Finding A Pet-Friendly Rental

In many areas, pet parents struggle to find a rental home that will accomodate their entire family, both humans and pets. The current rental market has forced more apartment complexes and private property owners to open their rental properties to pets, but not all “pet-friendly” rentals are truly friendly to pet parents and their four-footed family members. A rental that accepts pets may still have policies that are decidedly biased against pet parents. How can you choose a rental where your pets will be accepted as family members, not just as another source of hefty deposits which will almost certainly be retained for one reason or another upon move-out? Read on.

Have Rental-Friendly Pets

If you want to find a pet-friendly rental home, you need to do your part by owning rental-friendly pets. That means:

• Housetrain dogs, litter train cats, and use cages and playpens for other pets.
• Don’t try to keep habitually loud and disruptive pets in a rental. For example, cockatoos are inappropriate for apartment complexes. Your landlord and you could both get slapped with a fine for noise complaints, depending on state and local ordinances.
• Exercise and train your pets to avoid destructive behavior.
• Do not teach your pets to behave aggressively. If signs of aggression appear, seek professional help immediately.
• Spay and neuter dogs and cats, and avoid any breeding of pets in a rental home.
• Consider getting your dogs certified as AKC Canine Good Citizens or even as Therapy Dogs. These certifications give property owners confidence that the pets are well-behaved and non-destructive.
• Avoid raising a puppy in a rental home if at all possible. All puppies chew and have accidents at some point.

Once you’ve made sure that you’re a pet parent who a property owner should be happy to rent to, move on to sifting through merely pet-tolerant properties to find really pet-friendly properties.

Identify Rentals That Cater to Pet Parents

When looking at rental listings, check the language pertaining to pets. Does it say “pets may be allowed with additional deposit” or “pets considered?” You’re probably looking at a pet-tolerant rental property, where your pets will be permitted to join you, at the expense of a hefty deposit, monthly pet rent, or even a non-refundable pet fee. On the other hand, if you see “pets welcomed,” “we love pets,” or any language that describes pets as family members rather than property, you might have found a pet-friendly property.

Once you’ve found some listings that appear pet-friendly, go through and call each  phone number. Rule out properties where the leasing agent’s response to a question about pets is to read off a long list of rules pertaining to pet ownership. If you hear friendly and positive responses like, “Yes, we love pets here and many of our current tenants are pet parents,” put a star by those properties on your list and go for a visit. Avoid properties that charge both a pet fee and a pet deposit. Look for rentals where you’ll pay a minimal, refundable deposit for your pets.

During your visit, look around to see if happy dogs and owners are strolling (with dogs and leashes) around the grounds. If you can squirm away from the leasing agent for a few minutes, ask any pet owners you see if their renting experience has been a good one. Beware properties where you see many signs warning pet parents of  various regulations regarding pet ownership. A few signs mentioning leash laws or cleaning up after pets are ok; a strongly worded sign at every turn about barking dogs or dog waste on  the grass might be a red flag.

Finally, if you’re ready to sign a lease, check it over thoroughly for excessive regulations that limit your rights as a pet parent. If you’re not sure how a particular lease provision would affect you, check with a lawyer before signing– it’s cheaper than hiring a lawyer to file a suit later if the lease turns out to be totally unfair to you!

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