By Ashley Lipman
Owning a pet is a joy that tens of millions of American families get to experience. Pets can provide us companionship, keep us from getting too lonely, protect us and be so much more. They can even offer health benefits to their owners.
Nevertheless, renting with pets comes with a few challenges – from finding a pet-friendly apartment to how to best live in an apartment with your pet.
While everyone loves their pets as if they’re family, not everyone will see it that way. For example, many landlords or rental companies either don’t allow pets, or are incredibly particular about the kinds of pets they do allow? So how do you go about finding a pet-friendly apartment in your area?
Whether you are looking at Rowlett TX apartments for rent or at apartments to rent, this article is going to look at a few tips to help you find a pet friendly apartment.
Start Your Search Early
When looking for a new home or apartment, it’s always a good idea to start your search early. This is especially true if you are looking for a place that is pet-friendly. This is because these places are in demand, so your chances of finding one last minute right before you need to move are pretty low. The last thing you want to do is wait for the last minute and not be able to find a home for your furry friend.
A few months before your current lease is up you should start looking for somewhere new. Get to know the policies of different companies or landlords, and be ready to pounce on a great unit as soon as it becomes available. Being prepared and starting early is always a good idea. Starting early will also give you time to speak to different companies and landlords to see if they are flexible on their no-pet rules.
Be Willing to Pay a Deposit
In order for some landlords to rent to people with pets, they may require a pet deposit upfront. This provides them a bit of protection in case the animal does some damage to the unit. If you love a unit, but it isn’t pet friendly, you could consider making them an offer that includes a pet deposit, as well. While a deposit provides a landlord some extra money, it should also give them peace of mind knowing you are confident in the behaviour of your pet.
In addition to adding a deposit, you can also consider offering to pay more in rent. Money talks, and offering up a little bit of extra money every month for your pet can ease some landlord worries. Of course, know what you are comfortable with and can afford, don’t let someone take advantage of you and your love for your pet.
Have a “Pet Resume”
If your city or town has a lot of competition for high quality pet-friendly units, it is a good idea to have what is essentially a pet resume. Think of a competitive market in real estate just like the job market in many large cities. However, instead of selling yourself with your resume, you are selling your pet with theirs.
Your pet’s resume should include things like its age, how large it is, the breed, if it is up to date in terms of its shots and more. Including medical history and any type of certificates the pet has is also a good idea.
Also, having references or letters of recommendation can help boost your pet’s resume too. In addition to the resume, you could also have the landlord or property manager meet the pet. While this meeting may not always be able to be set up, having your landlord actually meet the pet can help them be more comfortable with having them live in the unit.
Use All Available Resources in Your Search
When searching for a pet-friendly apartment in your area, you should use everything you can to help your search. This includes online classified sites, online rental platforms, and so much more. Many of these give you the option to sort by pet-friendly or not, which can make your search much easier.
If going online and using the available resources there doesn’t help, there are still other options at your disposal. For example, reaching out to the humane society or other pet-related organization could get you a list of pet-friendly communities in your area. If all else fails, you could even reach out to your friends, family members and social media followers and ask them to make some recommendations.
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