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Property & rentals 2 signers 3 pages 16 blanks to fill in

Pet Addendum to Lease Template

Say yes to a tenant's pet on clear terms — which pet, what it costs, the house rules and what happens if they're broken — signed online.

Use This Template — Free See the Agreement Signers don’t need an account
Pet addendum
The blanks in brackets are what you fill in. VergeHR adds each signer’s signature and date boxes.
Pet addendum — page 1 of 3
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Pet addendum — page 2 of 3
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Pet addendum — page 3 of 3
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Use This Template Fill in the blanks, name who signs, and send — from VergeHR eSignature.

What is a pet addendum?

A pet addendum (or pet agreement) is a short add-on to an existing lease that gives the tenant permission to keep a particular animal. It protects both sides: the tenant has written permission instead of a verbal "that should be fine", and the landlord has agreed rules and a clear process if things go wrong.

This template names the pet — species, breed, age and description — and limits permission to that animal. You can add a refundable pet deposit, a one-off pet fee and monthly pet rent, each only where the law allows, and it notes that assistance or service animals are treated as the law requires. The tenant agrees to keep the pet under control, clean up after it, avoid nuisance noise, look after its welfare, keep it free of fleas and comply with licensing and vaccination rules. It covers responsibility for damage and injury, optional liability insurance, areas the pet may not go, a written warning with a cure period before permission can be withdrawn, faster removal for dangerous behaviour, inspections, and cleaning at the end of the lease.

Best for
Allowing a dog, cat or other pet under an existing residential lease
Signed by
Landlord and tenant, initialled on every page
Money
Optional pet deposit, one-off fee and monthly pet rent — each subject to local law
Length
2-3 pages

When to Use a pet addendum

  • A tenant asks to get a dog or cat part-way through a lease
  • A new tenant moves in with a pet and the lease has a no-pets clause
  • Replacing an informal "pets allowed" understanding with written rules
  • Setting clear expectations in a building with shared gardens or hallways
  • Recording a pet deposit or pet rent alongside an existing lease

What You Fill In

16 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: landlord, tenant.

1 The lease

  • Date of this addendum*
  • Landlord or managing agent*
  • Tenant name(s)*
  • Address of the rented property*
  • Date of the lease*

2 The pet

  • The pet(s)*
  • Vaccination and licence records* has given the Landlord proof of current vaccinations and of any licence or registration the law requires · will give the Landlord proof of current vaccinations and of any licence or registration the law requires within 14 days of signing · is not required to give vaccination records for this type of pet, but will keep any licence or registration the law requires
  • Areas the pet may not go (optional)

3 Money

  • Currency*
  • Additional pet deposit (refundable)
  • One-off pet fee (non-refundable)
  • Monthly pet rent

4 Rules

  • Liability insurance* The Tenant is not required by this Addendum to hold pet liability insurance, but is encouraged to. · The Tenant will keep insurance covering liability for injury or damage caused by the pet for as long as the pet lives at the Property, and show proof to the Landlord on request.
  • Additional rules (optional)
  • Days to put right a breach after written notice*
  • Days to rehome the pet if permission is withdrawn*

5 Who signs

  • Landlord signature and date, initials on every page · The landlord or the managing agent who signs leases for the landlord.
  • Tenant signature and date, initials on every page · The tenant who owns or keeps the pet. If several tenants are on the lease, name them all above and send a copy to each one to sign, or check that the lease lets one tenant agree for all.

What the pet addendum Covers

  1. Permission
  2. Deposit, fee and rent
  3. Rules
  4. Damage and responsibility
  5. Breach and removal
  6. Entry and end of the Lease
  7. General

Using the pet addendum, step by step

1 Link it to the lease

Enter the landlord, tenant, property address and the date of the existing lease. The addendum adds to that lease and only overrides it where they conflict about the pet.

2 Describe the pet exactly

Give the name, species, breed, age, colour and size of each pet. Permission covers only these animals — another pet, a replacement or someone else's animal needs further written permission. Choose whether vaccination and licence records have been shown or will follow.

3 Set any money — carefully

Pet deposit, pet fee and pet rent are all optional. Some places cap, restrict or ban them, or count a pet deposit towards a total deposit limit, so check local rules first. Leave a field empty and it drops out of the addendum.

4 Add rules and the breach process

Add areas the pet may not go and any extra rules, choose whether liability insurance is required, and set the cure period after a written warning and the time to rehome the pet if permission is withdrawn. Then send it to the tenant to sign.

Tips Before You Send It

  • Meet the pet if you can, and describe it precisely — it avoids arguments later about whether a different animal is covered.
  • In many places assistance and service animals are not treated as pets, and pet fees or deposits for them may be restricted. The addendum says the law applies instead of any conflicting term.
  • Pair it with a move-in condition report with dated photos, so any pet damage can be told apart from what was there before.
  • Keep a copy of vaccination and licence records with the signed addendum in Files.

Sign It Online In Minutes

  1. Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
  2. Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
  3. Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Use the pet addendum Template — It’s Free

Pet addendum: frequently asked questions

Can I charge a pet deposit, pet fee and pet rent?

It depends on where the property is. Some places allow all three, some cap them, and some ban pet fees or count pet deposits towards a legal limit on total deposits. The template makes each one optional and says it applies only as far as the law allows.

Can the landlord make the tenant remove the pet?

Under the addendum, the landlord first gives written notice of a breach. If it isn't put right within the cure period you set, or it happens again, permission can be withdrawn and the tenant has a set number of days to rehome the pet. Serious danger or damage allows faster action. Local law may control this process, and withdrawing permission doesn't by itself end the lease.

Does this cover assistance or service animals?

The addendum says that where the law treats an assistance or service animal differently, that law applies instead of any conflicting term, including on deposits, fees and rent.

Is an e-signed lease addendum valid?

Electronic signatures are generally valid for ordinary contracts like a lease addendum in the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada. VergeHR keeps an audit trail and Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF.

Use This Template — Free