Whether you are a homeowner or a renter, the comfort of having a furry friend to call your own can make a significant difference in your family's quality of life. However, for most renters, the process of owning and caring for a pet can be fraught with legal difficulties. From a landlord's perspective, pets are often regarded as nuisances that can damage the property and cause unnecessary legal liability. The good news is that these differences can often be resolved by having a well-written and comprehensive pet policy in place at the time of lease signing. Landlords and tenants alike should ensure that each understands the other's intentions and demands when it comes to pet ownership on the rental premises. A pet agreement should define the types of pets that are allowed to live on site at the rental property in great detail. Items to include are the number of pets, the breeds and species of pets, the weight of pets, and other relevant details. It should also be contingent on other legal factors, such as the tenant's proper care of the pets and compliance with all other pet licensure and regulatory requirements in the area. Make it clear that the tenant's signature on the pet agreement constitutes a binding pledge to uphold these requirements or face eviction.