Loading ...Renting With Pets – Make Your Search Easier
Renting with pets always makes the apartment search more difficult because only a small portion of available units allow pets.
There are four main reasons why landlords and property managers are often not open to the idea of having a pet in the apartment.
- The obvious reason is the fear of wear and tear to the unit as a result of having an animal live there. Some of the fears are obviously justified and some are not. I guess it depends on the type of animal, cat, dog, bird or even the pet owner.
- Another reason is liability. In some cases, to protect themselves (and their property) a landlord will buy extra insurance. Extra insurance means extra cost. In order to avoid that they don’t allow pets, period.
- Allergies – some people are allergic to pets, so it might cause a problem in an apartment building setting.
- Some people just don’t like animals.
What to expect?
When you start calling pet friendly apartments you will learn that pet friendly does not necessarily mean you can move in with your cat or dog. Often pet friendly will mean either “cats only” or “dogs under 25 lbs.” or “pets negotiable” based on the landlord’s impression of your pet after you meet.
The toughest situation is when you have a medium to a full size dog or even worse, when you have multiple pets moving in with you.
What to do?
Consider the suburbs. Living with a pet is easier in a suburban setting than it is in the city, simply because of the availability of outdoor spaces like a yard, a deck or a porch. The suburbs are also not as congested, so you are far more likely to find a single or a multi-family house that will agree to take you and your pet. (The fewer tenants are involved the better).
Referral for your pet. If you have already rented an apartment with your pet be sure to get a letter from the previous owner that states how good of an experience they had with it.
Pet deposit. Expect to pay it or offer to pay it if that will seal the deal if the owner is on the fence. Usually the equivalent of month’s rent> The money is deposited into an escrow account and it is used for cleaning and fixing any pet damage the unit suffers during your stay.
Negotiations. Anything can be negotiated, so if you feel there is even the slightest chance of the owners agreeing to take you and your pets try and negotiate a solution or use a professional to help you.
Over all I believe that using an apartment finding service or a real estate agent can make a world of difference when you are moving in general but especially with pets.
Hope this helps.
IG
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