# Rental housing with a dog?



## Malchor (Oct 30, 2011)

For those who rent or have rented, have you ever experienced discrimination because you declared that you had/wanted to have a pet when you applied for rental housing?
I had one real estate agent throw my application in the bin purely because I applied to have a pet, even though they advertised that pets are allowed.
How did you convince the landlord to accept you and your dogs into their house?
I know one thing people do is to bring their pets to meet the landlord - but it's rather impossible for me to do that because my boy isn't born yet...
Any suggestions?


----------



## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

IMHO - it is not discrimination....at least not in the States. You have a choice to own a dog or not. Their property their rules.
And if the economy is such taht there are more renters that rental property...then the incentive to accept pets is even lower...

As a former rental property owner...It is a big pain in the arse to rent to people with pets... between fleas/not picking up waste/damage to the rental unit and complaints from other renters...and I LOVE pets!


----------



## nixietink (Apr 3, 2008)

Malchor said:


> For those who rent or have rented, have you ever experienced discrimination because you declared that you had/wanted to have a pet when you applied for rental housing?
> I had one real estate agent throw my application in the bin purely because I applied to have a pet, even though they advertised that pets are allowed.
> How did you convince the landlord to accept you and your dogs into their house?
> I know one thing people do is to bring their pets to meet the landlord - but it's rather impossible for me to do that because my boy isn't born yet...
> Any suggestions?


I only e-mailed places that said they allowed pets in the ad (usually looked on Craigslist). If they said they allowed pets, I didn't really have any problems in that area. However, I did assure landlords that my dog is well behaved in the house. Also saying it is a golden retriever seemed to help, too. 

It just narrows down your search and makes it way more time consuming to find a nice place to live. We finally did, but it took MONTHS of searching. Best of luck!!


----------



## Malchor (Oct 30, 2011)

I only apply for houses where the landlord indicates that he/she allows pets. Unfortunately because most rental properties here are handled by real estate agents, sometimes these agents just throw applications which require a little bit more processing in the bin, instead of actually processing them.

I attach a letter with every application detailing my responsibilities as a pet owner and to demonstrate that I know what I am doing - since I've had four dogs in the past, and that I will attend puppy school/CGC, etc... I also state that I am severely allergic to fleas and will definitely call the pest control people the minute I see a flea anywhere.

I spoke to this real estate agent today and asked for a list of pet friendly rentals, when she asked me what sort of pet I had, I replied I was going to get a Golden Retriever. Her next question was a classic and made me chuckle.
"What is that? Is it a dog or a cat?" :doh:

I'll keep applying for rentals. Eventually I will hit the jackpot, hopefully sooner rather than later!


----------



## GoldensGirl (Aug 2, 2010)

Welcome to the Forum!

Some landlords actually prefer tenants who have pets, finding us to be their most responsible tenants. A few years ago I rented a house in Virginia from a landlord who was thrilled to learn that I would have three Goldens on his property. He and his wife had dogs and the house came with a large dog-door insert in the basement patio door. 

Good luck finding a place that's a good home for you and your pup.


----------



## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Have you considered a condo or an apartment, instead of a single-family house?

Our dogs were the main reason we chose an apartment. We ran into problems when we were looking, mainly because Gunner was still with us at the time and he was a German Shepherd. Landlords heard "German Shepherd" and didn't want to deal with it. 

We felt that we'd have far fewer potential problems renting from a management company than we would renting from an individual, anyway. 
Our boys had a real knack for tearing up the grass with their running around. And there were always the 'burn spots' from them peeing on the grass. We were afraid that an individual landlord may not put up with that and we'd have a real problem if he/she said 'the dogs have to go.' 
A management company doesn't care. That's what they pay a landscaping crew for. And you're generally not going to be evicted from an apartment if your pup chews up the carpeting, or whatever. You can expect them to keep your security deposit when you move out, but they're not going to be coming in and keeping an eye/inspecting the place while you're living there, like an individual usually will. I don't know what it's like where you live, but here, as long as you pay the rent on time, they leave you alone. They're not in your unit, checking up on their property.


----------



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

As someone who's been renting with two dogs for years now, I can tell you, there's A LOT of people who don't like large dogs.

I've seen so many people say only small dogs or cats allowed. I don't really see the difference. Small dogs are typically more yappy. I haven't met a cat owner yet whos house didn't have that "cat smell". Both shed. So why not large dogs?

Here in Ontario its illegal to say "No Pets" but people do it anyway.

We've been lucky so far, we've had to move 3 times this year and have always found renters who don't mind large breed dogs.

Now that we're on a farm, we're probably just going to stay here a while!


----------



## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Ninde'Gold said:


> As someone who's been renting with two dogs for years now, I can tell you, there's A LOT of people who don't like large dogs.
> 
> I've seen so many people say only small dogs or cats allowed. I don't really see the difference. Small dogs are typically more yappy. I haven't met a cat owner yet whos house didn't have that "cat smell". Both shed. So why not large dogs?
> 
> ...


I so totally agree with the cat thing. No offense to cat owners, but to a non-cat owner, you can IMMEDIATELY tell if someone owns a cat when you walk into their house. It's just... there. I'd think a landowner would be more concerned with a cat smell in their property than a few dog hairs or a scratch or two in the wood floors.

And don't get me started on small dogs. There's one girl in my apt. complex with a smallish dog, and I have seen her more than once let her dog poop and not pick up after it.

As an aside, I wish everyone who didn't pick up after their dog could see this one woman. She's elderly and walks with a walker, but she still manages to bend down and pick up after her little dog when it goes. If SHE can do it, anyone can do it.


----------



## Malchor (Oct 30, 2011)

Thanks folks for all the comments!

I live in Australia, and over here a condo/apartment is out of the question if I want a pet because 99.9% of apartments here have building strata rules which ban all pets, some even go so far as to ban goldfish.
All rental properties also undergo a property inspection by the real estate agent every 3 months just to ensure that everything is in order, which is why I want to declare and get the owner's consent (in writing!) before I bring my Golden pup home. I don't feel comfortable keeping him in secret.

I am also tempted to add that I used to live with a housemate who had 2 teenage boys, and they destroyed more of the house than any dog ever will!

There are currently three houses that I have applied or am applying for, and am awaiting the outcome to see if I get any of them. This is the first and most difficult step in preparing for the coming of the pup, but it will be well worth the effort!


----------



## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Malchor said:


> I live in Australia, and over here a condo/apartment is out of the question if I want a pet because 99.9% of apartments here have building strata rules which ban all pets, some even go so far as to ban goldfish.


Ah, that's a shame. Maybe they'll come around in time. Not too long ago, you couldn't find an apartment or condo here that would allow big dogs, either. 



kdmarsh said:


> I so totally agree with the cat thing. No offense to cat owners, but to a non-cat owner, you can IMMEDIATELY tell if someone owns a cat when you walk into their house. It's just... there. I'd think a landowner would be more concerned with a cat smell in their property than a few dog hairs or a scratch or two in the wood floors.


Boy, you're not kidding about that! Don't get me wrong - I love cats, but I can always tell, the minute I walk into someone's house, if they have a cat. I've never met a cat owner who could completely hide that litter box smell. Some are better at that than others, but it's always at least noticeable.
When we were looking for this place, I actually saw quite a few ads that said either dogs were okay, or would be considered on an individual basis, but said "no cats."


----------



## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

In the two Canadian provinces where I've lived and rented, it is illegal to discriminate against pets (dogs and cats, anyway). Landlords try - but as soon as you say, "you're actually not allowed to prevent pets" they back down. Pets are considered members of your family.

My philosophy has always been, if a landlord makes it clear he or she is against dogs, even though it is illegal, I will choose another place. Because even if it's legal, a landlord can make your life miserable if he wants. I've had really good experiences, thankfully, and now I own my place.


----------



## Nyahsmommy (Jul 23, 2011)

Ninde'Gold said:


> As someone who's been renting with two dogs for years now, I can tell you, there's A LOT of people who don't like large dogs.
> 
> I've seen so many people say only small dogs or cats allowed. I don't really see the difference. Small dogs are typically more yappy. I haven't met a cat owner yet whos house didn't have that "cat smell". Both shed. So why not large dogs?
> 
> ...


We are also in Ontario so we have the same issue as well. The whole reason we chose the apartment we are in, isn't because we really liked it... it was one of the very few places that allowed it. I have yet to find a house/townhouse rental that allows pets.


----------



## Malchor (Oct 30, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and comments.
I received an offer this morning for one of the houses I've applied for - a really nice one at that! Most of the other "pets negotiable" houses I've looked at were quite old - the sort they let out to owners with pets purely because owners without pets wouldn't want to stay there.

I've left a message with the real estate to get the landlord's approval for me to keep a golden there in writing before I put my deposit, just to safeguard myself.
So far all goes well - I've been very very lucky indeed to get something this good in such a short amount of time.


----------



## bbuzz (Aug 8, 2010)

Good luck getting the rental. We rented our house out for 24 months, while we travelled around the world. Like most forum members I love animals, but I was slightly hesitant about renting to dog owners. I'm in Australia so I had the added security of 3 monthly house inspections by the real estate agent.

The first thing that poped into my mind was that there are so many bad dog owners, that results in dogs being left in back yards or being large amount of destruction due to poor training or management. Also we have the most amazing neighours and I would hate to imagine our neighours having to put up with a barking dog. 

We ended up allowing renters that had a huski that they showed. The couple were both high earning professionals and we figured that a show dog was more likely to be trained and looked after and it turned out there was never any issues with the dog. 

It would be great if more rentals were open to allowing large dogs. But I can understand the hesitation, because there are associated risks. I think its a great idea to real estate agent or owners meet your dog.


----------

