Apartments Friendly To Your Four-Footed Family Members
Not all rental situations will provide you with living options that are primed for pets. In fact, there are many apartments that expressly forbid animals, and for good reason: animals tend to be dirty. Cats like to find corners of the home to do their business, dogs will dig into the carpet, and there are smells almost impossible to get rid of.
The cost of managing pets is too high for many property owners. However, there are some that will allow tenants to absorb this expense. It’s called a pet deposit. The higher the caliber of apartment you seek, the more likely you’ll be able to bring pets if you pay such a deposit. However, there are apartment options where no deposit is required, and pets are allowed.
Granted, these are harder to find, but they can be found. A better way to go about apartment-hunting for pets is to weigh the pros and cons of specific apartment complexes in a given community. There are quite a few apartment homes in the Victory Park Neighborhood that offer pet-friendly amenities, and some that don’t.
You want to look for such units in multiple places. Certainly online websites act as repositories for rental listings, but there are also many apartments that you won’t find listed on the web—even when vacancies are available. There are a few reasons for this, chief among them the truth that landlords don’t necessarily confederate under any kind of organizing mandate.
Realities Worth Considering In Rental Arenas
If you made a few hundred thousand dollars, you could buy your own property and rent it out to those whom you chose until you made enough money to sell that property at a profit and buy a better one. You could effectively curate tenants as a landlord, and the wise ones do. When listings are put strictly on the web, that opens up your complex to virtually anyone.
Now certainly, not all random tenants who seek a unit through an online site are going to pass the application process, but still: many property owners renting out their premises don’t want to rifle through endless applications. So they’ll put certain provisos on their property to keep out the undesirable tenants. Pet restrictions can be just such a provision.
The Human Element
Essentially, just because an apartment says “no pets” doesn’t mean you can’t bring your pet there. It just means you’re really going to have to sell that landlord. If you’re looking at corporate housing (that is to say: an apartment complex managed by a national company) this will be more difficult. However, localized listings have room for negotiation.
You may be able to keep your dog or cat if you pay an additional amount every month, or propose a pet deposit. Especially if you’re gregarious and good with people, you can convince a property owner. Not in all cases, but some. So when you’re looking for pet-friendly living, list private property owners in a separate category from more established communities.
Also, the type of pet you have could make a big difference. For example, if you’ve got a fish in a bowl, that probably isn’t considered a “pet” in the lease agreement. Though it might be—ensure you’re careful to read all the details in the fine print. Still, lizards, frogs, snakes, fish, gerbils, squirrels—these animals may not be included in pet restrictions.
Look At The Total Picture To Carefully Choose The Best Option
All these things being said, some apartment complexes allow only certain pets, and expressly forbid others. What this ultimately means is that, ideally, you want to look at a minimum of five different units that could prospectively provide you a home for yourself and your pet before you choose. More is better, but this is a time-consuming process, so don’t go overboard.
Also, your personal situation could be something you need to factor in. A non-family apartment unit may allow pets, but be in a bad part of town. If you’ve got a family to move, you’ve got more to think about.
There are benefits to renting over owning, and vice versa—these things depend on your personal situation. The key to finding a home that works for your pets, for your family, and for you, will be taking your time, considering all your options, and choosing carefully.
