Finding Pet Friendly Apartments for Rent

Trying to find pet friendly apartments for rent is a challenge. Landlords don’t want to risk damages to their apartment caused by pets. On top of that, some tenants have ruined it for others by not properly training or taking care of their pets while renting, which made it impossible for landlords to want to go through that experience again. However, you can still find apartment owners who are willing to take a chance or who, in fact, warmly welcome pets.

Check Specialty Websites

There are many resource websites for pet owners who are looking to rent an apartment. For example, your local humane society’s website may have a resource page listing pet friendly rentals. There are also websites, such as www.peoplewithpets.com that have an apartment directory for you to conduct a search nationwide. Some websites will even allow you to search more specifically for the kind of pet you want to rent with. For example, you can conduct a search for dog-friendly apartments. As you narrow down your search, you can request an information packet from the apartment buildings you’re considering, or call them to find out more about their pet policies.

Check General Websites

If don’t find what you’re looking for using a website specializing in listing pet friendly rentals, you can try researching other websites that list apartments, such as www.apartmentratings.com. Other resources include Craigslist, Yahoo!, and the local newspaper’s online classifieds. Once you’ve located an apartment, you can contact the landlord and ask them whether they’d consider taking a pet. Many mention it in the ad, but some might be open to a pet even if their ad doesn’t state “No Pets.”

A Realtor

Realtors don’t just help people buy or sell property. Some realtors find apartments for clients. If you’re having trouble find pet friendly apartments for rent, contact a realtor in the community where you’re looking. They’ll send you a list of apartments they’re aware of. Even if they don’t know of any, they have access to colleagues, computer databases, clients and other resources that will help them find what you need. The benefit of using a realtor is that they might know of opportunities that are not advertised, including houses for rent. The downside is, you may be paying higher in rent due to the realtor’s commission for finding your the apartment.

Animal Shelter

One resource that is often overlooked is the animal shelter. Who else would know the scoop about pet friendly rentals in your area? They often take in pets due to people moving, being evicted or because people are told to get rid of their pets if they want to stay in an apartment. They may have a list of apartment buildings that they know are pet friendly in their office, rather than online. Therefore, it’s worth a trip if you’re close by. If not, give them a call and ask for the information.

It may take a little longer to find pet friendly apartments for rent, but using these resources should help you find options to consider. Keep looking and ask everyone you know to be on the lookout for any rentals that might look promising.