BreakThru Realty

Renting With a Pet in South Florida: Rules, Deposits and Assistance Animals

Révisé par Tyson E. Sam, fondateur et courtier attitré de BreakThru Realty, Florida License 3565210

La réponse courte

Many South Florida rentals accept pets, but two sets of rules apply: the owner's, and the association's where there is one, which can limit the number, size and breed of animals. Expect a pet deposit, a one-time fee or a monthly pet rent, set by the owner. An assistance animal is not a pet under fair housing law: it carries no pet deposit or fee and a no-pet rule does not apply to it, though the owner may ask for the documentation the law allows.

Two Sets of Rules

The owner decides whether to accept a pet in the home; the association decides what animals may live in the community at all. An association can cap the number of pets, set a weight limit, exclude certain breeds or forbid pets altogether, and an owner cannot waive those rules. The MLS listing records the owner's policy; a BreakThru agent confirms the association's before you tour.

Deposits, Fees and Pet Rent

Where a pet is allowed, the owner may ask for a refundable pet deposit held with the security deposit, a one-time non-refundable pet fee, a monthly pet rent, or a combination. Florida law does not cap these; the lease sets them. Ask for them in writing with the move-in statement, and note which part is refundable.

Finding Pet-Friendly Homes

The rental search has a pets-allowed filter, and every city rental hub has a pet-friendly page listing the homes whose owners accept pets. Houses with yards accept dogs more often than condos do, and a condo building that allows pets usually limits weight. Say what animal you have at the first conversation; it saves a wasted application.

Assistance Animals

Under the federal Fair Housing Act and Florida law, a service animal or an emotional support animal is an accommodation for a person with a disability, not a pet. A no-pet rule, a breed or weight limit, a pet deposit and a pet fee do not apply to it. The owner or association may ask for reliable documentation of the disability-related need where the need is not apparent, and may still hold the tenant responsible for damage the animal causes.

What Not to Do

Do not bring an undisclosed pet into a no-pet home; it is a lease default and, in an association, a fine against the owner that the lease will pass to you. Do not present a pet as an assistance animal without a genuine disability-related need: Florida law makes misrepresenting an assistance animal an offence. Questions about an accommodation request are legal questions for an attorney or the housing authority.

Moving In With an Animal

Have vaccination records, a photo and, where the association asks, a registration form ready with your application. Walk the home with the owner's agent at move-in and note the floors, screens and yard, because the pet deposit is settled against them at move-out under the same deposit rules as the rest.

Let a Rental Agent Do the Legwork

Tell us your budget, move-in date and must-haves. A BreakThru rental agent builds the shortlist, schedules the tours and helps you apply with a complete file. In most South Florida rentals the owner pays the agent, so our help costs a renter nothing. Dites-nous ce que vous recherchez · Search homes for rent

Renting With a Pet in South Florida: Rules, Deposits and Assistance Animals: Questions

Can I rent with a pet in South Florida?
Many South Florida rentals accept pets, but two sets of rules apply: the owner's, and the association's where there is one, which can limit the number, size and breed of animals. Expect a pet deposit, a one-time fee or a monthly pet rent, set by the owner. An assistance animal is not a pet under fair housing law: it carries no pet deposit or fee and a no-pet rule does not apply to it, though the owner may ask for the documentation the law allows.
Can an association refuse my dog by breed?
Yes, for a pet. Associations commonly exclude breeds their insurer names, and an owner cannot override the rule. The exclusion does not apply to an assistance animal, though an animal that has actually been dangerous can still be refused on that record.
Is pet rent refundable?
No. Pet rent is paid monthly with the rent and is not returned; a pet deposit is held and returned under the security deposit rules; a pet fee is a one-time charge the lease says is non-refundable. Ask which of the three the lease uses.
Do I need documentation for an emotional support animal?
Where the disability or the need is not apparent, the owner may ask for reliable documentation from a health care practitioner with personal knowledge of you. A certificate bought online without a practitioner relationship is not reliable documentation under Florida law. Confirm the specifics with an attorney.

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