One of the many worries of a pet lover is living in an apartment unit with certain restrictions about having pets. If you are one of these people then you should remember the following important tips:
- Review your rental contract. Some landlords strictly forbid any kind of pet while some may restrict only cats or only dogs. By reviewing your contract, you may find some loopholes to pet ownership but of course, it would be best to follow your contract at all costs.
- Address your landlord’s experience about pets in the property. Find out what made your landlord decide on this restriction. Many landlords usually place a no pets rule in their contracts after a negative experience with a previous tenant. What you can do is promote yourself and your pet by doing the following:
- Inform your landlord that your pet is house trained or you are working on house training your pet. Show your pet’s litterbox as well as your cleaning tools to affirm your condition. Tell him that you will be personally responsible for cleaning up after your pet and he will never be a problem at all.
- Noise is one of the most common concerns of landlords and you can address this by informing your landlord that you are training your pet or taking him to a class for discipline training.
- Provide a letter of reference from your vet as a proof that you are a responsible pet owner. It should state that your pet receives regular checkups and vaccinations. This should help promote that your pet is healthy and you are very particular about your pet’s health and wellness.
- If your landlord still says no then you have two choices. You may either send your pet to a family member who can take care of him or you can move to an apartment or rental home that allows pets. If you choose the later then you could do the following:
- Ask a local animal welfare office for help in finding communities or apartment units that are pet friendly.
- Ask a property developer for help in finding rental homes that allow pets as well.
- Consider purchasing your own property. Having your own house or property will give you the freedom of having pets that are allowed in your state or community.
To avoid these situations
Consider this, numerous pets end up in a shelter or being set out in the wild because owners fail to check for pet ownership rules in their rental contract. You should never let this happen. Before you take any kind of animal or pet home, be sure to review your rental contract as well as any restrictions in your state. Some pets are OK to own anywhere such as cats and dogs but some states do not allow imported pets, reptiles, exotic fishes, insects and amphibians. You should also check if there is a local veterinarian that could help you with caring for your pet.