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House Hunting with Furry Friends: A Pet-Owner’s Guide

A woman smiling, sitting on the sofa in a rental home with her dog.
As a pet parent, seeking a rental home that offers to accommodate your furry friend is essential. It can be sad to know that lots of landlords don’t permit pets in their rental properties. Although, with the ideal process, you can definitely find a pet-friendly rental house that matches your needs. In this post, we will share practical tips in searching for a pet-friendly rental home and encouraging a reluctant landlord to rent to you.

Our tips entail:

  • Exploring rental listings that permit pets.
  • Putting together a pet resume.
  • Providing references from previous landlords.
  • Offering to pay a pet deposit.

 

With these ways, you can boost your chances of actually finding a pet-friendly rental home and see to it your furry companion has a nice home.

 

How to Find a Pet-Friendly Rental Home

  1. Start your search early: Give yourself adequate time to find the perfect place. The more time you have, the more options you’ll have. Focus your search on listings made public as “pet-friendly,” or enlist the help of a listing agent, friend, or property manager. By initiating your search early, you will have much time to identify the best and most ideal place for you and your pet.
  2. Prepare for a pet fee or deposit: Plenty of landlords who allow pets will demand a pet deposit. This is often a refundable deposit or non-refundable fee that will cover any breakage that your pet may bring about to the property. Be willing to pay this amount upfront. Plenty of property owners will likewise charge a rather higher rent or a “pet rent” on top of the base rent. In the majority of cases, the amount is considerably small and will help cover any additional wear and tear your pet may create in the home.
  3. Introduce the landlord to your pet: Numerous landlords are more inclined to rent to you if they meet your pet in person and see for themselves that they are well-behaved. This is additionally a brilliant opportunity to depict to the landlord how responsible you are as a pet owner. If meeting your pet in person isn’t an option, develop a “resume” presenting your pet’s best qualities. Include multiple photos and any documentation from training classes, vaccination status, and so on.
  4. Offer to sign a longer lease: Landlords are typically more likely to rent to pet owners if they offer to sign a longer lease. This conveys to the landlord that you are set on staying in the property for a more protracted period. Most property owners prefer to choose long-term tenants and may be more likely to permit you and your pet if you’re seeking a long lease.
  5. Provide references: If you can, secure references from previous landlords or neighbors backing up your pet’s good behavior. These can be quite useful in applying for any rental home, even one promoted as pet-friendly. When you meet your forthcoming landlord, bring your pet references with you. These references can be very helpful in persuading a rather reluctant landlord to rent to you.
  6. Clean up after your pet: One final thing, it’s essential to frequently clean up after your pet and make it a point they don’t make any damage to the property. If at all possible, keep from leaving your pet unattended in the home or leave them in a risk-free location. This will make you shun issues with your landlord and keep your pet deposit refundable.

 

 

By adhering to this advice, you can often enhance your chances of finding a perfect pet-friendly rental home. But, on the other hand, the simplest method to find the ideal rental home for you and your pet in the Lexington area is to contact RPM Bluegrass. We offer quality rental homes most of which may be best for responsible pet parents like you. Call us today at 859-684-2054!

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