Attention Pet Owners: Renting with a Dog
Do you need to rent a house or an apartment? If you do, you might get rejections from landlords when you have fur babies with you, especially if they’re dogs. Concerns often include allergies among residents and behavioral issues that pose threats to people. However, not all landlords are like this. You’d be surprised that many still allow pet dogs on rental properties. So, if you need to scout a place to rent temporarily (or for a longer period), here are the things you need to do, consider and prepare before you go knocking on someone’s rental properties when you’re renting with a dog.
Things to Do
- Do Your Research
Once you’re certain that you need to move and rent a house, start searching months before moving. Not mere weeks to reduce the stress and make the transition smooth.
Remember, you’d be moving with your fur babies. Dogs and cats are creatures of habit, and a new house would make them stressed and frustrated, too.
Create a list with three to five options and choose landlords who also have pets in their home. More often, these people are more forgiving because they know what it means to have a pet.
- Meet with the Landlord
Show off what your fur babies can do and that you trained them to follow your commands. A meet and greet with your dogs or cats will give your future landlord an idea of how your pets behave.
If it’s not possible to do a face-to-face meeting, you could request a virtual one. The important thing is to talk to the landlord and gauge his/her reactions.
Before you meet with the landlord, make sure to prepare your dog’s resume, a checklist of questions, among others, to ensure a smooth and quick talk.
Things to Prepare
- Send a Pet Resume
Yes, dogs or cats can have their resume, too. Your pet’s resume might include breed, vaccinations, age, completed training (if any), a brief description of your pet’s personality, photo, and a reference from the previous landlord (if applicable).
Your goal here is to garner the attention of your future landlord. If you have videos or a page where you post your pet’s daily adorableness, you can include them in the resume. You can send it out beforehand through email or hand it during your meeting.
- Create a Checklist of Pet’s Needs
Again, you’re not moving alone. You have one, two, or more living beings with you to think of their needs. So, prepare a checklist of what your pet needs. These needs could include a park to visit during regular walk time, a window to the garden or backyard.
Whatever those needs are, your objective is to find a place where you can settle comfortably along with your pet.
- Ready Your List of Questions
Ask questions from the landlord even if you find the specific requirements in the rental listing. For example, the listing included a “pet-friendly” clause. It could mean many things.
The landlord might accept cats or birds as pets but not dogs. Sometimes, landlords don’t want cats but accept dogs.
Other concerns you might want to clarify may include:
- Additional fees for pet owners
- Restricted areas for pets if they’re allowed to rent with you
- Restrictions on size, breed, and weight
- Number of pets allowed
Things to Do Before Moving
- Visit the Community
Most probably, you’d want to walk your pet, especially dogs, to the park. You might want to join community events as well.
So, look around the neighborhood and observe nearby establishments, pavements, parks, or roads. See if there are other pet owners.
In short, get the feel of how to live in a certain community.
- Secure an Agreement
A written agreement is important. Make sure that the contract includes clauses allowing your pets in the building and other pertinent details.
Verbal consent won’t suffice. You won’t have legal evidence to use if accidents happen concerning your pets.
- Invest in Insurance
MD Renters Insurance will cover personal property, loss of use coverage, liability, and valuable items. Is your pet covered? Yes, but the coverage and inclusions are limited.
If the renter’s policy doesn’t include the coverage you need, you can ask your insurance provider about pet liability under the umbrella coverage.
Conclusion
Moving out and renting a house or an apartment shouldn’t be a stressful event for you and your pets. You’d be dealing with a new community, environment. It’s a new phase of your life. So, plan, prepare and get insurance.
About Moody Insurance Worldwide
Moody Insurance Worldwide, a division of Moody & Associates that was founded in 1914, is a leading provider of risk management programs and insurance coverage to individuals and businesses across the East Coast. We write all sizes of businesses, with technical expertise in many key industry areas, and provide personal insurance programs for estates and high net worth individuals. Our licensed, experienced commercial account managers can work with you to determine the coverage that you need at a competitive rate. Contact us today at (855) 868-0170 to learn more about what we can do for you.