Renting with a dog
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Wish I could give advice. I'm dreading moving out of the house I live in now trying to find a place to rent with my dog. It's horrible how many places don't allow dogs or only allow small ones. Maybe contact a realtor? Or ask any local vets or dog businesses if they know of any?
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Having small or med sized dogs helps, some places have weight restrictions. Having no more then 2 dogs also helps. Look in the local papers and on line for rentals. Be flexible in where you are willing to live, back when I was looking I ended up having to widen my search area. Drive around looking for For Rent signs in the areas you are willing to move to, some landlords do not bother advertising. Having CGCs on the dogs helps, as does having references for them, some landlords are willing to bend the rules if they know your dogs are well behaved and it never hurts to ask. Look every day.
Some tips for when you find a place. Look for water spots on the ceiling, if you find one it's a bad sign. Check in closets and cabinets, I didn't do that and only found out that rats had chewed through the plaster in the under the sink cabinet after I moved in.. How many outlets each room has, along with how many fuses / breakers a place has, is a clue to just how old the electrical wiring may be.
Some tips for when you find a place. Look for water spots on the ceiling, if you find one it's a bad sign. Check in closets and cabinets, I didn't do that and only found out that rats had chewed through the plaster in the under the sink cabinet after I moved in.. How many outlets each room has, along with how many fuses / breakers a place has, is a clue to just how old the electrical wiring may be.
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Use sites like rent.com or what not. Most will usually have a checkbox to check when you have pets/dogs, so that the listings you find will only show those units where dogs are allowed. From there, you can read further rules on that, and whether there's a weight limit or breed restriction.
Pet friendliness depends highly on location. Some cities and towns are MUCH more dog-friendly than others.
Pet friendliness depends highly on location. Some cities and towns are MUCH more dog-friendly than others.
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273 Posts
Yea I live right near DC so prices are jacked up anyway, and I can't afford super expensive places. A lot of places have a 75lb limit and he's 75lbs at 10months!! haha I put an ad out on craigslist and got a reply from an elderly couple who also own a lab, so that's promising!
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Word of mouth?
My sister lives in VA and it is SO expensive! Before I bought my house, my landlord that I rented from allowed dogs, but they are few and far between.
I recommend that if you find a place that accepts small dogs, bring your dog for a visit. Offer a pet deposit and show them that your dog is incredibly well behaved. Get references, etc. Unless it's a condo complex or something, they may be flexible with a well mannered dog.
At my old apartment, the landlord said no pit/pit mixes were allowed. About a year after I moved in, a young couple moved in with their pit mix. That dog was SO well mannered that I assume the landlord made an exception.
Best of luck!
My sister lives in VA and it is SO expensive! Before I bought my house, my landlord that I rented from allowed dogs, but they are few and far between.
I recommend that if you find a place that accepts small dogs, bring your dog for a visit. Offer a pet deposit and show them that your dog is incredibly well behaved. Get references, etc. Unless it's a condo complex or something, they may be flexible with a well mannered dog.
At my old apartment, the landlord said no pit/pit mixes were allowed. About a year after I moved in, a young couple moved in with their pit mix. That dog was SO well mannered that I assume the landlord made an exception.
Best of luck!
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My house I bought while in college I decided to rent as "pet-free" because I didn't want the hassle. As a landlord I have a feeling that is what a lot of people think. I agree that the DMV area is ridiculously expensive, one of the reason I decided to buy again because it was so much cheaper than trying to rent.
I know that my friend (she has a Husky) who lives in DC went through Zillow to find her apartment.
Zillow
I know if you can move slightly outside of DC like to the Tacoma Park area about $950 a month will get you a studio apartment that allow large dogs.
I know that my friend (she has a Husky) who lives in DC went through Zillow to find her apartment.
Zillow
I know if you can move slightly outside of DC like to the Tacoma Park area about $950 a month will get you a studio apartment that allow large dogs.
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Yea, I have withheld the fact that he's 10 months old because when you meet him, he IS super well behaved and his house manners are great! So I figured that little detail could come up later haha And yea, I sent a picture of him to the people I'm talking to now and I know they'll be surprised how big he is if it comes to meeting him - he looks a lot smaller in photos!
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I actually live in Rockville, close to Silver spring so was searching in that area but Takoma park is SO expensive. So is Bethesda so I'm trying to avoid those.
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I am moving to Alexandria VA on Friday. Maybe it's just me, but I don't find the rent to be that expensive. I'm coming from the Raleigh area, and I am renting a 3 bedroom, 2.5ba house in VA (with a fenced in backyard and fully furnished!) that's only 400 more a month than the price of a 1 bed room apartment in downtown Raleigh. And in my opinion, Raleigh is definitely not a "happening city" compared to DC, to justify that kind of rent.
I found my place on Craigslist. I put in what I was looking for, the price range, and checked "allows dogs". There were a lot of options at the time I was looking and I'm sure there still are.
I found my place on Craigslist. I put in what I was looking for, the price range, and checked "allows dogs". There were a lot of options at the time I was looking and I'm sure there still are.
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You should consider basement apartments...basically an apartment but in the lower level of someone's house. I see a lot of those in that area. You may be able to win yourself a fenced in backyard that way and utilities are usually included.
Side note: I also think it's crazy to allow just "small dogs". Every dog should be evaluated individually. A badly trained chihuahua will obviously be more destructive than a well trained English mastiff.
By the way..what kind of dog do you have? I can't really tell on my phone from your Avi. Breed specific legislation can also hinder your search.
Side note: I also think it's crazy to allow just "small dogs". Every dog should be evaluated individually. A badly trained chihuahua will obviously be more destructive than a well trained English mastiff.
By the way..what kind of dog do you have? I can't really tell on my phone from your Avi. Breed specific legislation can also hinder your search.
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Lab/Border collie! Definitely got the Lab body and personality, though haha and he doesn't resemble a bully breed so he won't be singled out for that, at least!
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I live in Glen Burnie and when I was looking to Rent I was amazed at how expensive the places were in Columbia, Fort Meade, Pasadena, Annapolis areas.
I am also used to living in Murray, KY for the last 6.5 years where I thought $800 a month for a 2br/2bath was crazy when I could buy for a $500 a month mortgage.
It is kinda the take I had up here too I guess the places I was looking at had like a $2,300 a month rent for 2 or 3br and 2bath and I bought and got a 4br with a quarter acre yard for $1,150 a month.
I am also used to living in Murray, KY for the last 6.5 years where I thought $800 a month for a 2br/2bath was crazy when I could buy for a $500 a month mortgage.
It is kinda the take I had up here too I guess the places I was looking at had like a $2,300 a month rent for 2 or 3br and 2bath and I bought and got a 4br with a quarter acre yard for $1,150 a month.
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I might have gotten a deal! The thought of me living with someone 'from' craigslist scared my mom so much that she's willing to help me with part of rent if I room with a person she knows and that person is fine with my dog (and my two birds) so hopefully that works! 
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Good luck with your mom's friend!
Pet friendly housing in general is hard to find. I didn't have a dog when I was renting my first apartment but I did have my rabbit. I wasn't having much luck finding anything on my own. I ended up posting an "Apartment Wanted" ad on Craigslist- I included the area I was looking in, my budget, what exactly I was looking for (including pet friendly), and a little about me (hobbies, work, school, etc) so they could know what sort of tenant I would be. I got quite a few replies from landlords and from renters looking for roommates.
I will say, after seeing how poorly other pet owners actually control their pets, I can't blame landlords at all for not allowing them. My first roommate had a cat and three rabbits that tore up, chewed, and peed all over the carpet and walls. My current neighbors let their dogs run around off leash in a city and charge up to people, don't pick up after them, and one has separation anxiety and has completely destroyed their apartment. So it's those bad pet owners that make it so much harder and more expensive for the rest of us.
Pet friendly housing in general is hard to find. I didn't have a dog when I was renting my first apartment but I did have my rabbit. I wasn't having much luck finding anything on my own. I ended up posting an "Apartment Wanted" ad on Craigslist- I included the area I was looking in, my budget, what exactly I was looking for (including pet friendly), and a little about me (hobbies, work, school, etc) so they could know what sort of tenant I would be. I got quite a few replies from landlords and from renters looking for roommates.
I will say, after seeing how poorly other pet owners actually control their pets, I can't blame landlords at all for not allowing them. My first roommate had a cat and three rabbits that tore up, chewed, and peed all over the carpet and walls. My current neighbors let their dogs run around off leash in a city and charge up to people, don't pick up after them, and one has separation anxiety and has completely destroyed their apartment. So it's those bad pet owners that make it so much harder and more expensive for the rest of us.
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@revolutionrocknroll I actually made an ad like that and gave a little info on myself and said how big my dog was and that I have two cockatiels and I now have two other options if my mom's friend doesn't work out. My mom is a bit afraid of me using craigslist, but I think if I took the right precautions, that it would be fine.
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If the known people possibilities fall through, can you afford to offer a good sized deposit that has specific details on how you get it back?
My husband is a retired Marine. So we used to move a lot. We always rented, and always had 2 large dogs that were over 60lbs, plus a cat who eventually was older than dirt while renting still. We never lied about ages, though I can say I did call my cat 'adult, not 'almost 20 years old' lol, as she was housebroken until literally the day she was put down at 23).
We always welcomed them to speak to our previous landlords, made it a point to mention that I work from home (I know not an option for all, but the time home with the animals is ideal for behavior issue prevention), and we offered larger deposits as well. I don't really agree with extra money per month, as unless it is in the 10$/month range, it is a massive ripoff if you are a good, quality owner. i.e. are you also willing to fix any issues yourself?
So our last rental, we paid a $400 deposit per animal, and 1st and last months' rent, all up front. We initially outlayed nearly $5000 to our landlords. That makes them feel much more secure on possible issues. The only stipulations we ever had regarding money automatically taken from the deposits was to pay for carpet cleaning, and that usually didn't even come from animal issues, but was even from the general deposit/1st/last month, as it is common to do it between tenants.
The last house did try to make us pay for a flea treatment for the yard and house when we moved out, which was not in our contract. We had their flea person come out and put in writing that we had no fleas and that if there was an issue, to put the blame on nature- squirrels, etc, or a neighbor' dog, as we had very clean healthy animals. (This was in SC where fleas are a major issue, so we had them on monthly preventative treatments, so no way any fleas could be from us.)
Anyhoo, I occasionally skulk around this forum, and thought those little tidbits might be useful! Good luck! And beautiful dog you have!
My husband is a retired Marine. So we used to move a lot. We always rented, and always had 2 large dogs that were over 60lbs, plus a cat who eventually was older than dirt while renting still. We never lied about ages, though I can say I did call my cat 'adult, not 'almost 20 years old' lol, as she was housebroken until literally the day she was put down at 23).
We always welcomed them to speak to our previous landlords, made it a point to mention that I work from home (I know not an option for all, but the time home with the animals is ideal for behavior issue prevention), and we offered larger deposits as well. I don't really agree with extra money per month, as unless it is in the 10$/month range, it is a massive ripoff if you are a good, quality owner. i.e. are you also willing to fix any issues yourself?
So our last rental, we paid a $400 deposit per animal, and 1st and last months' rent, all up front. We initially outlayed nearly $5000 to our landlords. That makes them feel much more secure on possible issues. The only stipulations we ever had regarding money automatically taken from the deposits was to pay for carpet cleaning, and that usually didn't even come from animal issues, but was even from the general deposit/1st/last month, as it is common to do it between tenants.
The last house did try to make us pay for a flea treatment for the yard and house when we moved out, which was not in our contract. We had their flea person come out and put in writing that we had no fleas and that if there was an issue, to put the blame on nature- squirrels, etc, or a neighbor' dog, as we had very clean healthy animals. (This was in SC where fleas are a major issue, so we had them on monthly preventative treatments, so no way any fleas could be from us.)
Anyhoo, I occasionally skulk around this forum, and thought those little tidbits might be useful! Good luck! And beautiful dog you have!
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