What to Put in a Pet Addendum: Clauses and Sample Wording

A pet addendum is a signed document attached to the lease that permits a specific animal and sets the rules and charges that come with it. It should identify the animal, state each pet charge and whether it's refundable, set behavior and cleanup rules, make the tenant responsible for damage and injuries, and explain what happens if the rules are broken. Every tenant on the lease signs it, and it shouldn't be used for assistance animals approved as a disability accommodation.

This guide goes clause by clause, with sample wording, then covers the approval process, adding a pet mid-lease, and what to do about an unauthorized animal. For choosing between a pet deposit, a pet fee and pet rent, and the state caps on each, see pet deposit vs pet fee vs pet rent.

Before you write it: approve the pet

Decide the pet question the same way for every applicant:

1. Have a written pet policy: which animals, how many, any size or breed limits your insurance requires.
2. Ask for details on the application: type, breed, weight, age, vaccination and license records, and a prior landlord reference if possible.
3. Meet the animal if you can.
4. Check your insurance policy and any HOA rules, which may restrict certain animals.

Then write the addendum around the specific animal you approved.

Clause by clause

1. The animal

Identify it precisely, so a different or additional animal is clearly unauthorized:

Tenant may keep one (1) dog: name Biscuit, breed beagle mix, color tan and white, approximate weight 25 lb, age 4. No other animal is permitted without Landlord's prior written consent.

2. Charges

State each charge, its amount, and whether it's refundable:

Tenant will pay a refundable pet deposit of $300, held with the security deposit and returned under the lease's deposit terms, less any pet-related damage. Tenant will also pay pet rent of $25 per month, due with rent.

State law limits these in many places. A few examples from statute:

Check your state's page under security deposit laws before setting amounts.

3. Rules of conduct

Keep them specific and enforceable:

• Leash or carrier in common areas; no animals in the pool area or laundry room
• Prompt waste cleanup, inside and outside
• No persistent barking or noise that disturbs neighbors
• No leaving the animal alone for extended periods, or tied up outside
• Litter disposed of in sealed bags, not flushed

4. Health and licensing

Tenant will keep the animal vaccinated and licensed as local law requires and will provide proof on request.

5. Damage and liability

Tenant is responsible for all damage caused by the animal beyond normal wear and tear, including damage exceeding the pet deposit, and for any injury the animal causes to any person or animal. Tenant will carry renter's insurance with liability coverage of at least $100,000 that covers the animal.

Pet damage is distinct from normal wear; see normal wear and tear examples for where the line falls.

6. Entry and inspection

Landlord may inspect the unit for pet-related damage with notice as required by law.

Your state sets the notice; see the landlord entry notice hub.

7. Violations and removal

If Tenant violates this addendum, Landlord may give written notice requiring the violation to be corrected or the animal removed, as permitted by law. Repeated violations may be grounds for terminating the lease.

How much time you must give depends on your state. Florida, for example, lists "having or permitting unauthorized pets" as a violation that gets a 7-day notice to cure (Fla. Stat. § 83.56(2)(b)). See the lease violation notice guide for other states.

8. Assistance animals

This addendum does not apply to an assistance animal approved as a reasonable accommodation for a person with a disability.

The Fair Housing Act requires reasonable accommodations in rules and policies for people with disabilities (42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B)), and HUD's regulation gives a guide dog under a no-pets policy as an example (24 CFR 100.204). Many states also bar pet charges for these animals by statute, including Delaware, Hawaii, Minnesota, Texas (for service animals), Utah and Wisconsin. Handle these as accommodation requests, not pet applications; fair housing laws for landlords covers the process.

9. Signatures

Every tenant on the lease and the landlord sign and date the addendum. Attach it to the lease and give each tenant a copy.

Adding a pet mid-lease

If a current tenant asks to get a pet, run the same approval, then sign a pet addendum before the animal arrives. Check whether your state limits deposit increases during a tenancy. Oregon, for example, allows a first-year deposit increase only for an agreed modification such as allowing a pet (ORS 90.300).

Finding an unauthorized pet

1. Document it: photos, dates, neighbor reports.
2. Decide whether you'd approve the animal under your policy.
3. If yes, offer the pet addendum with the standard charges.
4. If no, give a written notice under your lease and state rules to remove the animal.
5. Before acting, consider whether it may be an assistance animal. If the tenant says it is, treat it as an accommodation request.

Make it easy

Our free pet addendum form covers each of these clauses. Fill it in, preview it and print it to sign. If you're starting a new lease, add pet terms in the lease agreement generator and attach the addendum. For how addendums work generally, see the lease addendum guide.

Sources

Official sources cited above (checked 2026-10-28):

• 42 U.S.C. § 3604, Fair Housing Act
• 24 CFR 100.204, reasonable accommodations
• Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5
• C.R.S. Title 38 (§ 38-12-106), official 2024 printout (Colorado)
• M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B (Massachusetts)
• Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416
• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-53
• Va. Code § 55.1-1200
• ORS chapter 90 (§ 90.300) (Oregon)
• Fla. Stat. § 83.56
• 25 Del. C. § 5514, Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44, Minn. Stat. § 504B.113, Tex. Hum. Res. Code § 121.003, Utah Code § 26B-6-803, Wis. Stat. § 106.50