House woes. (May I rant?) - UPDATE

[wolf_Q]

That's so frustrating, I'm sorry. I know first hand the damage kids can do to rentals so if people think that pets are always worse they should think again. The house we bought had been a rental for years, I think since it was built. We had to tear out all the carpet, pad, and use special paint on the floor even in one of the kids rooms because the entire floor was literally soaked in urine. You could smell it the minute you walked in the door to the house, and this was an older kid like 8-10. The door had a lock from the outside so I think they were locking the kid in her room (maybe she was trying to run away? I don't know) and she was peeing in there all the time. Every bit of wall space 3 feet and below was covered in marker and crayon doodles....the entire house, blinds and doors too as well as doodles on the floor. They had two cockers that lived in the garage, I think they literally only lived in the garage I don't think they took them into the yard to potty so that was absolutely disgusting too, had to scrub the cement and it still smelled like a barn for months. So that was gross too but the kids room was worse. When we moved out of our old house into this one we decided to rent it instead of sell it and I advertised it as pets okay, not once did I think to not allow pets. Of course I was picky about how many pets and they had to be spayed/neutered. We got lucky and have awesome renters that take really good care of the house, they have two boxers and I have no problems with that. I pray they stay there for a really long time because you never know, it is hard to judge how the people will actually be. But I definitely wish people would give those that have pets a chance, it sucks that bad renters have given everyone a bad name when it comes to renting. Especially frustrating that someone who knows you and personally knows how clean you are won't give you a chance.

[Catty1]

The shelter idea is good - they often know of places.

Also, can you offer a pet deposit on top of any other deposit required? That may help.

Good luck with this!

[lizbud]

Don't know what your financial picture looks like but, it may be more feasible to buy than rent a house. You usually pay about the same or less
with a mortgage rather than rent. Rentals can be vary expensive depending on the area. As to renting with pets, my daughter was in that same situation
with one dog ( a pit mix) and was turned down everywhere until she got a letter from her Vet (our family Vet for years) attesting to the dog's good nature.
It worked for her.

[Alysser]

I was going to say the same as Lizbud, Courtney. Maybe you can look into buying, even a condo? If you have the money, why not try? I'm not sure you can get approved for a mortgage or anything but maybe it would be a better option.

That sounds so beyond frustrating. I am sure your pets are beautifully behaved, they lost a customer over assumptions, so who was the loser in the situation?

[Casper]

Thanks for the positive thoughts.

We would love to buy, but at the same time we plan on moving out of state in a year or two. Plus our credit isn't up to par for the whole house buying process. I've asked the dog catcher if he knows of any places, and he didn't. I'll try to get in touch with our elusive humane society to see if they have any suggestions. I've also asked a few friends who rent and have pets and its alarming how many of them aren't even supposed to have pets, but just sneak them in. I definitely couldn't do that.

We do offer pet deposits and references, and that sometimes gets their attention, but they always end up choosing someone else. I don't know if everyone is looking for older tenants or what. The majority of people our age around here are trouble, and its common to assume young 20-somethings might not be the best choice, but gosh... just give us a chance.

I know first hand the damage kids can do to rentals...

Oh my goodness, that sounds like a complete nightmare... and incredibly sad that people lived in such conditions.
I'm glad you don't let pets deter you from renting to someone. Now if only you had a rental available for us... and didn't live so far away.

[moosmom]

When I rented my apartment, my credit wasn't good either and they required two months security and one month's rent in advance. No problem. I asked about cats and they said fine. I've been here 9 years already and have had cats come and go, because of me being in rescue. The girls in the management office often call me with rescue issues, which I don't mind. It's a win-win situation in my case.

I once lived in a complex where the 2 kids (ages 4& 6) upstairs were not allowed outside to play in the huge, beautiful courtyard, so they played "ring around the rose" in the living room till all hours of the night. The noise was awful. My first "red flag" should've been when the landlord said, "Oh, and the kids upstairs are quiet and go to bed early so there shouldn't be a problem." Yeah right. Not only did they NOT go to bed early, the mother's boyfriend got a puppy and tied it to the railing in the common areas of the building, allowing it to bark incessantly. I called the cops on the advice of the landlord. She told the cop, "I pay taxes AND YOUR SALARY and you can't tell me what to do." I would avoid coming home at night until the kids went to bed, the noise was so bad.

It's sad that irresponsible people ruin it for the good people who abide by the laws. I wish you much luck in finding a place to live. There is SOMEPLACE out there waiting for you!!!

[Karen]

Be persistent, and whenever you see a fellow dog owner, ask if they know anyone, or any place. Also, it is worth getting references from your vet., etc. showing you are not a typical pet owners - you are a Pet Talker!