So you’re ready to add a furry companion to your life, but wait, does your landlord allow pets? Whether you’re in your perfect place already, or are searching for a new apartment, there are some strategies you can use to convince your landlord to allow pets.
So, how do you convince your landlord to allow pets?
- Establish a good relationship with the landlord (or building manager) – be friendly, kind and courteous
- Proactively discuss pet deposits and your willingness to pay pet rent
- Build a pet resume including vaccination history, veterinary records, and references from previous landlords or roommates
Landlords are concerned about their property and the satisfaction of all of their tenants. The best chance you have to convince a landlord to allow pets is to assure them that their property will be looked after, you’ll be a responsible pet owner and your neighbors will remain happy.
Adding a Pet to Your Lease
To begin, check out your lease agreement for any clauses about pets. Some apartments allow only one pet or only certain species, for example, only one cat is allowed and no dogs. If the agreement allows pets, you’re set! Just be sure to follow the rules. If you need to let the landlord know and submit a pet deposit, do that before you bring your new friend home. This will help maintain a good and trusting relationship with your landlord.
If your lease agreement doesn’t mention pets, technically you’re allowed to have them. But it’s safest to do some research around your building: ask your neighbors if they have pets or know how the landlord feels about them. Next, start a conversation with your landlord. Your aim is to make sure they know you’ll be a responsible pet owner and that their property will be taken care of. That often means you’ll give them a pet deposit to cover any potential damage and pay a pet fee or monthly pet rent. You might also suggest signing an agreement that outlines your responsibilities as a pet owner: this is called a pet addendum that would be added to your lease agreement.
If your lease agreement forbids pets, it’ll be hard to convince your landlord to allow one. You can try to change their minds by initiating a conversation with them about their pet policy; hopefully you’ve already established a good, trusting relationship with them. Be curious and compassionate about why they may have implemented the policy. As you find out more information, you might be able to quash some of their fears with safeguards like a pet deposit, pet rent, renter’s insurance with pet liability and a pet addendum. You might also appeal to their bottom line letting them know that, on top of earning pet rent, they’ll decrease their tenant turnover. Based on a 2015 study conducted by The Foundation for Interdisciplinary Research and Education Promoting Animal Welfare (FIREPAW), tenants with pets tend to stay longer – an average of 46 months, compared to 18 months for people without pets, with no difference in damage between those with and without pets.
Next, discuss the pet(s) you’re considering with your landlord: their outlook might be different depending if you’re considering a house cat or a mini horse. If possible, talk to your landlord in-person. This gives you the best chance to connect to them on a human level and you’ll be able to gauge their reactions much better. Be clear about the age and history of the animal you’re looking to add to your life; puppies and pets with separation anxiety can cause noise complaints. Your landlord will be concerned about the impact on your neighbors as well as their property.
How to Convince Your Landlord to Allow a Cat
Finally ready to add a feline friend to your life? Here are some tips to convince your landlord it’s a great idea to allow your cat.
First, remember why your landlord may be hesitant to allow cats. The main concerns landlords have about cats is the smell of urine, and damage to carpets and window coverings. Remind your landlord that there are things to gain by allowing cats:
- longer tenant occupancy (those with pets stay 2.5x longer than those without)
- decreased vacancy rates (they’ll have more renters to choose from since nearly half of households have a cat)
- increased profit from pet rent
- cats look adorable on window sills
On top of sharing the benefits, you can educate your landlord about cats and share how you’ll be a responsible cat guardian. Let them know that litter box trained cats rarely go outside of their box, and if they do it’s often due to a guardian not taking proper care to clean the box – something you’ll be agreeing to in writing with the pet addendum. Damage to carpets and window covering is often due to lack of appropriate scratching options and boredom. Your cat won’t have that problem since you’re giving them lots of scratching options and will be playing with them daily.
Make it as easy as possible for your landlord to allow cats by doing the following:
- provide financial assurance
- proactively bring up a pet deposit and pet rent
- provide proof of pet liability coverage in your rental insurance policy
- show your commitment
- get a litter box, cat scratchers and toys ready before you bring your new cat home
- have a veterinarian lined up
- draft a pet addendum that covers how you will be a responsible cat owner
- keep your cat indoors – it extends their life and they won’t be leaving their prey in the hallways for others to find
- offer to have routine inspections in the first few months of having your new cat
- be neighborly
- talk to your neighbors about your desire to have a cat, ask them to tell/write to your landlord they don’t have an issue with it
- commit to resolving disputes with each other before bringing it up to the landlord
- have adoption papers and reference letters from the shelter or previous guardians, if possible
Let your landlord know your dedication to giving your future cat a great life. Cats can be low maintenance pets, and virtually unnoticeable for landlords and neighbors since they’re generally more quiet than dogs and will spend most of their time napping in the sun.
How to Convince Your Landlord to Allow a Dog
You’ve decided a canine companion is the way to go, now how do you convince your landlord that they should allow your new dog?
First, remember why your landlord may be hesitant to allow dogs. Typical landlord concerns with dogs are damage to floors from nails, damage to walls/baseboards from scratching or chewing, soiled flooring/carpets, noise complaints, others’ interactions with the dog (jumping, barking, biting). It’s not all doom and gloom for your landlord to allow dogs, let them know there are some benefits in allowing dogs:
- security – late night and early morning dog walking keeps an eye on surroundings, noticing and reporting any suspicious activities
- longer tenant occupancy (those with pets stay 2.5x longer than those without)
- decreased vacancy rates
- increased profit from pet rent
You want to show your commitment as a responsible tenant and to your new dog. Displaying an understanding of the extra risks your landlord assumes by accepting your dog into their property will show how serious you’re taking your dog guardianship. The easier you make it for your landlord to accept your pet, the more likely they are to agree. Follow these strategies to help them say “yes”:
- provide financial assurance
- proactively bring up a pet deposit and pet rent
- provide proof of pet liability coverage in your rental insurance policy
- show your commitment
- show that you’ve already signed your dog up for obedience training and have a veterinarian lined up
- draft a pet addendum that covers how you will be a responsible dog owner (see Pet Addendum page ?)
- offer to have routine inspections in the first few months of having your new dog
- be neighborly
- talk to your neighbors about your desire to have a dog, ask them to tell/write to your landlord they don’t have an issue with it
- commit to resolving disputes with each other before bringing it up to the landlord
- have reference letters from the shelter or previous guardians, if possible
If you work from home, let your landlord know that your dog will have a constant companion so they don’t need to worry about a lonely dog barking all day or having a bladder accident.
Some extra things to consider: certain dog breeds are restricted via by-laws, insurance companies and/or landlords. You may be able to persuade your landlord to get over their breed bias and loosen their pet restrictions with your pet resume, but if it’s a city by-law or insurance company policy you’re unfortunately out of luck.
Your Landlord has Agreed to Allow Your Pet, Now What?
Once you’ve convinced your landlord to allow pets, make sure your lease is updated to explicitly approve your pet(s), including your pet(s) name, description and registration number. If you’ve agreed to a pet deposit and/or monthly pet rent, it should be specified in the lease as well. Include the pet addendum you’ve discussed with your landlord as well. Keep a signed (by you and your landlord) and dated copy of your lease stored safely and easily accessible.
Congratulations! It’s time to bring home your new furry friend.
