How long does pet odor stay in a house?

[Anonymous]

We are looking to rent a home in a great neighborhood. The only problem is the awful pet odor. The current tenants have one dog and one cat. The smell (to me) is awful. The owner of the house told us it should go away as soon as the tenants move but I'm a little skeptical. Any renters/owners here who have had a similar experience with living in a home previously occupied by pets?

[Anonymous]

Wood floors or carpeting?

[Anonymous]

sorry it never goes away unless you get all new carpeting and keep the windows open (won't work in the summer heat). And, then light some candles to wipe that terrible pet odor out as well as place lemons/limes in jars througout the hosue. I wouldn't do it.

[Anonymous]

Dog owner here, who hates smells.

It has been my experience that the odor is in the cloth materials. Sofa, dog bed, rugs, etc. If those move, the odor should dissipate.

[Anonymous]

Unless they have the HVAC system cleaned you will always have pet dander and fur in the system. It stinks.

[Anonymous]

If it's in a rug or other furniture, you're OK. Walls and floors that are stained with pet urine would be tougher.

[Anonymous]

OP here....thanks for your replies. The flooring is hardwood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here....thanks for your replies. The flooring is hardwood.

If the cat or dog has been urinating on the hardwood, the smell will not go away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here....thanks for your replies. The flooring is hardwood.

If the cat or dog has been urinating on the hardwood, the smell will not go away.

+1. I've been lucky in 15 years my cats will only go in the litter pan. But I know people whose pets have stained the wood. Impossible to get the odor out. However, I don't know if you restain if it will come out.

[Anonymous]

OP, there is a topic thread called Pets. You might want to post your question there also.

[Anonymous]

Never. We had to out the carpet, paint and do lots of other stuff. I would not rent it if it bothers you.

[Anonymous]

http://www.wag.com/dog/p/simple-solution-extreme-stain-odor-remover-121295?site=CA&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc_W&utm_term=TBC-011&utm_campaign=GooglePLA&CAWELAID=1323889990&utm_content=pla&ca_sku=TBC-011&ca_gpa=pla&ca_kw={keyword}

[Anonymous]

If the cat has been pissing on the carpet, never. It seeps down into the padding and has to be ripped up and replaced to get rid of that smell. Dog piss will do this too, but cat is the WORST. I would not rent a house that smelled strongly of pets. It can be so hard to get rid of those smells.

[Anonymous]

When we moved into a house, we not only had to replace the carpet, but the wood underneath, to get rid of the smell. We also painted the house, though I don't know if that made a difference in making the odor (finally) go away.

Is the owner willing to put his money where his mouth is? That is, make the lease contingent upon (1) his getting the entire house professionally cleaned, including the ductwork, before you move in (not just the usual "broom clean" as required by the lease; and (2) your approval of absence of odor before you move in?

I would be very hesitant in your position, because that kind of odor would be unlivable to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When we moved into a house, we not only had to replace the carpet, but the wood underneath, to get rid of the smell. We also painted the house, though I don't know if that made a difference in making the odor (finally) go away.

Is the owner willing to put his money where his mouth is? That is, make the lease contingent upon (1) his getting the entire house professionally cleaned, including the ductwork, before you move in (not just the usual "broom clean" as required by the lease; and (2) your approval of absence of odor before you move in?

I would be very hesitant in your position, because that kind of odor would be unlivable to me.

OP here, I don't think the owner will do more than the bare minimum, especially in this area where renters are aplenty. I never even thought of having the ducts cleaned. We really love the place. Great location. Part of me wants to believe the owner and part of me just says walk away.