What to do??

So I live in an apartment complex and they don't alow snakes. They do lizards and such but they say that snakes escape. After going over and over with the management about how safe my enclosures are they told me to get rid of the snakes or they will move me out. I found a home already for Coconut. But I don't know what to do. I found a guy who will take Jojo in. He raises and breeds ball pythons i gave him a rescue like a year ago and she had a clutch ot too long ago so i am considering him. I am so upset I don't know what to do. I don't what to get rid of Jojo he is like one of my children if i do let him go I have to be certain that he is going to a good home. I dont have money to put a deposit on another apartment. This is frustrating.

2 words:

HIDE THEM! HIDE THEM REALLY REALLY GOOD


i dont want you to have to loose your snakes, and i know of a lot of people that have hidden them under a high bed, in their closets, or any other place you can hide them


...that was a little more than 2 words...oh well

THATS NOT FAIR! How aobut just move? Well yeah, thats too extreme. Man, stupid laws like that burn me up. Well sorry you had to give away your snakes.

Wow, Damien....that really sucks. I'm not usually one for breaking rules, but there are some exceptions and if I found myself in your shoes, I would probably try to hide them. If hiding two enclosures isn't feasible, then I would keep Jojo and just hide him. And while they are in hiding, I would be working very hard to save up the money to get out of the lease and get a new apt/house where hiding would not be necessary.

If I didn't have room to hide two full-size enclosures, here is a plan that comes to mind: I would minimize the stuff they have in their tanks to the basics of newspaper substrate, water dish and hides. Then, if something comes up where management must go into your apt to repair or whatever...I would move the snakes into small rubbermaids that can be slipped under the bed (or wherever) and empty out the tanks so that it looks like nothing is living in them. After the "invasion" you could put them back into their homes. Even if they had to spend the day under the bed while you were at work or something, it shouldn't hurt them. And again....I would be saving as fast and hard as I could to get out of that apt.

How did they find out about them in the first place?
That really does suck!! We had to move from an apartment when we took in our first dog (she was a baby then).....thing is, they allowed pets but the manager decided she wouldn't let us keep her even w/a pet deposit......we made a decision to move instead of give her up (she was a rescue and not only were we attached, but once we made the commitment, she was ours forever). We were lucky though b/c a friend of mine had a huge house and lived alone, so we stayed there a couple of months while we saved for a new place.....regardless, I feel bad that you have to go through this. I hope it all works out...do whatever you can to keep them...if you must give them up, sounds like you have good homes for them at least.

Keep Jojo and hide him. Like JLC said, and again like she said I would save up enough money to move. But of course its your decision, so do what you think is best.

Hide them! Keep your pets. They dont make noise so noone will ever know you have them. They are part of your family.

and when you hide them, if anyone asks (aka your landlord), then say you gave them to a friend

and if they are stupid enough to ask who to make sure, tell the friend to cover

they shouldnt go any further

Man, *snickers* We sound like a bunch of criminals; "Hide um'! Hide um' good, don't let um' find out!" But I would hide them if I was in your place.

Hide them and then get one more just to be cocky! Make sure it's a female so you can name her Anne Frank........... :wink:

what if you went to the tenants and had them sign a petition? just a thought...

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Originally Posted by steelsack

Hide them and then get one more just to be cocky! Make sure it's a female so you can name her Anne Frank........... :wink:

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LMAO!! You're too funny.....

You live in an apartment! So obviously you signed a lease? Check out your lease and see if it does specify no snakes... If it does, Hide them.....If it dont...Tell them to....well, you get my point. lol

Snakes escape...true....but so does pretty much any other living creature one time or another if they get the chance.

Well my plan is to keep Jojo in an underbed storage sterilite. I already gave Coconut a very good home he went to one of the members in the herp society that i belong to so he will have a good live with them. But i cant give Jojo away i have invested lots of time in him and would hate to give him up. I am saving up for a house so i can buy one next year. Jojo I can "keep under wraps" for a little while. They found out about the snakes when they came to check the water heater because the water heater in the unit above us was leaking and they came down to check if the leak came through. They said that i can have lizards though. I should get some bearded dragons too and take advantage of that LOL.

About the petition thing. I know we have all run into people that "hate" snakes. And i think if the other tennants found out i had snakes they would vote me off the island so to speak.

Just tell them that snakes are leggless lizards.......(do i see a loop hole?)

you can take my life, but you can never take my snakes!

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Originally Posted by Ironhead

You live in an apartment! So obviously you signed a lease? Check out your lease and see if it does specify no snakes... If it does, Hide them.....If it dont...Tell them to....well, you get my point. lol

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If nothing in the lease precludes keeping snakes, I would just tell my landowner that you will find a new apartment as soon as possible but until then, you are under no obligation to get rid of your snakes. Also, try to point out the positive attributes of snakes from a landlord's perspective; i.e. they don't smell or spray like cats and dogs, do not make any noise, etc...

I find that you can usually rationalize with people, as long as you're doing it from a perspective that they respect and understand.

I would just hide them if I were you and keep quite.

Read your lease.. if your lease does not specifically exclude snakes, then they cannot do this to you. In all the places I have lived, there is always a renters association. Call them and get thier help. But I am telling you this, if your lease does not specifically state.. NO SNAKES, the apartment complex is scr**ed. If they try to kick you out regardless, you will go to court..continue paying rent on time and such so they cannot use that against you, when you go to court, you bring it up to the judge, show the judge your lease.. a judge will throw it right out of court. Then work on finding a new apt. We went through that once with cats we had, and the new management tried to say we had to get rid of our cats, or it was us, and the renters assoc. told us that since our lease said we could have the cats and there was no specific exclusion to cats, the complex was out of luck. They left us alone after that.

you might hope that your landlord doesnt stumble across this site, then he might find out, lol

Yikes! What a jerky landlord.
I would definately keep him under the bed in a sterilite/rubbermaid. Maybe even modify a dresser drawer.

We have our cat and snake in our apartment illegally as well. What we don't tell them won't hurt them. I agree try and keep it quite and hide them if you can. Good luck in all you do.

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If nothing in the lease precludes keeping snakes, I would just tell my landowner that you will find a new apartment as soon as possible but until then, you are under no obligation to get rid of your snakes. Also, try to point out the positive attributes of snakes from a landlord's perspective; i.e. they don't smell or spray like cats and dogs, do not make any noise, etc...

I find that you can usually rationalize with people, as long as you're doing it from a perspective that they respect and understand.

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I second that.
Rusty

I think you would be right. Do not let the others know you have snakes.
I live in an apt also and in my lease it say NO Exotics. That pretty much covers everything.
And my property mgr is a, well you know a female dog. So I could at any moment have the same problem you face. They come in every May to so-called inspect the property and I was freaked out last month but they didn't say a word, so who knows. One time I was glad bp's always hide and sleep.
I was gonna do what everyone else suggested HIDE HIM if I have to so If I was you that's what I would do.
You know unless it's a emergency a landlord can not come into your apt without 24 hrs notice.
Not that helps now.
Hide jojo under the bed and put a bearded dragon in his tank and they shouldn't suspect a thing

I am so sorry you had to get rid of Coco. People suck sometimes.

I am definitely hiding Jojo I am not giving him away.

Glad to hear it. :)

Yes! Cool, make sure you hide him well!

If the landlord is coming to inspect and you're really worried about him finding Jojo, you can always take him to a willing friend's house just for that day and bring him back afterwards. But I'm sure you can just hide him somewhere. I doubt he'd actually look under the bed/in drawers etc. But I don't know your landlord. :wink:

Ok we had a breakthrough I took the manager to the place where i bought Jojo. The owner explained all the things that make owning a snake better then a mammal. The manager changed his mind when he held a ball python. So he said i can keep jojo along with the Veiled. Big weight off my shoulders.

That was cool that you could educate him enough to make him understand that snakes are better in an apartment situation that most mammals. Good for you!!

YAY!!!!!!


now, you should get a new snake to replace coconut, and then ANOTHER one just to prove your landlord he was being stupid;)

That is such great news!!!

You guys have no idea

YIPEEE!!!!!!
Score one for the reptile folks!
I am so glad to hear that :)

Awesome news. Last year I had two sugar gliders and my BP at my apartment that didn't allow pets.. Just hid them when inspection time came. I'm moving into a house in August that allows whatever so that's awesome. and my roomates think my snake (soon to be plural) is cool

Yeah.....a petition doesn't sound like such a good idea. But checking the exact wording of your lease does. If it doesn't specifically say you can't have snakes, then you may be in a position to challenge them if they give you any more trouble about Jojo.

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Originally Posted by gozetec02

Ok we had a breakthrough I took the manager to the place where i bought Jojo. The owner explained all the things that make owning a snake better then a mammal. The manager changed his mind when he held a ball python. So he said i can keep jojo along with the Veiled. Big weight off my shoulders.

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Sorry I missed all the action, but this is wonderful news! All's well that ends well.

Sheesh...looks like I missed two whole pages of this post when I replied to it! :oops: Not sure how that happened! Anyhow...I'm very glad to hear how it all turned out! Good for you for being so pro-active with your landlord and helping him to see the positives of keeping snakes!

Unfortunately Coconut was already given to a good home. The people like him and won't give him back. Just as long as they take good care of him I guess its alright. I am really starting to like bearded dragons. But will wait till November for that.

Great to hear it all worked out. That's really kewl that your apt. manager was open to hearing you out and going to visit the herp society for a little educatin' on reptiles!!