Over 60% of American households have a pet. If you’re not in that group, are considering joining it, and plan on living in a rental property, you have work to do.
Why?
Because not every rental property allows pets, particularly, dogs and cats.
Before you start freaking out over the limited pet-friendly apartments you may have access to when entering a new area, know that pet-friendly apartments are becoming more common. Also, even if the apartment you want doesn’t accept pets, there are ways you can work around that red-tape.
In this post, we share information you should know when seeking pet-friendly properties. Read on!
1. Low-End Apartments Tend to Be Pet Averse
We scoured pet-friendly apartments in major cities to see which kinds were open to pets and which weren’t. In our search, a pattern we noted was that lower-cost rentals that seemed to be owned by an individual or very small investment groups tended to not want pets.
Comparatively, larger apartment communities that were owned by investment groups and sported higher rents tended to offer pet options.
All of that to say, having extra budget for your monthly rent can make finding pet-friendly apartments a lot easier.
2. ESA’s Can Be Kept in All Rentals
ESA’s (or emotional support animals) are pets that belong to owners who carry a prescription from a doctor that deems their animal necessary for mental health. Since mental health conditions are covered in the American Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Acts, rentals must accept ESA’s into their buildings, even if their policies prohibit it.
Furthermore, no additional deposits or fees can be charged by your landlord concerning your ESA’s presence.
You can learn more about ESA’s here.
3. Additional Security Deposits Are Required
When pets are allowed into rentals, an additional security deposit is almost always a string attached to that situation. This deposit intends to cover additional unit damage that may come about as a result of your pet’s presence.
If that damage doesn’t come to fruition, you should get your deposit back.
Another concern for the rental company is pest problems such as fleas and ticks that pets can bring to the property. Working with pest control services such as https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/local/kentucky/ can help you to eliminate these pest problems and keep your home pest-free.
4. Pet Rent May Apply
On top of a security deposit, some larger rental communities have begun charging “pet-rent” as a controversial monthly fee. Unlike your deposit, you won’t get any of this charge back.
Be wary of pet rent rates as some can be as high as $100 per month, per pet.
5. Read Details Closely
Some prospective tenants get excited when they see places like these pet friendly rentals and rush to fill out an application. Before you get caught up in similar excitement, know that you must read each property’s pet policy.
Certain policies prohibit certain breeds of dogs. Others don’t allow for pets that live in water. The more you know upfront about what a property will expect of you, the lower your chances will be of being surprised later.
Pet-Friendly Apartments Exist Everywhere
In our research, we found pet-friendly apartments were available in every area across the United States. With that said, you should have no problem finding a home for you and your animal!
We wish you the best of luck working through your discovery process and welcome you to read more pet-centric content on our blog should you need more guidance.
