Many property owners are hesitant to rent to renters who have pets due to the potential for damage, inconvenience, noise, and even risk to other tenants. However, more than half of people’s homes have pets, and most people wouldn’t put themselves at economic risk if the damage was an issue. You may find a wonderful home for your pet without giving it up. If you’re planning on looking for a place to live that allows pets, here are nine things to keep in mind.
1- Prepare Ahead of Time
Good pet-friendly rentals shouldn’t be as hard to locate as they once were, but there are still criteria you need to meet. If you have a cat, for instance, you’ll need to make sure the house is far from a busy road and equipped with a cat flap. A new home’s proximity to a park and sufficient square footage should be high priorities for dog owners. You should start looking for a new house at least eight weeks before you have to vacate your existing one. Your chances of finding a new home for you and your pet should improve if you widen either your search area or the type of property you’re looking for. Use the search bar on our site. When you find a location you like, click “filter results” and then select “pets allowed” to see only those places that welcome your furry friend. You can refine your search by including keywords like “park” or “peaceful” in the advanced search bar.
2- Justify Why Your Pet Should Be Accepted
You can do a few things to make your landlord more comfortable with the idea of having dogs if you find one who is receptive to the idea but still needs some convincing. Include documentation of your pet’s recent vaccines, flea and worm treatments, microchipping, and neutering. You can also provide emergency contact information for your veterinarian and another responsible party. To show that your pet has always been well-behaved and has never created any problems at a rental property, you should contact a previous landlord for a reference. Investors will rest easier knowing that you are a conscientious landlord.
3- Approach a Landlord Before Getting a Pet
If you want to keep pets at the rental property, you’ll need to get the landlord’s permission in writing. The only acceptable justification for a landlord to deny a pet’s written request within the allotted 28 days is if the dwelling is too tiny to accommodate a pet of that size. If you can prove to the landlord that you will be a responsible pet owner, your request should be granted. If you keep a pet, you have the responsibility of ensuring that it does not bother your neighbors and of fixing any excessive damage it may cause to their property. If your landlord does not respond to your written request for approval within 28 days after receiving it, the request will be presumed to have been granted.
4- Let Your Landlord Meet Your Pet
One last thing you can do to relieve your landlord’s worries is to introduce them to your pet ahead of time, though this is normally only necessary for canine tenants. The landlord will have a better idea of how well-behaved and social your pet is once they have met it in person. The landlord may want to see that you’re a responsible renter and that your pet is well-behaved, so if you feel comfortable doing so, you may always have him over to your current place. Agents for landlords are tasked with finding the safest, most reliable, and best-suited tenants possible, so bringing a pet along shouldn’t hurt your chances. The best case scenario is a tenant who is responsible, reasonable, and takes care of the property, notwithstanding the presence of a dog.
5- Maintain a Pet without Your Landlord’s Approval
Be honest with your landlord at all times if you plan to maintain dogs in the rental home. You might get in trouble if they find out you have a pet without permission during routine property inspections or, even worse, through complaints made by your neighbors. Since this is a violation of the lease agreement, legal action might be taken to remove the tenant.
6- Look for Private Property Owners
Private landlords are typically easier to negotiate with, especially in the case of residences that do not specifically advertise themselves as pet-friendly. There may be room for negotiation with private homeowners, but if the building is professionally maintained and has a no-pet policy, you’re probably out of luck.