# Landlord problems



## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

Apparently our apartment is having a mouse problem with it being winter when they came in to put down the traps ( which I protested but the landlord said we had to). However apparently the original manager lied when she said we could have caged animals ... I was forced to rehome my mice and my friend is watching my rats until my lease is up. I miss my babies so much  

Noone seems to understand just why I am reacting so badly to having them an hour and a half away from me  My friend is spoiling them ROTTEN though ... I just ... Am not so good with words but I wish I had gotten in writing that my rats were ok


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## Flashygrrl (Feb 8, 2012)

Good lesson for those who have been lucky enough to not have to deal with landlord crp yet...it's a good idea to get anything to do with pets in writing when you're renting, and I mean EVERYTHING. We learned that one not too long ago when it came time to move out and somewhere in the 6 years we'd been living there our "pet fee" stopped actually paying for stuff that ended up damaged. Given that the pet fee was about $40 per month.....yeah.

So yeah, get it in writing.


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## ratchet (Sep 27, 2012)

Did you sign a lease paper at the interim of your lease? Does it say 'NO PETS' or does it say NO CATS OR DOGS.. there is usually a legal loophole if it doesn't say NO PETS. Also, if your original manager said it was okay, that is STILL a legal contract; which means it can be upheld in court. You might want to explain that to your new landlord. 

Also, if the terms or conditions of a lease (including accepting pets at the beginning to changing it in the middle to no pets allowed) change DURING the lease, this voids the contract. Try to talk to your new landlord! Good luck, I'm sorry!


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

The only " legal pets" ARE cats and dogs ... No caged pets ironically enough. Technically we just have a new building manager the property owner is the same  I am lucky I can even keep my hamsters and cat ... I miss my rats so much. I am just so happy my friend is awesome and is taking them for a few months


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## trematode (Sep 8, 2012)

I heard from a woman involved with a cat rescue that a landlord cannot legally kick you out at the end of your lease if you have a pet.I've had rodents in 3 apartments: first one I didn't ask about the pet policy. They saw the rodents when they came in to do repairs and never mentioned it. I got permission from the second. The third only allowed "aquarium pets" and mentioned to the woman I subletted from that things like turtles and fish were allowed. I had gerbils in an aquarium and they didn't bat an eye at it the ONE time they were in.Perhaps it helped by me keeping them tidy when a landlord visit was arrangend.Unless the landlord is making regular visits to your apartment, who says you can't keep your animals there until your lease is up (that being if you're planning on moving when it is done)


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## IOVERATS (Aug 25, 2012)

My cousins friend had this trouble because she has two ratties that are TRUE shoulder rats! They never ever poo outside of the cage, they never bite, wee, make any kind of mess. They will quite happily sit on your shoulder when you go out in public, they don't mind children handling them, they doesn't even care if complete strangers stick their faces in theirs!

And the Landlord loved them when they came through the door with them on her shoulder and even handled them, and then suddenly the Landlord heard some stories about rats shedding hairs and pooing in food etc and she said either the rats go and she stayed or they both go, my cousin was run off her feet by her 22 rats that she couldn't afford neither had enough room for two more rats, I offered but my parents said no because we barely know her, so she ended up being kicked out with no where to stay, her mum was allergic to the Carefresh bedding and her dad hated rats, so going there was out of the question, she had a massive Critter Nation with no where to put it, the Landlord gave her a month to leave (which was nice of her, but still she shouldn't have believed those people) her boyfriend was living with his parents who weren't too keen on rats, but agreed to have her stay until she found another place, but it turned out her boyfriend was allergic to Carefresh as well and they were kept in his bedroom which he tried not to go in too often but he kept sneezing through the night, and he played his guitar in his room and he couldn't concentrate on coursework (because he kept sneezing), so they got turfed out from there too, my cousin said that she should change to fleece, but because she had no money to buy any she had to keep going with the carefresh (she was running out fast and in the end she had to give the critter nation up because when her boyfriends parents said that she had to go, she couldn't push a critter nation cage around town, so she sold on e-bay for £50 and kept her rats on her shoulder, she had their food and a portable toilet thing which they did their business in and a water bottle, in her backpack, she found nowhere to stay and in the end she stayed with her parents because she no longer had a cage they rat proofed her room and they ran around there, however they eventually found a cage which she could fit in her room and she turned to fleece instead so her mum wasn't allergic to it.

This is a stupid situation that never should of occurred! If people weren't so stupid and stopped spreading stories around about rats then she wouldn't have of ended up nearly homeless! Seriously, landlords need to be more considerate about peoples pets! Thats like saying 'You can't live here because your blah blah blah' its unfair and shouldn't happen!!!!!


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## Ashley29 (Sep 27, 2012)

As irresponsible as it may sound, my landlord has no idea I have my rats or tarantulas. I have however paid $200 to have my cats. He has never asked to inspect the apartment, and as long as we pay rent he leaves us alone. This is a very fortunate situation for me. As for what happens if I'm ever 'busted', I'm pet sitting for the week and go from there, but honestly I'm not worried about it. I haven't had a conversation with him since we signed the lease.That's not to say it's a good idea. It depends on the situation. I've paid the deposit and the pet deposit (cats), and as long as we don't trash the apartment (very tidy) we will have no problems.

I would have talked to my landlord more about my animals, if it weren't for the fact that both spiders and rats have horribly untrue bad reps. If I were to be told to get rid of them, I'd leave. I'm clean, they're clean, the apartment is clean, so what I do with the space that I pay good money to live in shouldn't be anybody's business.

Now I'm ranting, ugh. But you catch my drift. As long as their beloved rental property doesn't reak of animal piss, it shouldn't matter. I can't freaking wait to be a homeowner. Slowly saving now. Hopefully by the time our lease is up we'll have a few grand for a down payment on a home. I hate people sometimes.


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## trematode (Sep 8, 2012)

And with what I was suggesting...
It would only really be worth the risk if you are planning on leaving when your lease ends and you are not anticipating a letter of reference from your current landlord.


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

The exterminator said our house was cluttered and unsanitary which was simply untrue ... The landlord came through and looked and said it looks great I keep on top of cleaning up after my pets but I guess she doesn't like rats so we cant have any. They are going to be doing fairly regular inspections of our apartment  Luckily I think I am out of here in December but thats 3 months without my babies  

We are hoping to move into a house now so I can have them no problems. 

I have just never heard of a place that allows all breeds of dogs and cats but caged animals must have written approval


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

The apartment I'm allows some breeds of dogs and all breeds of cats (it doesn't allow the dog breeds that have bad reputations like rottweilers, pit bulls, dobermans.. etc). For caged animals you have to get each one approved and pay $10 per pet.. Which is a bit impossible for me since I have gerbil pups coming and going. You can't have reptiles at all or any kind of parrot. All of my rodents and my dog aren't known about since they don't do inspections (this place is horrible..). My brother pays a pet fee for his dog, so I can easily get away with my dog since they don't keep track of who's who. I'm just hoping they don't find out about my rodents. I move out in January since I was added to an already existing lease. 

I think its ridiculous for a place to tell you what pets you can and can't have... especially if the animals live in a cage.


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

Ashley29 said:


> If I were to be told to get rid of them, I'd leave. I'm clean, they're clean, the apartment is clean, so what I do with the space that I pay good money to live in shouldn't be anybody's business.


I feel the same way. If they were to make my animals leave then I'd leave with them. I'm allowed to move back into my parents house at any point, but my fiance isn't allowed to move back in with me (since he moved here from Indiana he lived with me and my parents for a while). My parents would be okay with the animals as long as I keep my room smelling nice.


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

You can keep hamsters, but not mice or rats?


-Rats are my life-


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## Mrm911 (Jul 6, 2012)

I dont get why the said okay to your hamsters but not your girls and Apollo or you mice.


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

Well we have nowhere else to go currently so we had to just find a foster for them as much as I hated to do it  But I will be getting them back fairly soon ... 

As for why I can keep the hamsters ... no clue but I had to get rid of the mice because they are having problems with the wild mice and apparently didnt want them getting out and breeding with the existing populations


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Geez...

As someone who rents as well, I know how frustrating it is to find a place that will let you have pets, let alone RATS. It's a shame how judgmental most landlords are about pets in general. Pets do not necessarily mean odor, urine, feces, hair, etc. everywhere. Just because a few people are irresponsible slobs doesn't mean we all are. I have 2 cats, 2 rats, and 3 fish tanks in my place and it is still WAY cleaner than some other renter's houses I've been to (with no pets). I'm fortunate that I found somewhere that doesn't mind my mini zoo, but I'm a bit scared that I won't be able to keep them all if I have to move somewhere else


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

The younger woman who helps run out complex came over just giving us news of something and she basically said she was sorry about the rats and she agreed that it was silly they were regulating caged pets since they don't cause damage. She was very nice ... even my picky cat Emma liked her. She also brought up how good of pets they are lol


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## trematode (Sep 8, 2012)

Reality is... they own the place. They can make up whatever rules they want.I can understand no parrots (birds are loud an could disrupt other tenets), reptiles, spiders and rodents (if these pets were to get lose, it could cause a panic in the building) and aquariums (leaks).


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

But they allow Dogs and Cats ... Makes no sense ... They do not allow ANY caged animals rabbits ferrets guinea pigs etc ... I had to fight for my hamsters but they had NO problem allowing my cat who can cause FAR more problems 

ANYWAY ... Its been 3 weeks almost ... How do people do this? I miss them so much


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Not to defend your landlord, but there are plenty of folks on this list who have electrical wires spliced, soldered and taped back together around their house. Rats freeranging can present a major fire hazard. Same is true of bunnies and other caged animals.

But I can certainly understand how much you miss your ratties.


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## BlackCat99 (Oct 9, 2012)

I lived in an apartment once that did not allow pets except for hamsters and small fish tanks... when I asked why they allow hamsters but not rats they told me it was because the believed that the rodents would attract wild rodents and if they got out they didn't want them burrowing in the walls and causing electrical damage. I don't know why the believed they would attract wild rodents (maybe the food?) but I get the fear of them causing damage since wild rodents tend to when they roam about in the home.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I suppose I would recommend that if you wanted to rent an apartment and to keep your rats, a landlord might be agreeable if you had a sufficient renters insurance policy to cover any damages your rats might do, (i.e. cut and electrical wire and burn down his house) and gave him an additional pet deposit. That would only seem fair.


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

I tried the pet deposit and everything they just do not want them here. I would think as long as you comply with keeping them caged and take precautions they would be fine with it. I don't know their full rules ... They didn't want the hamsters here either. There are a lot of misconceptions ... 

However we had a verbal agreement when we moved in 

Sorry this just upsets me especially that they will not listen to reason


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

No one in their right mind would actually expect you to keep your rats caged. You practically don't have to know anything about rats to know no one that loves rats keeps them in their cage all of the time... Honestly if I were the landlord and someone told me they would never let their rats out to play, I wouldn't rent to them because they were either animal abusive monsters or just lying to me. Either way it would upset me...

I doubt your current landlord will change his mind, but I would look into renters insurance that covers rat damage to entice your new landlord. I think aside from a pet deposit and a reasonable rent kicker for the animal and agreed upon safety inspections a big fat renters insurance policy would sell me on a tenant with a pet again. And I had a tenant that had two indoor cats and no litter box, imagine the damages... I also had a 30 gallon salt water aquarium blow out when I was a tenant... that didn't go over too well with my landlord either.

For every several responsible pet owners there's one big time loser that is going to cost their landlord thousands of dollars, with rats it's just a matter of a sliced extension chord. Generally every new landlord takes pets, then he eventually learns better. I do have a friend that specializes in renting to pet owners, he rents old beach town bungalows, with fenced in yards for dog owners. He gets big rents and charges huge pet security deposits. The houses are relatively petroofed, but he still usually spends a couple of thousand dollars to refit the homes between tenants and has to calculate a couple of months between tenants for repairs. Like he says every tenant promises the premesis will be left the way they moved in, but he has yet to have a single carpet survive a rental where larger dogs were involved. And when I had dogs, I do recall carpeting every apartment I lived at and I don't recall ever taking a carpet with me when I moved out. They pretty much just got left at the curb.

So, don't just blame your landlord, blame the cretan that ruined it for you by letting their animals trash the apartment before you got there.


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