Pet addendum template
A pet addendum is a short add-on to a lease that says which animal the tenant may keep and on what terms. It names the pet, sets any deposit, fee or pet rent, lays down the rules about leashes, waste and noise, and makes the tenant responsible for damage. Attach it to a new lease, or send it on its own when a current tenant asks to get a dog.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Tenant
- Landlord
Pet Addendum to Lease
This Pet Addendum (the "Addendum") is made on Addendum date and forms part of the lease dated Lease date between Landlord name (the "Landlord") and Tenant name (the "Tenant") for the home at Property address (the "Lease"). If this Addendum and the Lease conflict about pets, this Addendum controls.
1. The approved pet
The Landlord allows the Tenant to keep only the pet described below. Any other animal, including a replacement for this one, needs the Landlord's written approval first.
- Name: Pet name
- Type and breed: Pet type and breed
- Age and approximate adult weight: Pet age and weight
- Color and markings: Pet color and markings
- License or microchip number, if any: License or microchip number
2. Health and licensing
The Tenant will keep the pet licensed and vaccinated as local law requires and will show proof on request. Dogs and cats will be spayed or neutered unless the Landlord agrees otherwise here: Spay or neuter exception. The Tenant will treat the pet for fleas and ticks as needed to keep the home free of them.
3. Deposit, fee and pet rent
- Refundable pet deposit: Pet deposit. It is held and returned with the security deposit under the Lease, less lawful deductions for pet damage, and is not a cap on what the Tenant owes for that damage.
- One-time pet fee: Pet fee, where the law allows a non-refundable fee.
- Monthly pet rent: Monthly pet rent, due with the rent each month.
The total of all deposits held under the Lease will not exceed any limit set by state or local law.
4. Rules for the pet
- Outside the home, the pet is on a leash or in a carrier and under the Tenant's control at all times.
- The Tenant picks up and disposes of pet waste right away, from the yard, walkways and common areas, and keeps litter boxes clean.
- The pet is never left tied up outside, or left alone in the home for so long that it is distressed or disturbs neighbors.
- Repeated barking, howling or other noise that disturbs neighbors is a breach of this Addendum.
- The pet is not allowed in these areas: Pet-free areas.
- Other rules: Other pet rules
5. Damage and injuries
The Tenant is responsible for all damage the pet causes to the home, its fixtures and common areas, including chewing, scratching, stains, odors and flea treatment, beyond normal wear and tear. The Tenant is also responsible for any injury or damage the pet causes to other people or their property, and will carry renter's insurance with liability coverage of at least Minimum liability coverage while the pet lives in the home, if the Landlord requires it.
6. Emergency caretaker
If the Tenant is unreachable in an emergency, the Landlord may contact this person to care for the pet: Emergency caretaker name, phone Emergency caretaker phone. If the pet is left alone and no one can be reached, the Landlord may arrange care at the Tenant's cost, as the law allows.
7. Breaking the rules
If the Tenant breaks this Addendum, the Landlord will give written notice and, where the problem can be fixed, a reasonable time to fix it. If the problem continues, or if the pet seriously threatens anyone's safety, the Landlord may withdraw permission for the pet, and the Tenant will remove it within Days to remove pet days, or take any other step the Lease and the law allow.
8. Assistance animals
This Addendum applies to pets. Service animals and other assistance animals for a person with a disability are not pets; a request for one is handled as a reasonable accommodation, and no pet deposit, pet fee or pet rent is charged for them. The Tenant remains responsible for any damage an assistance animal causes.
9. General
Except as stated here, the Lease is unchanged. This Addendum is governed by the laws of the state of State. Electronic signatures count as original signatures.
I have read the pet rules in section 4 and accept responsibility for my pet under section 5.
Tenant
Landlord
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
Why a separate addendum
Most lease forms either ban pets or say "pets with permission" and leave it there. An addendum turns that permission into terms: one named dog, not "a dog", so a second one or a replacement needs a fresh yes. It also keeps your main lease unchanged for tenants without pets, and you can sign it partway through a tenancy without redoing the lease.
It's also where you write down the money. Whether you take a refundable pet deposit, a one-time fee, monthly pet rent or a mix, the tenant should see the amounts and what each one covers before the pet arrives.
What the template covers
- The approved pet: name, type and breed, age and adult weight, markings and license or microchip number, filled in by the tenant.
- Health: licensing, vaccinations and flea control, plus a spay-or-neuter rule you can waive.
- Money: optional pet deposit, one-time fee and monthly pet rent, with a line keeping total deposits within your state's cap.
- Rules: leashes, waste pickup, no tying out, noise, pet-free areas and any rules of your own.
- Damage and injuries: the tenant pays for pet damage beyond wear and tear and for injuries the pet causes, with optional liability insurance.
- Emergency caretaker: someone you can call if the pet is alone and the tenant can't be reached.
- Breaking the rules: written notice, time to fix it, and when you can withdraw permission.
- Assistance animals: a statement that they aren't pets and aren't charged pet fees.
Mistakes landlords make with pets
- Charging pet fees for an assistance animal. Under fair housing rules, a service animal or emotional support animal is a reasonable accommodation, not a pet, so pet deposits, fees and rent don't apply. The tenant still pays for damage.
- Going over the deposit cap. In states that limit total deposits, a pet deposit usually counts toward the limit, and a few states restrict non-refundable fees.
- Approving "a cat". Name the animal and describe it, so a second cat or a swap is clearly outside the addendum.
- Treating the pet deposit as the most you can recover. The template says it isn't a cap, so damage beyond it can still come out of the security deposit or be claimed.
- No plan for emergencies. If a tenant is in the hospital, a named caretaker saves the animal a lot of distress and saves you a lot of calls.
Breed and weight limits
Your insurer may restrict certain dog breeds or sizes. If it does, put the limit in the other rules blank, and remember that those limits can't be applied to an assistance animal without an individual assessment.
How to send it with SignMaster
- 1
Add it to your templates
Choose Use this template. You get an addendum with the tenant and landlord set up as signers, in that order.
- 2
Set the money and the rules
Fill in the gray blanks: lease date, address, the deposit, fee or pet rent you charge (leave the rest empty), pet-free areas and how long the tenant has to rehome the pet after a final notice.
- 3
Let the tenant describe the pet
The tenant fills in the pet's details and an emergency caretaker. Add an Attachment field if you want a photo and the vaccination record attached.
- 4
Send it with the lease, or on its own
For a new tenancy, send it in the same envelope as the lease so it's all signed in one sitting. For a tenant getting a pet mid-lease, send it by itself.
- 5
Keep it with the lease
Both of you get the signed PDF and its certificate of completion. When the tenant moves out, it tells you exactly what the pet deposit covered.
Adding pet terms across a portfolio
Changing your pet policy, or bringing every pet in a building under signed terms after an inspection? Bulk send sends each pet-owning tenant their own addendum from one spreadsheet: their name and email in each row, and columns named after the gray blanks, such as Lease date, Property address and Monthly pet rent. Each tenant still describes their own pet.
Questions? Answers.
Can I charge pet rent and a pet deposit?
In many states, yes, but deposit caps and fee rules vary. Some states count a pet deposit toward the overall deposit limit, and some restrict non-refundable fees. Use only the blanks your state allows.
Do emotional support animals need a pet addendum?
No. Assistance animals, including emotional support animals, are a reasonable accommodation under fair housing rules, not pets, and pet fees don't apply. Section 8 of the template says so; the tenant is still responsible for damage.
What if the tenant gets a second pet?
The addendum covers only the animal described in section 1. A second pet or a replacement needs your written approval, which can be a new addendum.
Can the tenant sign the pet addendum on their phone?
Yes. They get an email link, fill in the pet's details and sign in the browser on any phone or computer, with no account.