trouble finding an apartment?

I'd like to know if you all dont mind sharing, have any of you had trouble finding an apartment/duplex/house to rent because of the snakes?

I think you missed one option on that poll. Don't tell them! I have lived in multiple apartments with reptiles (as well as cats when they weren't allowed). As long as you can keep them hidden if any inspections/repairs need to be done, it shouldnt be an issue.

This is a concern for our family because we move so much and buying a new house with every move isn't an option. :rolleyes: What I do when a potential landlord asks if we have any pets is that I tell him we only have pets that live in glass tanks. So far, that has been a very satisfactory answer because as a landlord, their primary concern is animals that may damage the property (ie cats and dogs) and they rarely have enough imagination or care to consider what might actually be living in those tanks.


Now, this is for renting houses. Haven't looked at apartments since we were newlyweds. But it works so far. I don't even hide them if the landlord comes into the house for some reason because we've signed a lease that does not specify that we can't keep certain animals except cats or dogs and they can't do anything about it at that point.

....at the last place I rented, when I asked the owner if it would be ok for me to keep snakes....

He said "Sure, snakes don't mess up carpet.....but, you still have to pay a pet deposit"...

...that was the end of it.

i kept snakes, geckos, frogs, fish, rats and a cat in an apartment for several years with no issues. when i moved in there was nothing in the lease that stated that i couldn't keep them and i never signed anything that said otherwise. the complex changed management and on the web site of the new company it stated "no exotics" but that was it--no definition of what qualified as an exotic. since i never signed any updated lease that stated the same i said nothing and nothing ever came of it.

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Originally Posted by jglass38

I think you missed one option on that poll. Don't tell them! I have lived in multiple apartments with reptiles (as well as cats when they weren't allowed). As long as you can keep them hidden if any inspections/repairs need to be done, it shouldnt be an issue.

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I usually advise against this type of thing because all to often I've seen people get caught having animals and when faced with eviction they just rehome the animals.

If someone is willing to be evicted and find a new place if/when caught then fine.

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Originally Posted by jglass38

I think you missed one option on that poll. Don't tell them! I have lived in multiple apartments with reptiles (as well as cats when they weren't allowed). As long as you can keep them hidden if any inspections/repairs need to be done, it shouldnt be an issue.

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Thats the option I went with when I moved. My place excepts pets up to 100lbs so I never brought it up then once I moved in I was really reading thru my lease and notice in small print that no exotics where allowed. Oops!

I figure that if they ever find out I am just gonna tell them when they mention exotics I figured they meant monkees, lions etc. And that my snakes are common ones found outdoors. My landlord wouldn't know the difference and besides we have a decent relationship. I think they would be fine w/ a ball python but now if I was keeping retics or rocks or annies that would be a whole different story

And if I had to move then I would and my snakes would go with me just like my son would as I view them as part of the family.

I voted no problem...

I haven't had any problems myself. In my current apartment I got a little worried because I was buying snakes left and right and I never checked with them...I wanted to make sure if they were or not so I called up as a prospective renter and asked if people were allowed to move in with a couple...they asked what kind of snake and I told the lady ball python and she was like "omg I want one! but let me go check..." to come back on the phone and say "yeah those are allowed!" I was relieved and possibly lucky?...

You can go without telling the complex but sometimes you have those unexpected times where you need maintinence to come fix something and I Just wouldn't like to find out that I had to move or sell because of them...

Well I started getting my snakes after i moved into an apartment. The fine print on the contact clearly states "no exotics, including snakes..." To be honest...i do not care of the consequences right now. If i'm asked to remove the snakes or leave, i'll gladly leave. The best thing i can do at the moment is to keep things hidden away so it doesn't cause problems and keep my mouth shut...none of my neighbors know what I have. When I bring home the food, i keep it in a concealed box..not a box that screams "PET CO" or "PET LAND". In a year or so i'll be in a house (i hope)...so i refuse to let anyone dictate my hobby.

When I moved to FL for a whole month before moving back up here... I had a heck of a time finding a place that allowed me to bring my snakes along. The word snake and people were like "no sorry", etc. After a lot of talking over the phone to this one place, I was able to talk the guy into letting me keep 1 snake and under 4 feet long. I thought you got to be kidding me... just one!? Little did he know that both Jinx and Sebastian came along with me.

As for previous apartments around here, my ex and I snuck two of my rabbits in with us. All was fine for a few months till one of the neighbors heard them fighting or something during the day when we were not there. Long story short it was us getting evicted OR getting rid of them. My ex and I at the time didn't have anywhere else to live right then and there so sadly we had to put the rabbits in a shelter.

So well now I wouldnt advise sneeking any animals in with you - unless you are able to say "fine... see ya" and pack up and leave right then a there.

only lived in an apartment once for 8 months and I didn't own any snakes at that point. But I did have a german shepard and a cat and the landlord was fine with it. Probably because it was hard wood flooring through out and we promised the dog only barks when someone knocks on the door which was the truth.

I had more trouble finding a place with my 55lb pit bull. (because of the rep) I just told the past land lord she was a med terrier) I didn't lie they are terriers. I got lucky though, my current land lord is a family friend and said as long as I keep the place/ yard nice he doesn't care about ANY of my many critters. Big plus is his wife is a pet fan and loves my dog. I've never herd of "tank" animals being a problem I always thought of them as being apartment pets. Learn some thing new every day.:D

I ask if they allow aquariums. I do not tell them what I will put in the aquariums. I have been threatened to get kicked out but I just put the snake under my bed during inspections and repairs.

Trey

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Originally Posted by mxrider42

I ask if they allow aquariums. I do not tell them what I will put in the aquariums. I have been threatened to get kicked out but I just put the snake under my bed during inspections and repairs.

Trey

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Haha another reason why tubs rule! Easy to hide unlike a huge glass tank. Plus how many landlords even know that peple use tubs? 99% of them will look for a glass tank, not a rubbermaid tub ;)

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Originally Posted by JLC

. . . What I do when a potential landlord asks if we have any pets is that I tell him we only have pets that live in glass tanks. So far, that has been a very satisfactory answer because as a landlord, their primary concern is animals that may damage the property (ie cats and dogs) and they rarely have enough imagination or care to consider what might actually be living in those tanks.

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Exactly! Most of the time, snakes don't even cross their mind. If they ask specifically which type(s) of animal, I start with reptiles, and go from there. Not that I'm ashamed of keeping snakes :oops:

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Originally Posted by jglass38

I think you missed one option on that poll. Don't tell them! I have lived in multiple apartments with reptiles (as well as cats when they weren't allowed). As long as you can keep them hidden if any inspections/repairs need to be done, it shouldnt be an issue.

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yeah thats my take on it too but my SO says no, we'll get evicted. he's a biscuithead sometimes. sometimes he's too honest. I have no problem with stretching the truth

thanks for the stories all, I apreciate it

Our land load knows about our snakes and he says they are ok and the tarantulas are fine to but he don't like the cages of mice I have so if he comes in for something I hide the mice. They do not let you have cats or dogs here.
:snake:

I'm about to move myself. I'm only looking to get an idea of the price range but plan to move within a month. Most of the adds I read say "No Pets/Smoking". I'll be sure to ask about animals in Aquariums.

Myself as a home owner (it's in a different state), I would actually be more concerned about an aquarium filled with water. large amounts of water can really mess up the wood part of the floor under the carpet.

Whenever we move to a new complex, we tell them our pets are caged. That usually does it.
At this place, when we first came here (with only lizards) they didn't even charge us a deposit because A)it's a pet friendly complex. And B) the animals never got out to mess anything up. When we replaced the lizards with snakes, some of the girls in the office were 'less than thrilled', but the others actually thought it was cool!

Then, we got a new manager...who hates snakes. She's terrified of them and thinks they'll get out and hurt other pets (though she's seen pictures of how small they stay comparatively). She wouldn't have known about my darlings...but the ladies in the office who like them were talking about them with the manager in earshot.
So what did she do when we resigned our lease?? Yep, she charged us $300 for a deposit. Since it wasn't a 'new' lease, she couldn't tell us to get rid of the snakes (which I'm sure she wishes she could have done)...but boy did she do all she could. :mad: The office girls apologized to me for ages...
Everyone else around here, though, calls me the Snake Lady. They think it's cool as long as the snakes don't get into their apartments. ;) :D