet-friendly policies consistently rank near the top of renter must-haves alongside in-unit laundry and central AC. That matters in Lubbock, where Texas Tech graduates, young medical professionals, and growing families drive demand for single-family rentals. The financial case goes beyond filling the unit faster. Pet owners stay in their rentals longer than non-pet households — by some industry estimates up to 21 percent longer — which directly cuts your turnover costs: paint, cleaning, marketing, and the vacancy gap between leases.

The fear of damage is reasonable: scratched floors, chewed baseboards, urine in the carpet. But the actual data is calmer than the worst-case scenarios landlords picture. Industry research from the Humane Society and FIREPAW found that only about 9 percent of pets cause any damage, and average pet-related damage runs around $210 — below a standard security deposit. That doesn't mean zero risk. It means the risk is manageable with the right screening and the right paperwork.

How Texas pet deposits actually work. This is where a lot of Lubbock landlords get it wrong. Texas has no statute that caps pet deposits or pet rent, and both refundable deposits and non-refundable pet fees are allowed — but the lease has to spell out exactly which is which.

A few key points under Texas Property Code Chapter 92:

• A refundable pet deposit is treated like part of the security deposit and must be returned within 30 days of move-out, minus itemized deductions for actual pet damage.
• A non-refundable pet fee is legal only if the lease clearly labels it non-refundable and ties it to a specific purpose like cleaning. Lease clauses that just call a deposit "nonrefundable" without further detail can be challenged.
• Pet deposits in the Lubbock market usually land between $200 and $500 per pet.
• Monthly pet rent — $25 to $50 per pet is common — is separate from the deposit and doesn't count against it.

One critical exception: assistance animals are not pets. Under the federal Fair Housing Act, a landlord cannot charge additional rent, demand a pet deposit, or charge any fees for an assistance animal. Breed and weight restrictions also don't apply to service animals or emotional support animals. The tenant remains responsible for any damage the animal causes — they just can't be charged in advance.

Our recommendation. Allow pets, with a real pet addendum. Screen the animal the same way you screen the applicant: photos, vaccination records, spay/neuter status, weight, breed, and age. Set reasonable breed restrictions for liability (most landlord insurance policies in Texas exclude certain breeds — check your policy). Charge a non-refundable pet fee in the $200 per pet range and add modest monthly pet rent. Cap the number of pets at two.

Owners who blanket-ban pets in Lubbock are competing for a shrinking pool while their pet-friendly neighbors lease faster and keep tenants longer.

Every Meridian-managed property uses a written pet addendum that meets Texas Property Code requirements and separates non-refundable fees from pet rent in plain language. We screen every animal, document condition with move-in photos, and process assistance animal accommodation requests through a Fair Housing-compliant review. Owners stay in control of the pet policy on their property — we make sure the paperwork holds up if it has to.