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Pups & Rentals


Esky the husky
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Personally I'd be asking first. It could save going through the heartbreak of choosing and paying for a puppy only to find the real estate ask you to move because you're in breach of lease.

If you write a letter maybe you could ask your neighbours to write a small note each about how quiet/well behaved your current dog is to help the cause? Maybe when stating the ways you're a responsible pet owner you could add how you'll be avoiding puppy chew damage etc

If they still say no, I guess you have a whole lot of new decisions coming your way! Good luck with your new addition :D

Edited by Roova
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Always ask the Real Estate first. Let them know what kind of dog you are planning to get, if you intend it to be inside or outside and be totally up front and honest BEFORE getting the dog. They will usually get you to sign a pet contract that has things such as if the dog destroys something, you replace it and to get the house bug/flea sprayed when you move out.

You dont want to get the dog only to find out you are not allowed to have it, causing you to have to get rid of the dog or move out.

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I believe it is your obligation to consult with the real estate agent as the first step. If as some posters have stated, you are a responsible tenant and your present animals are not causing any problems, then I don't believe a land lord would not object.

I am a landlord and have no objections to tenants having animals at the property but on one occasion we had an apartment to rent out. The prospective tenants have a cat. No problem, but just before signing them up, they told, not asked the agent that they would be putting a cat ladder from the balcony down to the front garden. This was facing the street and would not present a pretty picture not to mention what other owners would think. They were turned down. Honesty up front is the best way to go.

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you should be asking first as the agent needs to clear it with the owner. You could be fined or even loose the house for breach of contract, if you read your paperwork there will defiantly be a section regarding pets.

Puppies are destructive little buggers and not all owners are keen on the idea but then again so long as you can replace or repair anything damaged then you should stand a good chance.

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Esky I'd write first lol we didn't we just hid the extras lol ;) noy recommended but then again we're some of the best tenants previous owners had and when the house went up for sale we had the Estate agent introducing the owners to the dogs lmao because they loved the dogs!

If you're really wanting to have that extra dog and can afford it offer the owners extra say $20 a week or something to cover any damages (not that there will be) that new puppy might cause...

Dunno if its in your contact but ours states pest spray and carpet clean even though dogs are outside (they're not now but owners know this and gave permission) if its not offer that before you leave.... basically you need to make iy seem like keeping you on as a tenant is an asset to them as you could always just leave and find someone who will let you have the extra dog once your lease is up

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Rules change from state to state. The assumption is usually that the landlord can evict you for having a pet they didn't know about, but the law isn't so clear.

In VIC, the tenant union states that unless damage is being caused to the property by the pet they will not necessarily be able to evict you.

http://www.tuv.org.au/articles/files/resources/Pets_FS_R_062009.pdf

I had a quick look for a similar article for SA but couldn't find anything. In fact couldn't find any documentation on laws regarding pets in rentals in SA so I imagine it's similar to VIC.

Obviously the right thing to do would be contact the real estate agents first, but depending on how much you really want another dog you may want to consider the likely hood of the landlord saying yes before you ask.

If they say no then they'll be on the lookout for another dog at your property just in case you decided to ignore their wishes. If you don't ask and just get the dog then they won't suspect that anything has changed.

Things to consider when trying to guess what they'll say:

- What condition is the property in?

- How quickly does the landlord respond to other requests?

- How easy was it to get your current dog(s) approved (I'm guessing when you moved in)?

- How many dogs do you currently have?

- And are you planning to get an adult dog or puppy?

The fact that you already have pets is a good sign though, many landlords will flat out refuse because Landlords insurance does not cover pet damage which is why it's so damn hard to find rentals that allow pets. I have heard that this might be changing though.

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Ask before and I'd just call my property manager. They know you have one dog and if you have a good rental history you have a shot at getting another.

NEVER rely on a call EMAIL!!! you need a paper trail cos REs are sucky with communication and we're onto property manager #6 and seriously they have no idea r house history let alone our relationship with the owners... like recently this year owners have requested once a year inspection manager agreed it wasn't recorded, 3 mths later get my inspection notice from a new prperty manager so it was a week of the owners writing back and forward explaining and even after all that I had the manager RING me to try to get in earlier... luckily I was able to say to them go look at the property notes. ..

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When I was renting I just wrote a letter and asked the landlord. I included information regarding size of dog (as I wasn't sure of breed), what I was intending to do with dog, etc. I already had cats, rabbits and wildlife, plus great landlords! They had no problem with it and gave me permission. In saying that though, with the other animals I always stated the animals I had when I moved in but often ended up gathering another critter while I was at the property! In many cases I didn't ask, but they were easier animals to not be seen during inspections! But I was also a great tenant (I had the RE recommending me to landlords when properties came up and I was at the end of leases!) and made sure all aspects of the property were immaculate.

I really think honesty is the best policy.

And in terms of moving, I'd certainly be mentioning all animals you have or plan to have. Especially if you want a good reference from the previous property. While I think there are some unreasonable landlords in terms of having pets, there are also some really great ones and I think it's important to have the best relationship you can with the person who owns and pays for the house you want to live in!!

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I had a rental inspection today, I think somewhere along the lines I forgot to tell them I had two dogs (we have one included on the lease) but she didn't comment, she just said how cute they both were and said "see you in 12 months" when she left after the 3 minute inspection :laugh:

However, the owner of my house lives across the road and is aware of everything we do (his bedroom looks over our backyard), plus he's been here several times fixing things etc

But doing it formally is always the best way, and I should in case my agent leave and another one comes along and prefers to follow rules and has an issue with two dogs.

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Whats the best way to go about adding a new furry friend to the pack if renting?

Get the dog first the inform Real estate?T

Write an email/ letter asking permission & hope for the best?

If so what have you said that works?

Thanks

One of the most common reasons in Sydney for dogs being surrendered to rescue/pounds is either they cannot find somewhere to rent with a pet OR they have been discovered ...

The only way to go is to get permission first and get a long lease and plan on buying your own place by the end of the lease otherwise heartbreak may ensue all round.

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Esky I'd write first lol we didn't we just hid the extras lol ;) noy recommended but then again we're some of the best tenants previous owners had and when the house went up for sale we had the Estate agent introducing the owners to the dogs lmao because they loved the dogs!

If you're really wanting to have that extra dog and can afford it offer the owners extra say $20 a week or something to cover any damages (not that there will be) that new puppy might cause...

Dunno if its in your contact but ours states pest spray and carpet clean even though dogs are outside (they're not now but owners know this and gave permission) if its not offer that before you leave.... basically you need to make iy seem like keeping you on as a tenant is an asset to them as you could always just leave and find someone who will let you have the extra dog once your lease is up

It's illegal to offer more rent.
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Esky I'd write first lol we didn't we just hid the extras lol ;) noy recommended but then again we're some of the best tenants previous owners had and when the house went up for sale we had the Estate agent introducing the owners to the dogs lmao because they loved the dogs!

If you're really wanting to have that extra dog and can afford it offer the owners extra say $20 a week or something to cover any damages (not that there will be) that new puppy might cause...

Dunno if its in your contact but ours states pest spray and carpet clean even though dogs are outside (they're not now but owners know this and gave permission) if its not offer that before you leave.... basically you need to make iy seem like keeping you on as a tenant is an asset to them as you could always just leave and find someone who will let you have the extra dog once your lease is up

It's illegal to offer more rent.

Why is it illegal to offer more rent? I have never heard of that one before.

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It's not illegal and I'd like to see where. In some states its illegal for them to charge more for having pets but to me personally its a show of good faith and that you wish to do the right thing by the owners... Ikknow we offered an extra $50 per dog with our bond when we moved in as a "pet deposit" is what I called it...as I understand that some people are just irresponsible jerks with animals and take advantage of an owners kindness as its hard to get a rental with pets. They declined the deposit but we've always tried to do the right thing by owners the yard was weeds when we arrived its now lawn, we keep small running repairs ect so if we can fix it we will to save money for the owners...

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