If I rent a house to some one that owns pit bulls, will I be liable for?

Question

any injuries or problems the dogs pay impose, in other words could I be sued for any doggie problems???

Answer 1

Only your lawyer can answer that. In some states these pets have been outlawed so I would check first. your back yard would probably have to be extremely secure. Anyone can sue you antime for anything even if it is not your fault. As the house owner you would be seen as the one with the deep pockets.

Answer 2

I, personally, would not take that chance. You do not have any idea how well trained these dogs are. How many do they have? They could be holding fights in the back yard or in the basement.They could also destroy your house. How do know if these dogs are housebroke? How do you know they don't bark and chew up doors, etc. when the people are away or at work?

People can tell you anything about their dogs or kids and you don't discover the truth until AFTER they move in and then it is too late. Then you have to try and evict them. Your house could be destroyed by these people and their dogs.

Then you might have complaints from the existing neighbors. Not only because they have Pit Bulls, but if they leave them outside and the dogs bark. Or they don't scoop the poop on a daily basis and it smells. OH, the joys of tenants.......................................

IF the dogs get in trouble, there is NO doubt you will be involved in the battles. YOU own the house and you rented to them. Someone will pay.

NO, I wouldn't rent to them for any amount of rent or promises. Were you able to contact and believe the landlord where they currently live? Or are they staying with a family member?

Run and hide real quick........................

Answer 3

In the rental agreement there should be a waiver stating that the dog owners assume full responsibility for any damage done to people or property outside the rental boundary. Therefore you will be covered if they sign this page. Also i have to let you know that you have full rights to ask the prospective tennant for a written reference for the dog from the previous estate agent and or previous neighbours. That way you can find out if the dogs have been a problem before. And you can refuse them tennantship on those grounds, legally. Mind you this is only good if they and you havent signed the lease yet.
Before i bought my current house, i moved rentals quite a few times, and everytime i left a place i asked for a reference for the dogs, to prove they wouldnt be potentially destructive to a rental house or yard. Ask for that reference.

Answer 4

Some cities anymore don't even allow pit bulls. And if dogs need to be registered, make sure these are. They're not your dogs, but if the dog owners don't have any money the people doing the lawsuit might come after you. It's your house, if you have a problem with the dogs don't rent to them.

Answer 5

On the legal side, I would consult a lawyer and your insurance agent.

On the practical side, as someone else pointed out, you should be more concerned with the people than the dogs as the dogs cannot help if they are tied out all day or night or they are never looked after, that sort of thing. All three of my dogs have passed the AKC's Canine Good Citizen certification (it's a temperament test/very basic obedience test that I believe every dog owner should have their dogs pass), so you might if they have that as that'd be a good sign. You might also want to discuss with them their responsibilities as far as cleaning up after their dogs, what to do about excess barking and that sort of thing, make sure they are all licensed, microchipped, and spayed/neutered. Thanks for considering it at least!

Answer 6

I would check out the dog laws in your state or call the courthouse. I'm sure they could help you out with that.
I wouldn't worry about the dogs so much as I would worry about the people you're renting to. Do a really good police background check on these people. Find out if they have had any drug convictions, domestic violence issues, animal violence. If they have any signs of fighting dogs. Do they tie the dogs up outside and leave them there? If they have kids, do they know to never leave their children alone with the dog? (It's not a good idea to leave a kid alone with any breed of dog) Does your yard have proper fencing? High fencing with no holes to get out anywhere? Ask them if they had any training for the dogs and what kind of training it was. Make sure it wasn't training for a "guard dog" but more of possitive reinforcement and lots of socialization. Ask how they correct the dog. If they hit them, I would decline. Ask if they have been fixed. (Fixed dogs are less likely to want to get out and wander around. Also less likely to get in a fight with another dog or get snippy with people. Also, it would make me nervous if they weren't fixed that they might be "Backyard Breeders) Get personal references. Ask the current landlord if there were any problems. If they didn't rent, see if you can talk to old neighbors and see how the people were with the dogs. Most important, if you get any bad vibes from these people, do not rent. If you get good vibes from them and good signs after the background check, you'll be fine. It really is the people, not the dog. You could rent to someone with a Golden who could attack someone. (My friend is an EMT and had a call where a little child's face was ripped up from one). It's very very important to find out how responsible your tenents are.

Answer 7

I think there was one case where an owner was liable, but I think she knew they were dangerous animals. I haven't heard of anyone winning a suit where someone merely rented a house to someone who said they had a pit bull--that isn't negligent at all. Pit bulls aren't even the #1 killer breed (german shepherds are), and most pit bulls are very nice dogs. Of course, anyone can sue you for anything--they just won't win.

Answer 8

as a pitbull owner my self {mine are so lovable} i can understand where u are coming from so just ask the owners is there dogs a threat to any one and if so ask them to put signs up on gates and fence to say there are dangerous dogs that live there and no u will not be liable only the dog owners are

Answer 9

no definitely not You are just renting to the people that have the dog Take pictures of the place before and after put it in the rental agreement that they are responsible for repairs The law will be on you side Personally I wouldn't rent to a people that had animals because they don't take care of the house it doesn't belong to them they don't care

Answer 10

A similar situation happened around here and yes, the owner of the house was held liable. Be careful, and do as others suggested and talk to your lawyer.