This Place is the Cat’s Meow! How to Find Pet-Friendly Apartments You’ll Love

Did you know that 68% of households in the United States own a pet?

It’s no wonder that with so many people owning a fur baby they need to find a place that they can live with their pet.

Do you need an apartment that serves both your needs and the needs of your pet? Keep reading to learn how to find pet-friendly apartments you’ll love.

How to Find Pet-Friendly Apartments

Having a pet makes life exciting and full of love. Maybe the place you’re living at now doesn’t allow you to have pets and you want to adopt one. Pet-friendly apartments are not impossible to find all you have to learn is where to look.

Don’t Rush

When looking for a pet-friendly place to live you need patience. Apartments that allow pets have the lowest vacancy rates because once someone has a place to live that welcomes their fur babies they don’t vacate quickly.

If you’re currently renting give yourself plenty of time before your lease is up to find a place to live that allows pets.

Speak to Locals

Contact the local animal care hospitals or the local humane society and ask them if they have a list of apartments that allow pets. You can also pick up an apartment guidebook at a local store or supermarket and find which ones accept pets. Sometimes those guides will also specify if there are weight limits or breed restrictions.

Search Online

Thanks to the internet you are able to do a search for apartments that allow pets in the specific area you’re looking to move to. This website is a perfect example of how much searching online can help you make your list of the places that do accept pets.

This will save you the time of touring a place that you fall in love with only to find out that your furbaby isn’t welcomed.

Support Animal Option

Explore to see if your pet can be a support animal for you. People sometimes think that the only service animal is a seeing eye dog but there are pets that support their owners in other ways. If your pet is the one you rely on for comfort because you suffer from emotional issues you might be protected under the Fair Housing Act.

If a renter is diagnosed with an emotional disability and a landlord doesn’t allow their pets then that landlord risks facing discrimination charges. If this sounds like it might apply to you then you will want to talk to a doctor or therapist in your area and take the necessary steps to have your pet become your emotional support animal by law.

Put Together a Pet Resume

Take the time to have your pet ready to meet a potential landlord. You want them to be on their best behavior. If you have a puppy that’s still in their curious puppy phase, consider enrolling them in school and keep their certificate of completion as proof to a landlord in case they require proof of a well-behaved or a trained dog.

Keep your pet groomed, clean and smelling good for any last minute apartment tours that allow you to bring your pet. Make sure their vaccine records are all up to date and have those ready to show as proof as well.

Peace of Mind

Landlords and apartment communities are usually concerned with the damage the pet is going to cause. This is why so many apartment complexes don’t allow pets because they don’t want to deal with fixing or cleaning after a pet has been in the apartment. If they don’t require a deposit offer to pay one to help give them more peace of mind.

You also have the option of buying a renter’s insurance policy that covers pet damage and let your potential landlord or apartment complex know that you’re willing to do this.

Sign a Pet Addendum

Once you find the place that’s perfect for you and your pet you want to make sure you have this in writing. Make sure you sign a pet addendum with your rental agreement. This will protect you and your pet from getting evicted.

Verbal agreements don’t suffice if your lease has a no-pets clause. If there is a no-pet clause make sure it’s removed before you sign it or crossed out and initialed by the manager or landlord. Also, make sure that it’s removed or crossed out on the landlords copy also.

Before signing the pet addendum be clear on how much the pet deposit is and the stipulations on getting it back in the future. Also, clear up if there are any extra monthly pet fees that have to be added to the rent. These fees should also be in writing to avoid any discrepancies in the future.

If there are any rules for those that have pets make sure you get a copy of those rules and be very clear on what they expect from you as a pet owner.

Enjoy Your New Home

Once you go through the process of finding an apartment or home that accepts you and your pet it’s time to move in and enjoy your new home. Moving is already a stressful thing to do there’s no point in moving multiple times if you don’t have to. Finding pet-friendly apartments right from the beginning will help you avoid extra moves.

Make sure that once you’re moved in and enjoying your new home you build a relationship with the new landlord, or apartment manager so that you can be sure to enjoy your new home for years to come.

Once you’re ready to move to your new home check out our guide with tips to make your moving day as simple as possible.

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