Pet Addendum in North Carolina

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 North Carolina law says

Pet deposits and fees	A landlord may charge a reasonable, nonrefundable fee for pets kept by the tenant; the statute authorizes this fee separately from (notwithstanding) the security-deposit rules. The security deposit itself is capped at 2 weeks' rent (week-to-week), 1.5 months' rent (month-to-month), or 2 months' rent (longer terms). The statute sets no dollar limit on the pet fee and does not address monthly pet rent. The pet fee must be 'reasonable.' Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-51(b), 42-53
Service & support animals (state law)	A person with a disability may keep a service animal trained to assist with the person's specific disability on any premises the person leases or rents, upon showing a state service-animal registration tag or that the animal is being or has been trained as a service animal. No extra compensation may be charged for the animal, but the person is liable for damage it causes. Disguising an animal as a service animal, or charging a fee for a service animal, is a Class 3 misdemeanor. No state statute sets emotional support animal documentation rules. Emotional support animals are handled as reasonable-accommodation requests under the federal Fair Housing Act and the North Carolina State Fair Housing Act. Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 168-4.2(a), 168-4.4, 168-4.5, 168-9

Pet deposits and fees

A landlord may charge a reasonable, nonrefundable fee for pets kept by the tenant; the statute authorizes this fee separately from (notwithstanding) the security-deposit rules. The security deposit itself is capped at 2 weeks' rent (week-to-week), 1.5 months' rent (month-to-month), or 2 months' rent (longer terms). The statute sets no dollar limit on the pet fee and does not address monthly pet rent.

The pet fee must be 'reasonable.'

Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-51(b), 42-53

Service & support animals (state law)

A person with a disability may keep a service animal trained to assist with the person's specific disability on any premises the person leases or rents, upon showing a state service-animal registration tag or that the animal is being or has been trained as a service animal. No extra compensation may be charged for the animal, but the person is liable for damage it causes. Disguising an animal as a service animal, or charging a fee for a service animal, is a Class 3 misdemeanor. No state statute sets emotional support animal documentation rules.

Emotional support animals are handled as reasonable-accommodation requests under the federal Fair Housing Act and the North Carolina State Fair Housing Act.

Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 168-4.2(a), 168-4.4, 168-4.5, 168-9

Fill it in

Nothing you type leaves your browser. Replace anything still highlighted, and keep a signed copy.

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 · North Carolina 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.