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Many people who rent apartments, condos, townhomes, and houses have pets. After all, pets are excellent life companions. They provide comfort, love, and entertainment. They can even be good for mental health.
While pets are wonderful and worthwhile, they can be messy and sometimes destructive, not to mention loud. When you own your own home, these issues are frustrating, but you don’t have to worry about getting in trouble with the landlord.
However, when you’re renting, you must worry more about the potential damage your pets may create. So, learning how to make your rental more pet-friendly for you, your pets, and your neighbors benefits everyone.
Here are some simple ways to increase the pet-friendliness of your apartment or other rental. The great news is you can make these changes yourself, and they are landlord-approved.
Table of Contents
Follow The Rules
As you seek to make your rental a comfortable space for you, your pet, and those around you, the first step is to ensure you follow the rules of your property management company or landlord. Always read through what’s on the lease, and research any noise ordinances or pet laws in your city.
Knowing the laws and rules will help you understand where you need to address issues with your pet and also give you peace of mind as you know what is allowed.
Consider Less-Disruptive Pets
While some places limit the types of pets you can have, small pets are much easier to deal with and much less disruptive than dogs or cats. Consider a fish or a small gecko, if your lease allows it.
Also, if you’re only allowed to have a cat or dog, a cat may be the easier option. While housecats can still be disruptive, they are generally much quieter and less likely to upset neighbors.
Invest In Rental-Friendly Training Approaches
If you decide to get a dog or even a cat, you want to ensure you train them. Training dogs is vital, particularly because they can be very high-maintenance otherwise.
You want to start training your dog immediately, and there are ways you can focus on training for a rental space. For example, start training your dog to alert you when they need to go to the bathroom. You can also train a dog to use a doggy mat on your balcony or in your yard.
If you plan to train your pet with rental living in mind from the beginning, it will be easier to avoid bigger problems down the road.
Learn To Do Home Repairs
Even well-trained pets may end up ruining something in your home. If the damage is to your own objects, it’s frustrating, but it won’t impact getting your rental deposit back.
However, if your pet does damage the property itself, knowing how to do some basic home repairs will pay off. Consider learning to do basic things, like touch-up paint scratches and deep-clean out urine stains.
Offer Proper Exercise And Husbandry
While some pets are harder to train and more prone to problems than others, all animals will do better if they get the proper care, attention, and activity they need. Many dogs, cats, and even small animals become bored easily, and then they are more likely to make noise or destroy things.
Always ensure you meet the needs of the species or breed. If you’re in a smaller space, such as an apartment, ensure you give your pet lots of mental and physical stimulation and entertainment.
By making your rental and your training methods more accessible for your pet, you’ll feel less stressed and be less likely to have issues with the property owner.
Also Read: 5 Amazing Ways to throw your Pet’s Birthday
