Pet Addendum in New York

Adds pet terms to a lease. Assistance animals for people with disabilities are not pets: no pet fee or pet rent may be charged for them under federal fair housing rules.

What New York law says

Pet deposits and fees	No deposit or advance may exceed one month's rent, so a refundable pet deposit counts toward the one-month cap, and the entire deposit is refundable except for lawful deductions. Separately, landlords may not demand any payment, fee or charge before or at the beginning of the tenancy other than background/credit check fees or payments provided for by statute or regulation. No statute addresses monthly pet rent. The one-month deposit cap does not apply to units under the city rent and rehabilitation law or emergency housing rent control law, licensed continuing care, assisted living and adult care facilities, certain senior communities, and has exceptions for seasonal-use units and owner-occupied cooperative apartments. Source: N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(a)-(b); N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 238-a(1)(a)
Service & support animals (state law)	Housing providers must make reasonable accommodations in rules and policies for persons with disabilities, including permitting an assistance animal. It is an unlawful discriminatory practice to deny access to or discriminate against a person with a disability accompanied by a guide, hearing, or service dog, and no additional charge may be imposed for admittance of such a dog. No state statute sets documentation rules for emotional support animals or penalizes service-animal misrepresentation in housing. In New York City and Westchester multiple dwellings, a no-pet lease clause may be waived if the tenant keeps a pet openly and notoriously for three months with the owner's knowledge (NYC Admin. Code § 27-2009.1(b); Westchester County Laws ch. 695.11), with exceptions for public housing and animals causing damage or nuisance. Source: N.Y. Exec. Law § 296(14), (18)(2); N.Y. Civ. Rights Law § 47-b

Pet deposits and fees

No deposit or advance may exceed one month's rent, so a refundable pet deposit counts toward the one-month cap, and the entire deposit is refundable except for lawful deductions. Separately, landlords may not demand any payment, fee or charge before or at the beginning of the tenancy other than background/credit check fees or payments provided for by statute or regulation. No statute addresses monthly pet rent.

The one-month deposit cap does not apply to units under the city rent and rehabilitation law or emergency housing rent control law, licensed continuing care, assisted living and adult care facilities, certain senior communities, and has exceptions for seasonal-use units and owner-occupied cooperative apartments.

Source: N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(a)-(b); N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 238-a(1)(a)

Service & support animals (state law)

Housing providers must make reasonable accommodations in rules and policies for persons with disabilities, including permitting an assistance animal. It is an unlawful discriminatory practice to deny access to or discriminate against a person with a disability accompanied by a guide, hearing, or service dog, and no additional charge may be imposed for admittance of such a dog. No state statute sets documentation rules for emotional support animals or penalizes service-animal misrepresentation in housing.

In New York City and Westchester multiple dwellings, a no-pet lease clause may be waived if the tenant keeps a pet openly and notoriously for three months with the owner's knowledge (NYC Admin. Code § 27-2009.1(b); Westchester County Laws ch. 695.11), with exceptions for public housing and animals causing damage or nuisance.

Source: N.Y. Exec. Law § 296(14), (18)(2); N.Y. Civ. Rights Law § 47-b

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PET ADDENDUM to the lease for [rental address] dated [lease date]

Tenant: [tenant name] Pet(s): [type, breed, name, weight]

Pet deposit: $[pet deposit] (counts toward any state deposit limit where the law says so). Monthly pet rent: $[pet rent]

The tenant keeps the pet under control, cleans up after it, and pays for damage it causes beyond normal wear and tear.

Signatures and dates: [signatures]

Pet Addendum for other states · New York tenant rights

General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.