Are you looking into an apartment? If so, and you have a pet, there are some things that you can do to make your life a bit easier for you, for your pet and for your landlord.
- Be Honest – Your landlord is going to find out if you’ve got a pet that you haven’t told them about, or if you don’t just have one cat but you have three.
- Get References – Have you rented an apartment with your pet before? Get some letters from your other landlords. This can go a long way to showing that both your pet and you were good tenants and acted responsibly.
- Have a Pet Resume – Your landlord is going to want to know about your pet, so why not make it easy for them? Include your pet’s height, weight, breed, their age, if they’re neutered or spayed, their personal hygiene, their training background, the name and number of their vet, behavior traits and some references. Provide this to any prospective landlords.
- Talk About Your Pet – A landlord is going to be more likely to rent to you if you can show that your pet’s been neutered or spayed, that they are house-trained, and that they have been socialized, exercised enough and trained to happily live in the apartment.
- Get It on Paper – Offer to the landlord to put an addendum on your lease or rental agreement. This will indicate what the landlord can expect of your animal and you and agree to pay an extra security deposit for covering any damages caused by your pet.
- Have a Short Trial – Offer to the landlord to have a shorter rental period. This way your landlord will be able to see if you’ll work for the longer terms. If this is something your landlord agrees to, make sure that all specifics are done in writing. People sometimes have changes of heart, so ensure that theirs doesn’t mean that you have to suddenly move.
- Ask Before Adopting – If you don’t come into an apartment with a pet but you decide to adopt one while renting, get permission first. If the landlord doesn’t want you to get a dog, they might be okay with something smaller like a cat. They also might prefer that you get something that is even smaller. So, rather than trying to sneak a new pet into your apartment, ask the landlord about it. The good news is that when you adopt, especially from a shelter, those pets are usually fixed so it’s one less thing to worry about.
These are seven tips that you can use when you are moving into an apartment or another rental property with a pet. The majority of landlords are reasonable, as long as you are honest with them.
Please keep coming back, because we have a lot of great tips that you can use as a renter. If you have any questions or are looking for a place to rent, let us know. We can help you.