Pets Allowed – Finding Pet-friendly housing

If you own pets and rent, you know that it can be difficult, if not impossible, to find housing. Unfortunately, many landlords just don’t want to deal with the hassles of irresponsible pet owners in their properties and so avoid renting to pet owners completely. This practice has left many well-loved family pets out on the street or dumped off at shelters when the owners can’t keep them. In fact, moving or no-pet landlord policies are among the top three reasons people give for abandoning their pets, according to the Humane Society of United States.

But you can see the perspective of many landlords. The majority of pet owners are responsible; but one irresponsible pet owner is a nightmare to deal with – damage to property, noise, complaints from other tenants and neighbors, liability due to dog bites & the increased insurance rates that go with the increased liability. In many cases, it just might cost the landlord too much to have to deal with accepting pets.

If you’re looking to rent and you have pets, here are some tips to find housing that already accepts pets or how to approach a landlord who doesn’t advertise a pets-allowed policy. 

Some apartment complexes already accept pets; but, many only accept small animals, like cats or dogs up to a certain weight. But some will accept larger dogs. Some good resources to start with are:

http://www.peoplewithpets.com/petfriendlyapartments.asp

http://www.apartmentguide.com/

http://www.apartments.com/ will allow you to search apartments that accept pets.

If you don’t get anywhere using these sources, here are a few more options you can try:

-Contact realtors in your area and ask them if they know of any apartments that accept your type of pet. There shouldn’t be a charge to you for this info as they are hired by the landlord to find good tenants.

-Be prepared to prove yourself. Especially if you have a larger dog, make sure your dog is trained and that you have certification of his or her behavior by a reputable dog trainer. Provide proof of neuter/spay, as well as vaccines. It may also help to get your vet’s recommendation in writing.And, be the perfect tenant in every other respect. Don’t expect a landlord to give you special treatment when you’ve been evicted in the past, have spotty credit and or have limited job history. Show them that you’re responsible in all other ways. 

-Offer solutions to prospective landlords. Don’t just call up and say “I have two big German shepherds and I’d like to rent your apartment.”  The landlord who doesn’t normally accept pets will say, “Sorry and goodbye.”Instead, say “I have two loving family dogs who mean the world to me. I am prepared to provide you with an additional pet fee of $500 (or whatever you agree to) to offset any damages, inconvenience or additional costs they might cause you. I will agree in writing that if they are a nuisance to other tenants or neighbors, I will give you 30 days notice (again, what’s reasonable to you and the landlord) and will vacate the property, and will pay for additional advertising and application costs you may incur in re-renting the apartment. (Even offer to find a replacement tenant.) Prior to signing the lease, I will provide you with copies of their certificates of training, recommendations by their trainer as well as a recommendation by their veterinarian of however many years.”

You may even want to consider offering a promise that your dog(s) attend day care a few times a week which will seriously cut down on any behavior problems you are likely to have. An active dog is very often a happy dog.Some area dog day care facilities include:
http://www.tailsuwin.com/daycare.htm – Manchester, CT
http://www.thegooddogspot.com/ – Bloomfield, CT
http://www.4dogman.com/ -Colchester, CT

And anything you agree to with your landlord, make sure you get in writing.

-Offer to bring your pet to meet the landlord. If they see your dog is friendly, well-treated and healthy, they may be more likely to agree to accept it.

-Don’t try to sneak a pet past a landlord. Chances are, the other tenants know about the no pets policy and will only be too happy to tell. You’ll be breaking a contract and will likely have only a short time to find it another home or move out.

-Most of all, be responsible and think ahead. If you’re renting now and think you will be renting for the long term, it just makes common sense to not have large dogs. Particularly if you live in a small apartment, don’t get a dog that likes to run and needs space – perhaps a cat or even an older dog might be better for your lifestyle. The worst thing you can do is get a pet, have to move (or a new owner takes over your building and now has a no pet policy) and not be able to find another place that accepts it because of its breed or size. Your pet will only suffer and possibly be killed at a shelter if you have to give it up – and you will have lost a friend and companion.