Persuading Landlords to Accept Pets

I thought, as I am still looking for a house to rent, that I would revive this thread that I started before the downtime. I think it is helpful to quite a few of us and I remember receiving a lot of brilliant advice along the way! (thanks everyone!)

So yeah, I have spotted another house and am trying to get a viewing as we speak! It is great, as it is only 2 minutes walk from where I live now!! (and close to uni) It also has a massive balcony (IMO) and a space for my studio!! Woo Hoo!!

Here is the house!! http://212.50.188.106/cgi-win/vebra....BROOM/10261/11

Right, so I have to persuade the landlord/agent to let me bring the cats!

Someone (I can't remember who) put up a link about Pet Resumes, which I have been working on (but can't for the life of me find the address) So please could somebody post it again if you know what it is!! It was extrememly helpful!!

If anyone has any hints, tips or experiences, please add them here!! I need all the help I can get!!

Sarah it looks perfect!

I don't know what to say to the landlord?, but id be stressing to him in my sweetest voice how it's common knowledge how cats are known to be clean?!.

Are yours indoors?

Thank you! It looks good, doesn't it?!!!

It is from the same agent as the last few properties that I looked at (remember the gorgeous one that I missed out on by a day?? ) and they say that they don't have any properties that accept pets - but we saw one with a cat flap and he said they accept pets??

Anyway, yes they are indoor! I only take them out on their leads and harnesses. The balcony would be great for this!

I have drafted a letter that I posted last time, what do you think?

Dear Property Owner and Agent,

I viewed your property on the 11 January 2005. I would be interested in renting the property from you, however, I do own two indoor cats.

Both my cats are neutered and hence do not spray, they are fully house trained and free from both fleas and disease. I also ensure that their claws are maintained at a clipped length.

I am on the understanding from the agent that you do not accept pets. I am highly interested in the property and would like to put forward to you, the prospect of a Pet Deposit. This deposit will be negotiable on amount and will cover any possible damage that my pets may cause to the property during my tenancy. If, however, there is no damage caused by my pets, the money is refundable.

In addition to this, on request, I will be able to obtain references from my Vet regarding the health and well-being, verifying the care that I provide them.

I would like to assure you that I would be extremely careful of the property and would treat it as my own. Any damage made by either myself, my flat mate or my pets will be rectified at the date of tenancy termination.

I would like to thank you in advance for considering my application and offer, and for your correspondence regarding this request.

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The problem is that my present agent doesn't know about the cats, as I've not been able to get hold of them (for 2 years!!??) So I can't get a reference from the regarding the cats....

Oooh! Ignore the 'I viewed the property on' as I haven't seen it yet!! I am hoping to see it either this afternoon or tomorrow!!

That sounds perfect!

I suppose if they still say no you could slip it in nicely on how you noticed the cat flap at their other properties?!

Originally Posted by rosiemac

That sounds perfect!

I suppose if they still say no you could slip it in nicely on how you noticed the cat flap at their other properties?!

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Thank you and

I was thinking that maybe I should wear a mini skirt(!) and low cut top(!) and look beneath the furniture or something while I am asking about the cats!!

(not with my tom-boy image!! )

Only as a last resort though!

Good luck
I'm also trying to find a rental that will allow pets
Put together a resume with a picture of them at the top
Basically

"These are my Himalayan Persian cats- 11-year-old Bibby(the darker one) and nearly 2-year-old Beau. This picture was recently taken in the living room of my present apartment, which I own. These cats have never caused any damage in my home.

They are placid sweet- natured non-destructive cats that never scratch anywhere except on a scratching post, and are immaculate with their toileting habits- never missing their litter boxes, which are scooped twice daily and washed weekly.

They are also groomed daily and bathed every few weeks. Their claws are trimmed regularly. They are strictly indoor cats partly because of their coats but mainly because they are sweet placid cats with poor outdoor survival skills. Their favourite pastime is sleeping on a bed.

They are up to date with vaccinations and flea treatments and are taken to the vet for checkups regularly-or the slightest concern. Their regular vet is ..... Tel No ....

My cats are regarded as family members - thus leaving them behind in .... temporarily - or rehoming them is not an option, esoecially as Bibby is getting old. She was also left at a vets when she was 8 years old for rehoming by her previous family- as they were moving to a rental property

I am more than happy to sign a contract to replace anything in a rental property that could be damaged by them.

Thank you for considering my application"

I would have offered a pet deposit but understand they are not allowed where I live

Thank you Bibby!

I am still working on my resumes! Do you think it is better to put them both on the same resume or make one for each of them?

Good luck Sarah!

Sorry I have no advice to give... all my attempts failed miserably so my Baylee is an illegal resident... but only for 2, maybe 3 more days! Yay!

Let us know how it goes!

Sarah, I think your letter sounds great. When my ex and I used to rent, some of the houses we went into to see had STRONG cat urine smell in them. I wasn't a cat person at that time, (we had two dogs) but I assumed these were people who had either too many cats or didn't properly take care of the ones that they had.
I'm sure if you can show your pets are well behaved and well taken care of, along with the willingness of giving a pet deposit, I just can't understand why landlords would object. Goodluck and keep us posted!

Ari, I didn't realise you were moving too?!! I remeber you said you bf was moving but didn't realise it was you too! Are you moving into the same block as you said you would like to?! I hope so! Good luck with the move!! Plus, does the new place know about Baylee then? Did you have to persuade them to let you have her or were they okay about it?

Susie, thank you for sharing your experience! I can imagine that must have been pretty yuck with such a smell I hope I can show that I take care of my cats well!

I have prepared a letter to them (as above) and have also prepared a cat resume for them! I am in the process of getting references sorted too!

I am now just waiting for the rental agen to ring me back about the viewing!! (thank goodness the property is so close as the rain is torrential and I want to make a good impression!!)

I will keep you all informed!!

My bf is moving and since pets are allowed, we're moving her over. Plus it's way more spacious and more private than my place. And I'll probably be over there way more than I'll be at my place - I'm gonna try to convince him to get internet over there fast so I can bring my laptop and talk with y'all!

I think MOST places are usually fine with pets over here... one of the apartments, when I was looking back in April/May, even flat out said "we're very pet friendly". Now I wish I would've moved there... oh well!

Good luck though... how can they resist you?!

Finding Pet-Friendly Rental Housing

Click the 'Sample Resume for You Pet' link towards the bottom of the page.

Good luck!

Just a quick thought, since the new place is so close to your present place, besides the resumes, I would invite him/her over to see how well kept up your apt is now and to meet you two very docile kits. Offer him/her a stiff drink! LOL! Also a letter, with a contact number from your present landlord might be helpful.

Ari, won't you miss Baylee? Or are you going to be practically living with your boyfriend? Plus, I you!!

how can they resist you?!

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I hope they won't be able to!!

Tuxedokitties That was the website I have been looking for!! I have been working on the resume and think it sounds ok!! I will post it when I can!! Thank you for finding/remembering the site!!

Mom of Franz, That might be a good idea to invite them round, but i'll have to have a mass clean before then!! (I have lots of stiff drinks available, so maybe if they drank on their way up the stairs, they wouldn't even notice any mess!! ) My present landlord and agent don't know about the cats. I havn't even heard from the agant for years!! It seems that as long as the rent is paid and the place is good when I leave - they don't care!!??

I have booked a viewing for tomorrow, but am trying to find out which number the house is (I think) being re-decorated by the owner, so I plan on being cheeky and knocking and speaking to them

Sarah
I've just had 2 rental applications approved- maybe the resume helped. I included a nice picture of them in the middle of a cleaned tidy living room of my present home.
I spent a lot of time talking to agents about how important it was for me to find a place that allowed my cats an.d how well behaved they are and that they are regarded as family members- all true
I'm hoping the very nice place I put a weeks rent holding deposit on today wont fall through.
Also made sure I was well dressed with make-up on the days I was doing the rounds looking for a place- to come across as responsible and boring (normally on weekends I live in old jeans and a maybe-ironed T shirt-and hate wearing make up even to work)
Good luck
I understand how you feel

Sarah --

I went through a similar situation a few months ago when we were adopting Ebony. Our apartment was supposedly 'pet friendly' but only to pets over 1 year old. Unforunately Eb was 10 weeks old when we adopted her and we put in the application to get her before checking with the apartment first. I was expecting a nightmare of having to take back her application and not being able to take her home and me crying for days and days as I was already attached to this little kitten. But I think me and Brendan got lucky. Out landlord was very much willing to work with us and said as long as she was spayed we could have her. So we had a happy ending to our story.

Looks like you have some great advice in this thread! I don't really have anything new to add. I just wanted to say good luck.

That place looks lovely! I hope you're able to persuade the landlord.

I don't have much advice (though I think the resume suggestion is a very good one!), because when I moved into my place, I just asked the super flat out if cats would be okay - she said yes, even though the rental agreement says no pets, so it wasn't really an issue for me...

However, later I found out that my province actually has a law that a landlord can't evict a tenant for having a pet (even if the tenant signed a 'no pets' rental agreement, and even if they were told by the landlord not to have pets), unless the pet creates a disturbance (like letting your dog bark all day) or destroys the property! Basically, landlords can *say* 'no pets', but there's nothing they can do to enforce this if the tenants don't follow the rule. So I guess that would be my advice, check out your local tenancy laws and see if there's anything like this that protects pet owners - I had not even known that my province had this when I was looking to rent, it would have saved me some worry if I had.

In NYC the law is: If you have kept your pet in plain view, i.e. walking him, having feeding bowls in plain site and other evidence of a pet in residence, say when the super comes by, after 90 days you and your pet can not be kicked out