Is it Discriminatory to Reject a Tenant with a Pit Bull?

By E-Renter Tenant Screening
Posted on December 14, 2009 under Landlord Tips | Be the First to Comment

If you’re a rental property owner or manager who allows your tenants to keep pets you’ve probably been asked if Pit Bulls are allowed. Pit Bulls and other “aggressive” or “dangerous” dog breeds are commonly banned from rental properties. Is this discriminatory?

While it’s probably not a good idea to argue with fans of a particular breed about its merits (or lack thereof), landlords must deal in facts, not opinions.

Fact: all dogs have the capacity to bite and under the right conditions, will do so;

Fact: all dog breeds have their share of gentle and aggressive individuals;

Fact: Pit bulls Dobermans, and Rottweilers are banned from public housing in New York City, as are dogs over 25 pounds;

Fact: Denver, CO banned Pit Bulls in 1989, and again in 2004 after a state law prohibited singling out certain breeds; Kansas City and Miami followed suit

Fact: England bans the breeding of Pit Bulls and three other breeds, and requires owners to muzzle and leash them in public;

Fact: dozens of Insurance companies will not write a homeowner’s policy if certain breeds are on the property;

Fact: dog bites send nearly 368,000 people to hospital emergency rooms every year;

Fact: In 2007, there were 33 fatal dog maulings in the US—nearly double the average of 17 for the 1980s and 1990s;

Fact: According to a study by Merritt Clifton, Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canrios (member of the Mastiff group) and mixes of these breeds were responsible for 74% of dog attacks in the US and Canada from September 1982 to November 2006;

Fact: Dog attacks cause over $1 billion in losses for victims in the US every year.

It seems that owning pets is more popular than ever before—and in a tight rental market like the one we’re in currently, not allowing pets can be a disadvantage. However, allowing potentially dangerous pets is a risk to rental property owners. If you do allow dogs, check your coverage with your insurance agent—you may not have a choice other than banning certain breeds on your property.

Whether a landlord allows pets or not—and Pit Bulls or not—is up to each individual. Knowing the facts can help make that decision easier.

If you’re a rental property owner or manager who allows your tenants to keep pets you’ve probably been asked if Pit Bulls are allowed. Pit Bulls and other “aggressive” or “dangerous” dog breeds are commonly banned from rental properties. Is this discriminatory?

While it’s probably not a good idea to argue with fans of a particular breed about its merits (or lack thereof), landlords must deal in facts, not opinions.

Fact: all dogs have the capacity to bite and under the right conditions, will do so;
Fact: all dog breeds have their share of gentle and aggressive individuals;
Fact: Pit Bulls, Dobermans, and Rottweilers are banned from public housing in New York City, as are dogs over 25 pounds;
Fact: Denver, CO banned Pit Bulls in 1989, and again in 2004 after a state law prohibited singling out certain breeds; Kansas City and Miami followed suit
Fact: England bans the breeding of Pit Bulls and three other breeds, and requires owners to muzzle and leash them in public;
Fact: dozens of insurance companies will not write a homeowner’s policy if certain breeds are on the property;
Fact: dog bites send nearly 368,000 people to hospital emergency rooms every year;
Fact: in 2007, there were 33 fatal dog maulings in the US—nearly double the average of 17 for the 1980s and 1990s;
Fact: according to a study by Merritt Clifton, Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canrios (member of the Mastiff group) and mixes of these breeds were responsible for 74% of dog attacks in the US and Canada from September 1982 to November 2006;
Fact: dog attacks cause over $1 billion in losses for victims in the US every year.

It seems that owning pets is more popular than ever before—and in a tight rental market like the one we’re in currently, not allowing pets can be a disadvantage. However, allowing potentially dangerous pets is a risk to rental property owners. If you do allow dogs, check your coverage with your insurance agent—you may not have a choice other than banning certain breeds on your property.

Whether a landlord allows pets or not—is up to each individual. Knowing the facts can help make that decision easier.