A no-pets rule is simple. It also turns away people who would have stayed. A yes without a standard is how a carpet becomes a capital item.
The standard
What is allowed, what the deposit is for, what happens at move-out. Written, the same for everyone, enforced without a speech.
During the tenancy
We look. A walk-through is not a hunt; it is how we see whether the house is still the house you listed.
At the end
The deposit conversation should not be a surprise. If there is wear beyond the ordinary, we say so with photos, not with a mood.