RENTING WITH PETS

Finding a rental within your budget is hard enough, but trying to find one where you will also be allowed to keep pets, is a whole different kettle of fish.

No wonder tenants with pets tend to stay in their rental homes for longer than those without.

Although the law on this might be changing sometime soon, if you’re hoping to keep a pet in a rental right now — whether it’s a dog, cat or an ant farm — you will need your landlord’s permission.

Here are some tips to help you get that permission and live happily with your furry friend:

COMMUNICATION

This might seem obvious, but just ask the question.

You might be surprised to find, with a couple of reassurances from you, that many landlords would let their tenants keep pets, despite a ‘no pets allowed’ stipulation.

Allowing a pet is preferable to having an empty rental property.

REASSURANCES

Offering to pay a bit more rent, is one way to convince a pet–phobic landlord to let you keep a pet.

If this is not possible, present your landlord with pet references from previous landlords, attesting to the good state of their property after you and your pet moved out.

Assuring your landlord that your pet is well–behaved, like producing a certificate of the puppy training course you completed, will go a long way towards securing that ‘yes’.

Agreeing to have the property professionally cleaned at the end of your tenancy will also show your commitment to maintaining the property.

PETS

Once you have permission, choose your pet wisely.

Or, if you already have a pet, choose the property wisely.

Not all animals are well–suited to small spaces and will require a momentous amount of attention from you to keep them from tearing up the place.

Choose a pet that fits in with your lifestyle; if you haven’t jogged a day in your life, don’t try to convince yourself that you’ll take a Husky for a run each day.

And, don’t aim for a small, one–bedroom apartment on the third floor if you have a Saint Bernard.