lying about the number of cats you have to apartment complexes..

[there_there]

I've considered doing this, as I have 3 cats and the limit on apartments is usually 2(I've called all of them in the area we'll be moving). One of mine is an ex-feral cat who hides if anyone other than me is present so.. they'd never know I have three. What I worry about though is what could happen to them in an emergency. I had planned on getting one of those "in case of fire please save my 3 cats" stickers for my door but I doubt they really work anyway. I don't know, how much of a risk am I taking here? There's no way I would risk my cats' safety.

 

[mom of 10 cats]

I know I just have an "In case of fire please save my cats" with no number on it. Even though my township has no limits on the number of cats one can have in a house, I have unpleasant neighbors on one side who, if they saw "save my 15 cats" would likely try their worst to get me in some sort of trouble. Nevermind that they have (underage) loud drinking parties all summer long and blast rap music with pornographic lyrics...
I don't know that lying on a legal form is a good idea though. And cats have a way of being seen, when they're perched three on a windowsill for example.

 

[tuxedokitties]

You may be taking a risk if you lie about the number of cats, if your landlord sees them.

Having said that, I'll admit that I've lied about mine!

I had four cats and told the landlord I had two. One was very shy and ran for cover if a stranger walked up the steps. The other three were all black & white. I took a gamble that no one would see all three at the same time. The landlord himself never came around the apartment though. He just had some workers come by, and they didn't pay attention to the cats. And my neighbors didn't care - my cats all stayed indoors.

I tried for a long time to find an apartment honestly, but it's hard to find any place here that lets you keep pets at all, much less four. Property owners would freak when I said I had four cats!

But make sure they do allow cats - don't try to sneak a cat into a place that doesn't allow pets at all.

 

[sammie5]

I am so lucky. My landlord MADE me get a cat. And the first question he asks new tenants is "How do you feel about cats?"

Seriously, he'd rather we have cats in the building than deal with exterminators. And he told me a cat would be good for my happiness and well being.

That said, if you lie on your application, the landlord may be able to use that as grounds for eviction. Although I suspect you would have to do something else really wrong for them to want to evict you.

 

[wellingtoncats]

Errrrr. We are allowed pets here, but not as many as we have, our landlord must give 3 weeks notice(or is it 3 months?) to if he's gonna come and inspect us.

We are supposed to have 1 dog and 3 cats, try 2 dogs,7,8,9 cats? and 2 rats hehehhe

sam

 

[sicycat]

I think our limit is 2. The girl upstairs told the landlord she had one but she has 4

Because its $500 pet deposit for each animal

The landlord lives in the building too. I think she's crazy, but I dont blame her. I wouldnt want to give up my cats.

 

[hopehacker]

I don't know where you live, but if you lived in Los Angeles, I'd tell you where you could live with 3 cats, and a dog. In my apartment building pets are welcomed, and I have 3 cats and 1 dog.

 

[wellingtoncats]

BTW I live in a 4 bedroom, 2 storey house, that we rent, it's not an apartment.

Wow! That's cool Hope!

 

[jellybelly]

I've lied since I adopted my JB when he was little. The price for deposit is really ridiculous and it almost seems like these apartment/rental people are not too pet-friendly let alone cat-friendly, I guess because of the cost of cleaning, etc. Luckily though my JB is really well behaved and doesn't tear up carpet or furniture except where he can. The last apartment, I made sure to clean it really good, even though you can never get out the cathairs no matter what you do, but they didn't notice and actually sent a thank you note for the cleanest apartment

The house I'm renting/house-sitting for my friend, she doesn't mind my JB and likes him so that helps. I'm not sure what we'll do later on though when we have to move out.

I went to check on some current apartments and the rates are so much higher than three, four years ago!

And I only have one, so I feel really bad for those that have more than one furbaby!

 

[cabbie]

Actually here in Ontario, Canada it doesn't matter what landlords want or don't want the law is explicitly clear, landlords are forbidden from posting " no pets" in their buildings. They can say no pets all they want doesn't mean a bloody thing.

 

[nighteyes]

It is never advisable to lie on a legal document.

 

[bren.1]

In my last apartment, I never told them I had a cat. That's not really lying, it's just omitting certain facts. They never caught on, and I lived there over 4 years.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

There is not a complex on the planet that will allow more than 2 pets (well, maybe a few, but you will be hard-pressed to find one). Mine knows, but I am discreet and we just don't talk about it. They do make a carrier by Sturdiproducts that is divided, so you can fit 2 cats in an emergency.

 

[MeganLLB]

I have lied before. I also had lies at the ready. Saying like, it's not my cat, I'm just pet sitting for a few weeks.

 

[Blakeney Green]

For those looking for pet-friendly housing, it has been my experience that you will have a much easier time renting in a house that has been divided into apartments or just a whole small house rather than an apartment in a complex, if that is an option in your area. Landlords who manage a few units as a side job are often more flexible than property managers who have to have blanket rules to keep large numbers of tenants in line. Obviously that isn't the case for every property, but it may be worth checking into.

 

[MeganLLB]

For those looking for pet-friendly housing, it has been my experience that you will have a much easier time renting in a house that has been divided into apartments or just a whole small house rather than an apartment in a complex, if that is an option in your area. Landlords who manage a few units as a side job are often more flexible than property managers who have to have blanket rules to keep large numbers of tenants in line. Obviously that isn't the case for every property, but it may be worth checking into.

This is how I've always rented. I've even been able to convince my landlord to allow more pets when it wasn't in the contract. She just started this as an investment out of college and does this on the side. Last place I rented I shared a 3 bedroom house with my dog, and now a 3 bedroom duplex. Never had problems with keeping animals. And I know the previous tenants secretly kept cats, too.