Pet Policy for Your New Orleans Rental: Should You Allow Pets?

A pet policy is one of the more consequential decisions a rental owner makes, and most give it far less thought than it deserves. Allowing pets can widen your tenant pool, reduce vacancy, and support a higher rent. Done carelessly, it can also leave you with a chewed-up, scratched-up, odor-soaked unit. After 40 years, my answer is that pets are usually worth allowing — if you set the policy up right.

Why a Smart Pet Policy Usually Pays Off

A large share of renters have a pet, and many of them are stable, responsible, long-term tenants who struggle to find a place that will take them. A sensible pet policy opens your unit to that pool, which means less time sitting empty and often a tenant who stays longer because moving with an animal is a hassle they would rather avoid. In a competitive rental market, “no pets” can quietly cost you more in vacancy than the occasional pet ever costs in wear.

What a Good Pet Policy Includes

Allowing pets does not mean allowing anything. A clear written policy protects the property:

  • A pet deposit and, where appropriate, monthly pet rent — both allowed for actual pets under a normal lease
  • Reasonable limits on the number and size of animals for the space
  • Written expectations for cleanup, noise, and damage responsibility
  • The pet identified in the lease, so there are no surprises later
  • Tenant liability for any damage the animal causes beyond normal wear

In a competitive market, a blanket “no pets” rule can cost you more in vacancy than pets ever cost in wear. The answer is a smart policy, not a closed door.

The One Distinction You Must Get Right

Here is where owners get into legal trouble: a pet policy does not apply to assistance animals. Service animals and emotional support animals are treated under fair housing law as a reasonable accommodation, not as pets, which means you generally must accommodate them even in a no-pets building, and you cannot charge a pet deposit or pet rent for them. Confusing the two — applying your pet rules to an assistance animal — is a fast way into a fair housing complaint. I covered the details in the guide to service and emotional support animals, and it is worth reading before you draft anything.

Screen the Owner, Then the Pet

A responsible tenant usually has a responsible pet, and a careless one usually does not. That is why the pet conversation belongs inside your broader tenant screening process, not bolted on after. Set the policy, get it in the lease, collect the deposit, and hold the tenant accountable — that is how you get the upside of pet-friendly renting without the horror stories.

For the line between pets and assistance animals, HUD’s assistance animal guidance is the authority. If you want help building a pet policy that protects your New Orleans property, call David directly at 504-232-1672.

David Coxe is a licensed Louisiana real estate broker and the owner of Coxe Property Management and Leasing. He has managed residential property in New Orleans and Metairie for over 40 years. Call him directly at 504-232-1672.