How to Find a Pet-Friendly Rental Home

Being a pet owner and a renter tend to work at odds against each other. Sure, there are many rental homes that allow pets, but there are also many landlords who just don’t want to deal with the issues that come with having tenants with pets. So, what’s the best way to find a pet-friendly rental? Read on for some helpful tips.

Start searching early

Whenever you’re searching for a rental home, you should always start looking at least 60 days ahead of time. If you’re specifically looking for a pet-friendly rental, give yourself more time. You’re narrowing down what you can choose from so you may need longer to find exactly the place you want to live.

Check with the humane society/animal shelters

You're probably already looking at online listing sites like here at Rentals.com, where you can narrow down your search to places that are pet-friendly rentals. In addition to that, you should also check with your local humane society and animal shelters. They may be able to help you find places that are pet-friendly, along with other information such as local laws about pet ownership that you might never have thought you needed.

Have all your pet's information easily available

Landlords and property managers may have questions about your pet, so have the answers ready. Get all of their vet records, adoption papers, and anything else that can help answer questions they may have. The more information you have, the easier it will be to show that your pet won’t be a liability.

Understand why owners are down on pets

Pets can make large messes or even cause damage to a house. Dealing with the smells and cleaning after an out of control pet is a massive cost and headache for the landlord. While many pets can be well-behaved, the ones that cause trouble can be so bad that many landlords are cautious or avoid it entirely.

Don’t try too hard to sell someone with a no-pet policy

For the reasons above, if a landlord has a no-pet policy, you’re probably not going to be the one to convince them to have a pet-friendly rental. You might be able to with a private landlord who works on a small scale, but don’t count on it. You probably don’t stand a chance convincing a larger operation to make an exception for you. If they say they don’t want pets, you probably won’t convince them to change their mind.

Be willing to make a custom offer

Since you’re a bigger risk as a pet owner, be willing to make some compromises. It’s common to have a pet fee alongside your rent, but a larger security deposit or some other guarantee can be exactly what you need to secure a place for you and your pet.

Get everything in writing

Even if you don’t have a custom offer, make sure you have everything in writing. How much the pet fee costs, what pets you’re allowed to have, how issues caused by your pet are to be handled, and anything else that comes up. Get it in writing so there’s no conflict about who promised what to whom later on down the line.

With enough time and preparation, you can find a good rental for both you and your pet. Just be realistic and follow the tips above. With time, you’ll be able to find just the right place for you.