Landlord, tenant

[CherrilCoxCum]

I have a tenant who has been renting from me about two years. All of a sudden she takes her boyfriend dog to live with her in the apartment. The first time I notice the dog, I went up to her and ask her about it. I was told that she was only holding it for him until he comes back. I let her know right away that her lease clearly states not dogs allowed in the apartment. I did not hear anything from her for a while after. So I thought everything was fine. Until one day I went to her apartment a few months after and found the dog still in the apartment. I told her about it again and gave her a letter. When her lease was to be renewed I gave her a letter again asking her to remove the dog from the apartment. She came to me and told me she would be moving out of the apartment because she needs more space and as she has the dog. Her new lease was to be renewed on May 1st. I have not renewed her lease as yet because of the dog in the apartment. Right now she is living in my home without a lease and her dog is still there.
Could you please advise me on what steps I should take or what my rights are because I do not want the dog in my apartment and I have already given her three letters regarding this problem.

 

[jmacgregor]

What state are you in? Has rent been paid up to date? Give more details please.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Do you have to renew her lease per the lease agreement? There are two issues I can see without seeing the lease.

1) If there is a renewal provision, you may have to honor it. If there is none, she will, by default, likely be a month to month tenant and you will need to give her a month's notice (depending upon the state, it might have to be one FULL month's notice for the full rental period, e.g. if rent commentces on January 1, if you give notice on July 15, the tenant would have the full month of August as her last month on the lease.

2) Your not removing her in a timely fashion might not allow you to simply do so immediately now. If there is a provision in the lease or too much time has not expired since you've sent the letter... use it if you can.