Convincing a Landlord to Allow Your Bunny

[Eucalyptus]

Hey guys! I know there are some people that had to go through the trouble of getting their landlord’s to allow their bunnies, but I was wondering what the best method would be?

My boyfriend and I currently rent at a property that does NOT allow bunnies. Don’t worry, though, the landlord is awesome and basically said “well, it’s not like we’d ever know …. we don’t inspect.” The landlord is perfectly fine with Java, but the owner isn’t, that’s why she can’t put him on our lease. But, the owner never sets foot on the property, and like I said, no inspections. At first, she talked about how much they damage the property, but this was because of really poorly owned bunnies that were allowed to free roam, were not litter box trained, and the owners were never home (really, who does that?). After we explained the way you SHOULD take care of a bunny, she was very surprised and understanding. Plus, giving her 2 lbs of coffee for free every week has really worked in our favor. 

So right now, we’re all good. But, I’ve noticed that up here in Northern California, rabbits are absolutely prohibited at nearly every apartment building. Even the ones that allow BIG DOGS. Our current building does allow big dogs (nearly everyone here has a dog, and I’ve seen huskies, german shepherds, and other mixes of very large breeds). Not a problem, but rabbits are.

When my boyfriend transfers to UCD (Davis, CA), we’re going to be moving up there, of course. I was checking out apartments in advance, and found an awesome place that we really really liked. I emailed them about their pet policy, and they replied basically saying that almost every breed of large dog is allowed, except for chow chows, pitt bulls, and rottweilers. I really don’t want to risk hiding Java, and then they find out and we’re evicted, so I admitted that we own an indoor bunny, explaining all the stuff about him being litter box trained, NEVER having done ANY damage to anything here (no chewing, digging) whatsoever. No noise, no smell, no mess. They promptly replied with rabbits being restricted from the property. 

What do you think we could do to convince them? This isn’t the only place that has given a similar response to the idea of a house bunny. Our move is still at least a year away, but I fear that we’re going to have a lot of trouble finding a place if the trend keeps up. And we will never give up Java just for an apartment … so are there any hints/tips/tricks that might sway a landlord to making an exception for us?

[Sarita]

I suppose it depends on if this is an apartment that is owned by a large real estate company or if it’s privately owned. If it’s a large real estate company owned property, they probably have the same restrictions on ALL their properties.

[LBJ10]

Huh, that’s weird. I don’t live in an apartment anymore and I didn’t have any rabbits when I did. BUT I distinctly remember that small animals did not count as “pets” requiring a deposit because they are “caged” and therefore don’t do any damage. I think that is the general mentality around here. I know there are several members here on BB that have similar rules at their apartments. The rabbit is allowed because it is “caged”, but we all know that is a joke. What the landlord doesn’t know though won’t hurt them. =p

[BinkyBunny]

When we wanted to move into the rental home we are in now, our landlord was NO PETS!  We really wanted to move in and he seemed to really like us, and so somehow I managed to convince him to allow our three rabbits and a cat!  We also had the rabbits in our other place and we used our previous landlord as a reference so that also helped.  If you are able to do that, then that may help is well.  

Another thing I say is I fully empathize with the fear of a house/apartment being destroyed by a pet. But I this will be my home too and I do not want to live in a place that is destroyed either.  I take care of a rental as if it were my own home.  (Which is true – it is my home for that time I am there and I take pride in it and take good care of it)

Anyway, I created this  pet agreement myself just for the rabbits (as many people/landlords have negative thoughts about the rabbit being in the house).  This also seemed to help  We then agreed upon a Pet deposit amount.  Notice in the agreement, I put rabbit.org, and not THIS site.  The reason I do this is because in our Home Proofing section could scare a landlord off, when really it’s to prevent destruction from happening, but yet it could still look uninviting anyway.  

Below is a version of the pet agreement — I made need to save it as a different file to make it easier to read

[longhairmike]

make sure you mention that they are FIXED.. first thing a landlord thinks of when you mention ‘rabbit’ is 6x6x6x6x6x6x6x6x6x6x6

[MoveDiagonally]

I have a different perspective on this subject I think.

My parents own rentals and pets can be really damaging to a property. The hope is that you’ll get an awesome tenant that treats the property as their own and/or with respect. They’ve had some really great tenants (with and without pets) like that. But after all these years I never cease to be amazed at the conditions in which people will live. Cleaning up rentals with dried animal feces stuck to the carpet, cat pee soaked into carpet and drywall, wall scratched because a cat decided that was an appropriate scratching post, dog feces all over the deck, door frames ruined by scratching dogs left outside… It can make anyone reconsider allowing pets.

I think the thing to understand is that property rentals are generally considered an investment by the owners of them. They’re trying to protect their investment and allowing pets can be a gamble. I do not think “sneaking in” pets is really ever a good idea. It breeds distrust in the tenant/property owner relationship which should be symbiotic. A lot of property owners just get “burned” too many times by the bad tenants. Even my parents who allow pets have had people “sneak them in” to avoid a pet deposit.

I think BB’s idea is wonderful. Talk to the property owner and come prepared with an agreement, maybe some pet references, and make it clear that you intend to respect the property and that you want to be open and honest with them. I know my parents love working with tenants that come at the situation honestly. That’s not to say all property owners are wonderful people… They’re not and there’s always a chance even if you come into a situation with the best intentions that they will still say “NO PETS”.

Anyway, that’s my perspective. Good luck on your future home hunting

[LoveChaCha]

Ahhhhh, I am thankful that I had a good experience with my current landlords. When my dad and I were looking for apartments, the first thing that we mentioned is that a rabbit is with us. The landlord laughed and said “Oh, its in a cage? No problem.” Well, not really, but whatever. Chacha hasn’t really destroyed the apartment as much as I thought she would (she has taken the liberty of nibbling the carpet) and is otherwise a good girl. Educating landlords on rabbits is also not a bad idea.

When my bf and I look for places to live, not allowing my bunny is the complete deal breaker. I will not leave without her. I don’t mind educating people on rabbits, and what they are capable of being. But if the landlord wants to assume my bunny lives in a cage, that’s fine with me (snicker).

 

Thanks BB for the form. I may print it out and take it with me when the boyfriend and I go apartment hunting in the upcoming months.

[Deleted User]

So I know this may be out on a limb or totally out of the ballpark. But instead of moving into an apartment have you thought of renting a mobile home? They have looser pet restrictions and there are a few mobile home communities out there that are really nice.

[BinkyBuster]

Just an fyi… I’m not sure if it’s the same in America, but here in Ontario you aren’t ‘legally’ allowed to put that you can’t have pets in an agreement. Once my landlord found out he wasn’t too upset, but said he couldn’t actually do anything about it. There’s something in the legal system that even if you sign an agreement to not have pets, they can’t legally kick you out / get you in trouble for having them. Something to look into.

I think the huge thing is awareness, like others had said. I’m all about rabbits being great pets! I think they’re MUCH less smelly / messy, etc. than other pets. Good luck with everything.

[Sarita]

I agree with MD – never sneak in pets – it’s a horrible idea and it’s just not right. I totally understand too about being a landlord and wanting your property maintained as you would your own because my husband has had 2 rental homes in the past and people just don’t take care of their rental like they would their own homes.

I’ve never heard of that BinkyBuster here in America. That just doesn’t make sense to me since the property is yours and you have rights too as a landlord to trust that your tenants are not breaking their lease.

I love BB’s pet agreement too.

[LBJ10]

There is no law here that says a landlord cannot ban pets. If it is in the lease, they most certainly can evict you if they catch you with the animal and you refuse to get rid of it.

[Eucalyptus]

Thanks for all of the responses! We weren’t considering sneaking our bun anywhere, not sure if something I had originally said hinted at that. It’s not worth the stress of hiding it, especially if you have to deal with inspections (imagine hiding all the hay, toys, and any enclosures … and the bunny itself!). So no, we won’t be sneaking anyone anywhere.

I do like the agreement. If we ever do get the okay to bring Java, we’ll make sure it’s on paper and part of our lease (I’ve heard of people getting evicted suddenly because it wasn’t on the lease and they decided to use it against them).

My mom is a landlord of over 10 different properties (been in real estate longer than I’ve been alive actually), and she was shocked about this whole thing. She’s in Southern California, and when I asked “would you allow a bunny as a pet at any of your properties?” she just asked “why wouldn’t I?” Hah. She thought it was so ridiculous. But, as I’ve learned, bunnies are in the “livestock” category. Some property management companies literally say “bringing a bunny in is like bringing a cow in.”

As of now, we plan to try and get the landlord to like us as much as possible, show a lot of interest (when visiting), and hopefully, the landlord will really want us to move in. After that, when we mention a bunny, if they shut us down, we’ll do the BB approach – explaining all the pros of a bunny and how they make no noise, have no smell, and are in a “cage.” Also, another site recommended having vet papers to show that he’s fixed and healthy, so that could help. If it seems like we’re swaying him, then we’ll offer a higher pet deposit. Money always helps … heh.

[Sarita]

No, I don’t think you were suggesting that at all Eucalyptus…I can tell you don’t want to hide your rabbit which is the right thing to do.

It’s great that your Mom has experience – funny how things vary from place to place too.

[Elrohwen]

I got my bunnies while I was living in a “no pet” rental. Luckily, it was owned and rented by one person, instead of a rental company or something, so he was much more willing to discuss rules. I’ve found that the big complexes tend to make rules and stick with them.

I called him up when I decided I wanted a bunny and we discussed, then he thought about it for a little. To sweeten the deal, I offered to pay $25 a month to have the rabbit, plus we had a substantial deposit ($3,000 I think) which would cover anything a bunny could do. I had to convince him with a little information about how they can be litter trained and don’t smell. I also said the rabbit would always be in a cage.

Once he agreed, I made sure he wrote the rabbit into the lease so there were no grey areas. When I wanted to get a second rabbit, he readily agreed. He had been into the apartment to make some repairs, with me there, and I introduced him to Otto – he saw how clean and non-smelly a rabbit was for himself (the funny part was that Otto was not in his cage at all when the landlord visited, but he could see that we did lock up the bunny when we were out of the house). We modified the lease again to allow two rabbits.

So that’s my story! My main advice would be to rent from an individual who will be more likely to work with you and modify rules, rather than a large complex. And make sure you get the rabbit written into the lease if they are making an exception to their pet policy for you.

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