One of the most popular trends raising questions for Stonington rental property owners is whether or not to allow tenants to keep chickens. Keeping chickens has become a popular activity in recent years, even for urban neighborhoods. Although the grounds for this popularity vary, numerous people do it with notions like producing their own food or keeping insect populations under control. Both of these factors are certainly advantages of keeping chickens, but there are several risks you must understand, too. In this manner, you can more confidently decide what to say when your tenant asks to keep chickens on your rental property.
Zoning Issues
Not all municipalities are chicken-friendly. Even though some areas allow residential neighborhoods to keep chickens in their yards, some do not. As a property owner, it’s imperative to identify your local ordinances and explain them properly to your tenant. Or else, they may not believe it is vital to follow local laws and retain forbidden animals on the property, thus exposing both of you to the risk of fines and legal troubles.
Property Damage
At least, most chickens will need a clean and secure chicken coop, as well as fencing and a run. If your rental property doesn’t now have a fence and a coop, your tenant will generally need to create one. Even though some chicken coops can be very nice, there’s no guarantee that the one your tenant will build will be. Plus, if your tenants decide to leave, and even if they take the coop with them, you’ll be faced with dead and damaged landscaping where the coop formerly stood.
Biohazard Risk
One more hazard that chickens pose is that chicken droppings are a potential biohazard. Chicken poop is dirty, nasty, and commonly gets tracked everywhere, including inside the house itself. Furthermore, chicken droppings can carry diseases that can put the health of you and your tenants at risk.
Attract Rodents and Predators
Rodents and other pests are opportunistic feeders. That implies they will be attracted to areas where food is convenient and abundant. Rodents love chicken coops for this basis. Not only will rodents be drawn to the chicken feed, but they may also come for the chicken eggs or even the chickens themselves. This is particularly relevant for wild animals or even domesticated cats and dogs. If an owl, neighborhood stray, or even your neighbor’s beloved pet sneaks into your rental yard, the resulting massacre won’t be a nice experience.
Noise Issues
One more problem with keeping chickens is the noise. Chickens can be very loud, even hens. Chickens create a wide variety of loud sounds that could potentially upset a close neighbor. If your rental property’s yard isn’t pretty big, those loud birds could cause a nuisance or, in other scenarios, even violate noise ordinances.
Even though a couple of cases of tenants successfully keeping chickens, the hazards aren’t worth it for most property owners. Indeed, every circumstance and rental property is not the same, so picking wisely for you and your tenants is necessary.
Do you want help fielding tenant requests for animals, pets, or other stuff? Our Stonington property managers can assist you! Contact Real Property Management Hartford Metro/Greater New London for more information on how we help rental property owners like you keep your tenants happy and protect your investment simultaneously.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
