September 2014
So it had been a quiet year - no real drama but when it rains it pours.
In May we got news that the girls in 102 were moving out. Good news. Why, you ask? Well they have a dog. "Really," you say, "Haven't you learned your lesson about allowing dogs?"
It's not my fault. :) The tenant said that the dog was an assistance dog she needed because of her military disability and at the time I didn't want to confront her about ADA* rules on assistance dog, so I let it slide.
When they said they'd found a house with a yard for the dog I rejoiced. Oh, and by the way... oops... the dog had torn a small hole in the carpet in the bedroom. Of course he did! When we inspected the apartment after they moved out we discovered this was no small hole, and no small patch required. It was a bonafide HOLE in the carpet about the size of a 9" x 13" cake pan. And the dog had scratched through the carpet and through the padding all the way to the subfloor.
After they moved out they started asking when they would get their deposit back. Our answer? "What deposit?" The hole was in the middle of the room, not in the corner, so a patch would look horrible. We did concede a bit, and only made them pay for the carpet - not installation.
In case you care, the ADA says that landlord must allow dogs that assist in someone with basic life functions. For example, they open doors, guide the blind, perform CPR, etc. The law does not provide any protection for companion dogs (e.g., companionship for anxiety). The landlord has the right to require documentation to prove the animal meets these qualifications.
Stay tuned... there's a whole new story coming on 104!
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