The pet sitting may work in some communities, but most Texas leases plainly state that no pets are allowed in the apartment, and this includes temporarily, (I'm pet-sitting my mom's cats) and this even includes feeding a stray from an apartment (he's not really mine, he just wandered up and I'm trying to find a home for him). They cover all their bases because they've already heard all the cover stories. Just be very careful, and make sure you can move within whatever minimum notice the law allows. I know in alot of rent-control states that can be up to 30 days, but I believe others are as short as 24 hours. And you also need to make sure that you can move into a new place without a reference from your current landlord. Once you've been evicted or had a lease non-renewed, most other places don't want you moving in. Alot of people get away with it successfully, and alot of landlords are even willilng to look the other way, but since this is certainly nothing you can ask your landlord in advance about, you will have no way of knowing what will happen until it happens. Be prepared to experience what Spencer experienced if you go ahead with it.