Herb Mathisen
Northern News Services
Published Friday, July 04, 2008

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Landlords will soon be able to require tenants with pets to pay a pet security deposit before agreeing to rent a property. It's expected to take effect next spring.

On June 23, the legislative assembly approved an amendment to the Residential Tenancies Act, which permits a landlord to request, up front, no more than 50 per cent of one month's rent from a tenant as a pet security deposit before they begin a lease.

Hal Logsdon, NWT Rental Officer, said landlords have generally been reluctant to allow dogs and cats in apartments because of the damages they can potentially cause.

"It will be interesting to see if landlords, who are now able to collect an additional security fee for a dog or cat, will be more lenient about allowing pets in their apartment," he said.

Janet Pacey, president of the NWT SPCA, does not see the deposit as necessarily a bad thing, although she did have concerns about lower-income people not being able to pay the deposit.

"When people can't find affordable housing, it's the pets that are the first to go," said Pacey.

She did agree with Logsdon that this amendment may open up more housing for pet owners.

The cost, for instance, to replace an apartment carpet due to animal urine is a significant one for landlords and the deposit may help cover that expense, she said.

"Something like this might make landlords a little more apt to letting animals into their apartments," said Pacey.

David McCann, owner of Mackenzie Management, said the company allowed tenants with pets in the past, but is not allowing new applicants to keep pets.

McCann said the deposit could grant owners some leniency in allowing pet-owning tenants.

"That damage deposit would be a strong incentive, but I would want to see the dog first," he said.

The Northern Property manager, when contacted, said she does not speak to the press.

Janice Laycock, senior policy adviser with the Department of Justice, gave direction on drafting the amendment and co-ordinated the consultation process.

She said through meetings the pet security deposit issue came up, specifically from a Yellowknife resident who pointed to similar legislation in British Columbia.

"The message that we got was that both landlords and tenants would appreciate something like this," said Laycock.

"Landlords were agreeable to it," she continued. "There are situations where they might allow people to have a pet, but the possibilities of having damages are greater with a dog in an apartment. If they could have a damage deposit, they said, it would be helpful."

Jessica Coulombe, owner of J.J. Hobbies, said she had not heard of the amendment to the act, but the idea of paying a security deposit for her pet did not come as a shock.

"I've always had to pay a pet deposit, so it doesn't surprise me," said Coulombe.

Logsdon said the act, before it was amended, did not permit landlords to collect a pet security deposit. They could only ask for a security deposit equal to one month's rent.

"I don't know how common (a pet security deposit) will be, once the new legislation permits it," said Logsdon.

Tenants with pets who already occupied a rental premise before the amendment act comes into effect are not required to pay the deposit, so long as they were allowed to house pets under their tenancy agreement.

Laycock said it could be nine months before the legislation comes into effect. Tenants can only be charged the deposit once, regardless of how many pets they may have.

One notable instance where the fee would be waived is for tenants who require service animals, such as seeing-eye dogs.