Can a landlord just out of the blue start charging a pet deposit and adding it up from the time that you moved?

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Can a landlord just out of the blue start charging a pet deposit and adding it up from the time that you moved?

There was not a pet deposit in effect when I moved in then he put on into effect a month or so after I moved in for new tenants.He knew I had a cat but never charged me a pet deposit then out of nowhere he told me I was $75 behind becasue he added up the pet deposit from the time I moved in until now.

Asked on April 16, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Georgia

Answers:

Terri Brown / Terri L. Brown, LLC

Answered 11 years ago | Contributor

The basic answer is, it depends.  If your lease contract allows for him to assess additional fees for pets, then yes.  If you didn't tell him about a pet or got a pet after you moved in, and then didn't pay the pet deposit, and he later discovered that you did have one, the court would probably say that either the circumstances changed or you were not completely honest.  If the contract does not include the possibility of a pet deposit, then no, he cannot.  Your contract will dictate what you are required to pay as long as it is in effect. 


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