I read an article recently on this subject and thought it was useful so I thought I’d make my own version of it so that I could offer my personal experience.
I and my lovely wife Terri have been married 39 years as of this writing and have only rented 4 or 5 times but in every case, we had many pets and some of those were always large dogs. I also grew up as a landlord’s son for a 128 unit apartment complex and 4 homes so I have some idea what the issues are from both sides.
First: The Bad News
If you have large dogs, renting your home can be a challenge. Let’s face it, dogs and most any other pet that can roam your home have real potential to be a liability to the landlord; large dogs multiply the threat. Large dogs are also noisier, bark louder and just their footsteps alone could bother folks downstairs. Making matters worse, many people are fearful of biting dogs and landlords do not want biting liability or neighbor complaints. It matters not at all that you love your dog or that you believe they are wrong; it’s a statistical fact. To that end, many landlords, even those who are “pet friendly” will not allow large dogs or dogs of particular breeds (Luckily Golden Retrievers are never on the “Not this breed because we fear them” list). Landlords will also limit based on the number of dogs at times. It’s all a numbers game. The landlords want the property to be kept in good condition, minimize cleanup and repair costs when you move out and limit their liability and hassle.
Having pets in a rental will almost always require a pet deposit and/or cleaning fee. If the potential landlord allows pets and does not require these I would move on to someone else. It’s a fact that pets at very least add hair and dirt to a home and usually more than that. If the last tenant was not thoroughly cleaned up after, what are you getting in to? Be advised that not all “deposits” are refundable. Read their terms carefully. Also be advised that the deposit and/or cleaning fee is possibly not all you are liable for. If the landlord spends more than those funds, they can legally charge you the overage and/or take it out of that extra month’s rent or deposit you were expecting to get back.
OK so all the bad news I can think of has been described, what can you do about it?
Know your dog(s)
- If your dog barks much at all then you should avoid apartments as noise can be a real issue
- If your dog is very energetic (Goldens Retrievers are) you should make sure there is a good area close by that you can use to exercise your pooch. A fenced yard with room to run is best but not required if you can commit to regular trips to the play area and your dog is leash trained.
- If you dog has ever bitten anyone or that is a possible result, you may want to re-think whether you rent or buy. Not all landlords are particular about this but almost all of the good ones are. Luckily Golden Retrievers are almost never biters unless they were trained to do it or abused.
- Is your dog thoroughly house trained? This is absolutely critical. When I was growing up my family built and ran a 128 unit apartment complex and rented out 4 houses. In my experience the number one most likely damage caused by pets was urine. If your dog is not completely housebroken you need to get on that training seriously fast.
- Does your doggo get separation anxiety? Most landlords know that pets who are left alone usually do the most damage and/or make the most noise. I’ve seen dogs in extreme cases actually chew all the way through walls to get out. While this is an extreme example, most landlords that allow pets have at least one horror story in their history and are understandably cautious. You may want to consider crate training your pup for this purpose.
Finding a Place
So the first challenge is finding a place. Yes you can find a few “pet friendly” locations on your own on places like Zillow but I suggest using a real estate agent. They have access to a MUCH larger listing pool than you do and can give you a lot more choices with more up-to-date information than online resources. You should also set your sights on a single family home, not an apartment or condo. While it is certainly possible to have a Golden Retriever (or other large and friendly breed) in an apartment, it is a hassle and really not fun.
Our Golden Retrievers weigh in at or close to 80lbs each. They are energetic. They bounce off things. They sometimes bark. All these things make NOISE that can easily
irritate the neighbors all around you in an apartment complex. It is also problematic to get proper exercise for your fur baby when there is no private yard for him or her to run in.
Communicating With a Potential Landlord
So you’ve found a place you like. Now you need to convince the landlord that you will be a good and profitable risk. First: never go into any discussion with a landlord thinking they are there to like you. They are there to make hassle free money and for no other reason so it behooves you to make them trust you and believe they can make hassle free money off of you. I know this seems brutal but it’s the real world; get over it. The first thing you should do in a negotiation is to understand your opponent and make no mistake, there will be times when it’s a negotiation. Here are some ideas for those time when you find a lovely place that you love that may not want your dogs.
- Make a doggie resume. This is a novel idea I read about recently . I wish I would have thought of it when I was a renter. If you tell the landlord that your pet is an angel, they will likely scoff inside and not believe you. A great way to ease their fears is to document the dogs history. This also shows preparation and that you really care about your pet; two things the landlord really wants to see.
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Miss Harley Quinn A lovely color picture of your fur baby
- List any past rental experiences.
- Get recommendations from past landlords and/or neighbors and/or friends.
- List all the particulars of the dog.
- Weight
- Breed
- Color
- Temperament
- Sex
- Fixed or not
- Housebroken
- Penchant for barking
- Vaccination records
- General Health
- Attitude towards other animals
- Overall socialization
- Separation anxiety
- etc
- List training and titles and achievements (ie: “AKC Canine Good Citizen”, awards, activities, etc)
- If your dog has never bitten or threatened anyone, say that! If you have a Golden Retriever you can brag about their loving and friendly nature. In truth there are a few other breeds you can honestly say that about but I’m unapologetic and biased.. 🙂
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- Be honest. Lying about your pet will come back to bite you (metaphorically speaking). While it’s possible sometimes to lie your way into a home it will almost become a nightmare at some point and could end in a potentially expensive legal battle. Start your relationship with the landlord well and keep it that way based on honesty and trust.
- Be flexible in your home choices. Because you are living with a pet that MANY landlords will not tolerate, your choices will be more limited than those without pets. This is a price of admission for pet owners who rent, get used to it. You may need to be willing to look at something a little further from work, or something that’s not as big as you like or maybe it’s bigger than you wanted. You should of course find the best place for your needs but understand that your choices will be more limited than non pet owners so go into the search with proper expectations. I am not trying to discourage you but it’s just facts so it’s best you accept it and move on.
- AKC recommends that if the landlord was waffling on the deal, consider offering a longer lease. The majority of expense and hassle for the landlord happens on move out. If you only stay 6 months, that is 3 times more hassle and expense for the landlord than if you sign an 18 month lease; 24 months is even better. I think I agree that this could be attractive to some landlords if you can do it.
- If you have a lovely Golden Retriever that is heaven on earth and you’ve found the perfect pet friendly place but they only allow small animals, don’t be afraid to ask if they will accept you; the worst they can do is say “no”. You will have to sell it but be honest, sincere and prepared to close the deal with all I’ve suggested above and more. We’ve done this successfully in the past but don’t over sell it; be honest. It is important that if you are successful and talk the landlord into the home you wanted that you follow through and make the experience for the landlord a good one. If you succeed you will have made the world a better place for other large dog owners!
Other Useful Links on The Subject
Zillow: Renting to tenants with pets
Example pet resume from The Humane Society (Requires Microsoft Word)
Rentberry.com – creating a pet resume
About the author.
Bryan Curry loves all dogs in general, especially Golden Retrievers. He has had dogs for all but 6 months of his long life and all have lived happy and much longer than average lives. Bryan and his wife Terri are co-owners of Texas TLC Goldens; a small responsible breeder producing high quality Golden Retriever puppies.