A pet screening fee is a one-time charge, usually $25 to $30, that a rental applicant pays to a third-party platform so the property manager can evaluate the risk of allowing an animal in the unit. The money goes to the screening company, not the landlord, and it sits on top of any pet deposit, pet rent, or move-in pet fee your lease requires. Most renters first run into it during the application process. Profiles expire after a year, so renewal time brings the charge around again.
What You Are Actually Paying For
The screening company collects information about your animal and builds a risk profile for the property manager. You fill out an online questionnaire covering breed, weight, age, sex, vaccination history, spay or neuter status, and any bite or behavioral incidents. Some platforms also ask you to upload vaccination records and photos.
Property managers use the results to decide whether your animal fits their community’s pet policy. A dog over a weight limit or on a restricted-breed list may be flagged automatically. The process also pushes landlords toward consistency, applying the same criteria to every applicant instead of making case-by-case calls. If your pet has a clean history and current shots, that uniformity can work in your favor.
The most widely used platform, PetScreening, assigns each animal a rating called the FIDO Score, running from zero to five paws. Five paws signals the lowest housing-related risk; zero means something about the animal conflicts directly with the property’s stated policies, such as a breed ban or weight cap. Uploading vaccination records and proof of spaying or neutering can push the score higher.1PetScreening. I Would Like a Better Understanding of the FIDO Score Some property managers tie the score to tiered deposits or monthly pet rent, so a stronger profile can save real money over a lease.2PetScreening. PetScreening Announces Release of FIDO Pricing Tool
How Much It Costs
PetScreening charges $30 per household profile when paid by credit or debit card, or $25 by ACH bank transfer.3PetScreening. Applicant and Resident FAQs Profiles stay active for one year. At the anniversary, you review the profile, update vaccination records, and confirm everything is still accurate. Renewal costs the same as the initial setup, with a $5 discount if you renew early.4PetScreening. The Applicant/Resident Would Like to Renew Their Household Pet Profile
The fee is non-refundable and processed through the screening company’s site, not the landlord’s. Paying it does not guarantee approval. If your property management company uses a different provider, costs may vary, but expect the same general range.
How It Differs From Other Pet Charges
Renters often mix the screening fee up with the other pet-related costs that appear at move-in. They serve different purposes and stack on top of each other:
- Pet screening fee: a one-time, non-refundable payment of roughly $25 to $30 to the third-party platform for the evaluation itself.
- Pet fee: a one-time, non-refundable payment to the landlord, typically $100 to $300, that grants the animal permission to live in the unit.
- Pet deposit: a refundable amount held by the landlord against possible animal damage, returned at move-out if the pet caused none.
- Pet rent: a recurring monthly charge on top of base rent, commonly $10 to $100 depending on the property and animal.
A landlord who requires all four can collect every one of them at the same time. Read your lease carefully so you know which charges apply and which are refundable.
Is the Fee Legal?
No single federal law caps pet screening fees. Several states, though, fold pet-related charges into their broader limits on rental application fees. In those states, the combined cost of background checks, credit reports, and any pet screening cannot exceed the statutory ceiling. If your landlord’s total application charges feel high, check whether your state has a maximum application fee and whether pet screening counts toward it.
Many jurisdictions also require application-related charges to reflect the landlord’s actual out-of-pocket cost. A property manager who marks up a $25 screening fee to $75 on your invoice could run afoul of consumer protection rules. If you suspect the charge exceeds what the screening company actually bills, ask to see documentation of the provider’s pricing. Landlords who inflate these fees risk mandatory refunds or fines.
When You Do Not Have to Pay It
Under the Fair Housing Act, assistance animals are not pets. Landlords cannot charge pet screening fees, pet deposits, pet fees, or pet rent for a service animal or emotional support animal.5U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Assessing a Person’s Request to Have an Animal as a Reasonable Accommodation Under the Fair Housing Act PetScreening reflects that rule directly: assistance animal profiles cost nothing to create or renew.3PetScreening. Applicant and Resident FAQs
If your disability or need for the animal is not obvious, the landlord can ask for a letter from a licensed healthcare professional confirming the disability and the animal’s therapeutic benefit. A therapist, psychiatrist, or licensed social worker qualifies; it does not have to be your primary doctor.5U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Assessing a Person’s Request to Have an Animal as a Reasonable Accommodation Under the Fair Housing Act6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 3614 – Enforcement by Attorney General7Federal Register. Civil Monetary Penalties Inflation Adjustments for 2025
What Happens If You Refuse
If your lease or pet policy makes screening a condition of keeping an animal, refusing to pay typically means the landlord denies the pet. The fee itself is legal in most jurisdictions as long as it reflects a real cost for a real service. The landlord generally cannot bar you from the unit entirely over the screening; the consequence is that the pet is not approved.
Assistance animals are the exception. A landlord who conditions approval of a service animal or ESA on completing a paid pet screening is violating the Fair Housing Act, no matter how the fee is labeled. If that happens to you, you can file a complaint with HUD or your local fair housing agency at no cost.