So many landlords totally missing the boat

[Crystalbeach]

I am not in a moving mode right now..but I read the apartments/houses to rent ads and I am so amazed at the narrow mindedness of so many landlords..
I can understand why they may say "no pets" in their ads..but I wonder if they have any idea how many great tenants they are excluding...and if they are noticing a lot of the upscale buildings now saying "pets welcome"...like the Anchorage in Millidgeville..

if I were a landlord I think I would say..."pets welcome at my approval" or something to that effect...

my husband and I are both retired..we have been renters since 1997...we sold our house because we did not want to mow grass..plow snow etc..we have a summer place so our townhouse is basically empty all summer....

we do not party...we're away 6 months of the year...our rent is always paid ahead of time...

would you turn us away from renting from you because we have a small dog who never barks...ever!...he has never destroyed anything in our home.

[je12122]

No I wouldn't turn you away...Have you told him all this?? The only reason I am asking is the place I am living now did not allow pets but when I talked to the Landlord and told him about my two cats and how they were very well behaved, indoor and fixed cats he gave me the okay. You might want to talk to the person, some people have probably had some really bad experiences with animals and tenants in the past and they are hesitant to allow pets again, but any Landlord that is looking for a decent Tenant should definitely allow you to have your small dog after explaining what you just told us.

Good luck I wish you all the best.

[Crystalbeach]

we are ok in the rental that we are now in...this was just a general rant to some of the landlords who post on this site.

[je12122]

oh sorry, it's late I didn't read it right.. Yeah I agree with you about it though, I think a lot of them are losing out on some great tenants only because they dont' want pets. Some people, unfortunately don't know how to properly care for their animals or property and ruin it for everyone else. When I moved In August I had a really hard time finding a place that would allow my cats, and then I came across the place that I am in now and I fell in love with it, so I was able to convince the landlord to let me have it with my cats. I think it is sad how many places now don't allow pets...considering most people who live on their own are most likely to live in an apt then a house and most likely would have a pet for companionship. Anyway I agree with you 100%, and I have noticed those on this site.

[rhiley_08j]

same problem i would love to move but have many issues1)affordability,2)big enough,we have 4 kids and pets,3)a place where my 4 legged babys are also welcome,anyone know of a place lol,as a rule my landlord does not allow pets but makes exceptions for some!

[puppyluv]

Just a few points. Not all pet owners are responsible. Not all watch for pet damage, whether chewing walls or spraying etc.
People that own buildings may have incurred a greater issue of damage and complaints about it.

That being sais, when I rented, I rented from Mark Henneberry, and when I inquired about gettign a dog, he asked the type I wanted to get (it was at the shelter, and I wanted the huskey) he said " if it's a barker it has to go."
Well I never got that huskey, he was too much dog for me! But I did get another one, with his ok on the apt. He did not charge me extra, was fair, and I was very careful about any damage.

Some can do it. some can't. If people come and go, not long term tenants, then that is extra wear and tear and cleaning. And .:eek: some people just arent pet people

[Misty589]

I'd be more offended if they asked me what kind of dog. I think it is ignorant to say no just because of a breed, this happened to me when i had to move 3 years ago, I got pretty fed up with ignorant people and just bought a house instead (I realize this is not an option for most, just saying what i did, i got lucky!)

[MrsBeasley]

The landlord has the right to rent to whatever type of tennant they wish. Their building is a big investment, if they choose to have no pets, children, students, etc. it's because they want to protect their investment. People can lie to your face and say their pets have never caused any damage, don't have fleas, don't make a sound, etc. These days things like references and criminal record checks don't necessarily mean you get a good, responsible tennant.

Believe me there are many irresponsible rentors out there. I, for one found out the hard way. We have a small bachelor apt in our home and spent months and $$$ renovating it. We agreed to allow a woman to rent who had a good paying job at a local call center. She had one cat and one small dog (as we had pets of our own upstairs), we agreed to allow the pets. After moving in she spent the night here only twice and disappeared, leaving behind all her belongings and her TWO cats (who spent a total of 5-7 days here in total before we had to deliver them to the ARL as they were urinating all over the apartment. The SPCA would do nothing about the abandoned cats since I allowed them into my home, they became MY responsibility.

I've lived in my house for 5+ years and never had fleas....until the cats moved in. After the first night I was bitten by a flea and my animals will get fleas most likely every summer now as the fleas are now in our yard.

I fed them for days with my own cat food when theirs ran out, used my own litter when theirs was soiled, applied my own advantage to control the fleas. I did this because the woman had diabetes and I had no idea where she had disappeared to. I reported her missing with the police, I called the hospitals. I did all I could do while caring for a newborn infant. Finally, when the smell of cat urine began permeating my house upstairs, I could take no more of the urinating cats (it didn't even smell like normal urine, it smelled like the cat -the female one we discovered was doing it had a serious bladder infection).

In 5-7 days those cats cost me approx. $500 or more in clean up, disposal of the cats to the league, verbal threats from friends of the woman on the phone once it was discovered her cats were at the ARL. Calls to and from the police, calls to and from the league to get the story on the woman after she showed up there screaming and hollering. Physical and mental stress so bad that I could no longer breastfeed my son. No amount of damage deposit could come close to repairing the damage we went through.

Not only do pets cause damage, one must also consider the growing number of people now who have allergies. Pet hair (no matter how well a tenant cleans) will always be around. An apartment that once had pets may affect the health of future rentors or other rentors in the building.

So, if a landlord chooses to not allow pets, it's not because they are narrowminded, it's because they care about their property.

[Tara]

Most of the 3 bedrooms I have called about have allowed pets, but they don't allow children!!! It's very frustrating...

[puppyluv]

I'd be more offended if they asked me what kind of dog. I think it is ignorant to say no just because of a breed, this happened to me when i had to move 3 years ago, I got pretty fed up with ignorant people and just bought a house instead (I realize this is not an option for most, just saying what i did, i got lucky!)

Do you know many insurance companies will NOT cover you if you have certain breeds of dogs? Who is reposnsible for that? The people that have them and don't train them, the companies? The breeders? The media for the constant reporting of issues or supposed issues?
I think it is their perogative to ask. If you have a small apt it isnt the place for a large dog who needs excercise etc.

[trinity]

I agree to that, especially if they bark at the least provocation. I would have a hard time with that, since I work nights,even on my days off I tend to stay up. I often even get bored and go for a wander to Sobeys or Tims or the Irving, so I am coming and going between midnight and 7 am. I don't make any noise when I do this, but if there was a dog in the other apartment and it was a "barker" he would wake up my roommate, who is very cranky when woken and cannot get back to sleep, or would wake up my landlord upstairs, who has a small child. Also, the landlord spent a lot of time and money building a safe back yard for his child this summer, he wouldn't want someone with a huge dog having access to the back yard where it could dig holes, poop, scare or injure his child.

[girdy]

If a landlord is going to get exactly the same amount of money for a tenant without pets as a tenant with pets, then they have assumed the risk of the pet without reward. I know in some cases there will be a damage deposit so that the landlord can use that to fix any issues resulting from the pet, but in other cases there isn't a damage deposit, and the landlord has taken on an extra element of risk by bringing in a tenant with a pet.

There are going to be more problems with a tenant with pets, than without. Your own pets are wonderful, someone elses when you own the property, are nothing but an additional risk to property damage and complaints. A noisy pet might end up driving out good (pet-less) tenants.

If a landlord is able to fill the building without needing to rely on tenants with pets, I can understand why they'd do so. If they can fill the building without them - there is only downside to having other peoples pets in the building, there is no upside (to the landlord).

[care1978]

Most of the 3 bedrooms I have called about have allowed pets, but they don't allow children!!! It's very frustrating...
i tihnk it is absolutely ridiculous that there are some landlords out there that will not allow children. i have been turned down by many places because i have a little one i dont think that its fair. i also dont agree with not allowing pets, i dont see what the big deal is as long as the owners are responsible when it comes to their animal and the caretaking of their unit, i also feel that if someone is given the chance to have their animal, if it causes any damage then the tenant shold have to pay accordingly.:)

[MrsBeasley]

i tihnk it is absolutely ridiculous that there are some landlords out there that will not allow children. i have been turned down by many places because i have a little one i dont think that its fair. i also dont agree with not allowing pets, i dont see what the big deal is as long as the owners are responsible when it comes to their animal and the caretaking of their unit, i also feel that if someone is given the chance to have their animal, if it causes any damage then the tenant shold have to pay accordingly.:)

Unfortunately, life doesn't work that way. The responsibility in the eyes of the law falls upon the landlord as they are the one who allowed the pets to move in, not the tenant. Not to mention most times the damage goes unnoticed until the tenant actually moves...then what?? The landlord has to spend valuable time and resources trying to find the person to get them to pay for damages that may be above and beyond any damage deposit they may have paid?

Some of you might actually think differently if YOU owned the building, spent a ton of money in renovations and someone moved in with their pets/children etc. and totally wrecked the place.

[Chinna Dah]

There used to be a little boy 4 years old) who lived right upstairs over my living room, he was so loud I could have strangled him. I tell ya if I owned this place, there would be no kids in this building. right now there is us, and old man nextdoor, and each apt upstairs has an old woman in each. I perfer it this way, and I would scream if more kids moved in.

Also my husband is allergic to everything, so if we had tenants with pets he would not be able to enter the apt to do any repairs, as he would likely have an Asthma attack. sorry not risking it, so in our case, I dont like to listen to kids and he cant be around pets.

[care1978]

i just dont understand how people can actually dislike something that they once were themselves (kids i mean; not animals ...lol ) i think if the tables were turned and it was them with the kid or pet, they would think differently, there are alot of people out there searching for a better place to raise their children and because of this "no children" clause... it makes it harder to find. just my thoughts on the subject. :)

[care1978]

There used to be a little boy 4 years old) who lived right upstairs over my living room, he was so loud I could have strangled him. I tell ya if I owned this place, there would be no kids in this building. right now there is us, and old man nextdoor, and each apt upstairs has an old woman in each. I perfer it this way, and I would scream if more kids moved in.

Also my husband is allergic to everything, so if we had tenants with pets he would not be able to enter the apt to do any repairs, as he would likely have an Asthma attack. sorry not risking it, so in our case, I dont like to listen to kids and he cant be around pets.
well your husbands allergy is certainly good cause not to rent to people with pets. i can understand that. still dont really understand the children thing though... ahhh well.

[Chinna Dah]

i think if the tables were turned and it was them with the kid or pet, they would think differently

That is why I dont have kids..I dont like them.

[care1978]

That is why I dont have kids..I dont like them.
thats a shame.... but.... to each their own i guess :rolleyes:

[Chinna Dah]

Yup that is right.I would not say it is a shame.

I would rather say I dont want any now, then go and pop out a couple kids and then say I dont want them. THAT is why there are soooo many miss treated children in this world, because people have them and dont want them, and they end up in fostercare.

anyway this is a totally different topic.

[catherine130]

As a home owner and landlord I can completely understand why landlords do not allow pets and or children in some cases. I have always rented apartments in child-free buildings and I really enjoyed the peace and quiet and not having kids toys in the hallways, etc. I have nothing against children but I enjoy living a lifestyle that does not involve kids playing and just being kids when I want peace and quiet. Now that I rent out part of my house I enjoy the fact that there are no children sleeping if I want to have some friends over on a friday night. As far as pets go, I appreciate the fact that it is difficult to find a nice apartment that accepts pets but they are out there. In many cases you have to prove that you care for your pet properly by having it spayed/neutered and keeping it up to date on needles and sometimes even provide references. These are all things that should be done anyway and if you don't spend the time and money to care for your pet properly then the landlord will probably assume that you aren't going to protect his property from damage caused by your pets. I don't think landlords are "missing the boat" at all, they are protecting their investments and providing a quality of life that attracts the type of tenants they want living in their property.

[Lemme_LQQK]

I worked for a property management company where I was the cleaner , ( hallways ,apts, ect) and the owner allowed pets no questions asked , in fact the owner still allowes pets.

The owner always said "you have a problem with the pets, you have a problem with the owners:.
I agree with that.
In the 9 yrs I worked there I think I had seen it all. I remember one tennant distinctly. She had a sweet dog , she had puppies, I had to go to see the tennant for whatever reason ,well when I walked into the "carpeted" apt I was horrified , she had newspapers down everywhere except the kitchen (which had cushion flooring on it) , and the papers were soiled everywhere , and the odor was etrosious.
There was the mommy and 5 of the cutest puppies you ever laid your eyes on, anyway later on that yr the tennant had moved out and every bit of the carpet had to be removed from the apt. along with all the cushion flooring in the kitchen and bathroom as well.

The entire apt had to be washed (I know because I did it lol ) from top to bottom and then repainted . It was a very hard job getting rid of the odor. But what with washing , and fresh paint we did. It cost the landlord way more than what the damage deposit was ( which wasn't returned to the tennant by the way ) to bring the apt back up to snuff so it could be rented again.

The tennant was furious she didn't get her damage deposit back. She soon gave up after seeing the report from the rentalsment...lol

So please understand why some landlords don't want the agony and bother of having to maybe deal with some people about their pets, it's easier to just say no .

There are some landlords in this city that charge $10.00 per cat and $15.00 per dog per month. A bit overkill I would say. It's either a yes or no to the perspective tennant.

[Mandi]

I can see why some landlords don't want pets in their buildings, but the ones who burn my biscuits are the ones who let some people have pets in a 'pet free' building.

[Lemme_LQQK]

Yes Mandi I agree, but also on the same note I could almost see a landlord restricting the "allow pets" motto to something like a turtle or something , they don't make much noise ...lol although at the same place I mentioned where I worked we had a tennant that did have an aquarium with some turtles, lo and behold if there wasn't a fire in that apt caused by the plug shorting out thus bursting the bulb which fell in the tank....lolol soooo I guess turtles can be hazardous to ones health too...lol

[trinity]

I guess what most of us who own a cat or dog wish is that landlords would offer the option of paying an extra pet deposit equal to the damage deposit, which would be used for spraying for fleas, carpet cleaning etc. Another "condition" they could attach is monthly inspection of the apartment, with the idea that if there was damage or urine smell, you could be evicted. We had tenants back in the 1980s when I was a kid that had cats, dogs etc. When they moved out in the middle of the night and left a trashed apartment, we found we had fleas and had to get the whole building fumigated. We had had multiple pets ourselves for my whole life upstairs and never had fleas. The exterminator warned us to send our dog away for a couple of days but didn't say the same for the cats. they were poisoned and died. So that filthy family not only cost my parents hundreds of dollars, it cost me Archie and Peter.

[Mandi]

Yes Mandi I agree, but also on the same note I could almost see a landlord restricting the "allow pets" motto to something like a turtle or something , they don't make much noise ...lol although at the same place I mentioned where I worked we had a tennant that did have an aquarium with some turtles, lo and behold if there wasn't a fire in that apt caused by the plug shorting out thus bursting the bulb which fell in the tank....lolol soooo I guess turtles can be hazardous to ones health too...lol


Yeah lol i guess.

I'm talking about te ones who allow some people to have cats in a building that is supposed to be pet free. Way i see it is, if it's good for one it's good for all or vice versa. there is another family in the building we just moved into who just got a kitten, and when we asked the land lord if we could have a kitty if we paid a pet deposit , more monthly and showed him the vet bills for his flee control and being fixed ... he said no. :( he doesn't want more animals in the building. People like that , all i have to say to them is 'blah to you sir'. blah to him.

[Lemme_LQQK]

Yes Mandi you are surely right there . I mean if you say "yes" to one say "yes" to all. My son lives in an apt that allows pets , heck the landlord has one HUGE (so homely it's cute) dog , I think they call it "Dog". My son has 2 cats. Well the neighbour in the adjacent apt just got a puppy , it's a big puppy looks full grown, anyway my son showed me ( both apts r on the top floor with a shared deck) where the tennant is too lazy to take his dog down in the yard , he lets it pee right there on the deck , which in turn is leaking through the floor of the deck down to the landing below in front of the other apts.

So one has to walk through that mess and track it all the way up stairs and into the apt.
He brought this to the landlords attention who was not at all impressed , I do't know what's going to happen there but something definately WILL happen.
And on top of all this the dog is an un neutered male so you KNOW where else he lets go ..all over the siding . I went to visit my son a couple of weeks ago to find him cussing and chipping yellow ice away from the building, I asked what that was and that's when he told me .
So I think one can say it's not just the inside a landlord has to be concerned about.

That's where the saying "u got a problem with the pets ,you have a problem with the tennant" comes into play.