We all love animals (if you don’t please stop reading this blog and go get a heart first), but our love of animals is sometimes at odds with the practicality of renting in a big city. In fact one of the most cited reasons for dogs being given up to animal shelters is that the owners were unable to find adequate housing.
Instead of tucking our tails and running (as our dogs do whenever they find another, bigger, and scarier dog.), here are a couple of tips to help you rock it when finding a new location for you and your furry family member.
- How to Find the Rental
The first step in renting with pets is to find the rental! The best way to go about this is to start early! Give yourself plenty of time to find a rental property that accepts pets and you will have a better chance than if you start looking only a month before you leave.
Be sure to check your local animal shelter and community guidebooks at super markets for listings that you may not have found online.
- Keeping the Rental
Now here is the real kicker, because you have to be careful here. Just because you have found a place where the landlord, other tenants, or Uncle Bob says will allow you have pets does not mean you are Scott free.
Once you have found a rental you need to go through a couple of steps to ensure that things run smoothly before you sign the lease.
First, be sure to get your pet trained and introduce him to the landlord so that he makes a favorable first impression and will increase your odds of getting a yes.
Once you have impressed the landlord, you need to make sure that you review your lease to ensure that it explicitly states that pets will be allowed and that the landlord has no legal right to remove you or your pet without due legal processes.