Ask an Agent: Why no pitbulls?

Pit bulls are a divisive animal. Either you love them or you hate them. And as a renter, you may find that you have a hard time finding a house because of your dogs reputation, whether is it earned or not. We always advise our owners to NOT take certain breeds for the following reasons:

1. Liability: The tenant may own the dog, but the landlord could also be held responsible and named in any suit filed against the tenant.
2. Insurance: A lot of landlord insurance policies will not cover the property owner if a certain breed of animal is living on the property. It could also translate into loss of coverage for ALL of the properties the landlord owns.
3. Laws: Some places have BSL (breed-specific legislation). Certain breeds may not be allowed inside city limits of certain towns. Here is a list of North Texas cities and their animal control policies.

Required disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, so any legal questions you have about pet restrictions please direct towards your attorney. There may be exceptions, such as ADA compliance. 

Sometimes people try to sneak a pit bull in by using another name:

• American Bulldog
• Staffordshire Bull Terrier
• American Pit Bull Terrier
• American Straffordshire Terrier
• Bull Terrier

If one of these breeds is listed on an application, we require a picture and a note from a vet stating they are NOT pit bulls for our records.

At North Texas Homes, LLC, we exclude pit bulls, rottweilers, Akitas, dobermans, chows, their mixes, and wolf-hybrids per our insurance. 

Why won't landlords accept pit bulls?