No pets in the lease?

So I'm at a bit of a fork in the road here... I have seen a few threads talking about lease/reptile issues, and wanted to get some inputs. I have a lease I have to sign and get back to to company I am planning on renting from. After I read through the lease I saw the "no dogs, cats, ferrets, or pets of any kind" in some of the fine print.

I would be more open with the landlord about the situation, but I put the $300 deposit down before getting a copy of the lease. I was assured by the person showing me the apartment and the person that gave me the copy of the lease that snakes "are usually not a problem unless they will get out," (this has happened before with a tenant) and that "it's animals that will cause damage to the apartment." Now it would be hard to prove they said that in the case that the landlord is not willing to change the lease.

So what to do now... I got everything yesterday and it's due back the 27th. Do I take it back now and demand some written agreement on snakes being alllowed? Do I wait til I have everything filled out and sign the lease once a written agreement has been established? Do I go through with renting ignoring the no pets clause? (my RTB's future 4'x2'x2' enclosure is not going to be something I can hide from the landlord)

This is what I would do. I would tell the landlord I have a snake. If he is okay with it, then when you sign the Lease Agreement, make sure you change the "no pets clause" to put an exception for your snake and have the landlord initial it. Make sure you keep your copy of the amended and signed Lease Agreement. Then you should be good to go.

Hiding it from your landlord could cause you to get fined and/or loose your security deposit (they have legal recourse to do that even if your snake doesn't do any damage of any kind - they could just do it because they want to keep your money). And, a verbal okay is not good enough because the signed Lease Agreement is what they would go by when they go after your money.

Just my opinion, of course. I had this experience with a dog I babysat for a weekend in my "no pets allowed" apartment. I ended up paying a hefty fine for it and it wasn't even my dog.

Don't mention the snake. Ask if they would have a problem with a large aquarium.
-Steven

Maybe not. Large aquariums are frowned upon because they can spring a leak and cause flooding within the apartment and to any apartment below them :)

get a rack, then put it somewhere like I did, ina big closet it works out perfect. I have my heater in there with it and my thermostat on top of the rack, if my landlord idd come over I would simply pull the heater out and take the termostat down and boom its a shoe rack.

be honest with them. No good will come of it by hiding the snake in a back room. You will live nervously for as long as you are there.

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Originally Posted by grammie

be honest with them. No good will come of it by hiding the snake in a back room. You will live nervously for as long as you are there.

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not to mention that maintenance people will be coming in and out of the apartment, usually without a pre scheduled appointment. I'd be upfront and ask the landlord to add a clause, or even suggest a pet deposit that you can pay over the course that you live there. My friend has to pay $500 per pet for her pet deposit, but can pay it out monthly over the span of her lease, and that is not renewable from year to year.

I guess Im just fortunate noone ever comes here, my landlord is a big company and doesnt step foot inside and I have had not one maint. person since Ive been here.

Ultimately, unless you get the landlord to alter the 'no pets' statement, they can evict you anytime they feel like it. It's a ready-made excuse for them, regardless of what they told you verbally. It's a fairly simple change, have your landlord put a line through the no pets sentence and write 'snake OK' in the side margin and initial it. Then be sure you have a copy of that lease somewhere safe. As long as you go in to meet the landlord and be confident, you shouldn't have any issues. Be firm and don't go for the whole 'we can work that out later' after you sign the lease shtick. It is well worth the peace of mind.

My .02

~Kat

I would say talk to the landlord about it before you go any farther. If he does allow you to have pets, be it herps or any other kind, make sure you get it in writing.

When my roommates and I were signing the lease for our current apartment we were told by the management company that we could have a cat. It was a verbal agreement and nothing was ever put in writing.

Before we moved in they put in new hardwood floors.

About a week after me moved in my fiance and I went to the local ASPCA in Boston and picked out a kitten. We had the paper work all filled out and were ready to take him home but they just needed to call the management company to get their final approval.

Because of the new floors the management guy said no to the kitten "because it would scratch them up." We were a little pissed, but it did teach us a lesson.

What Jane said.

A verbal ok from an employee is worth about as much as used chewing gum.

One thing to consider as well... Most apartments (at least all the ones I've been in since moving to Florida) spray pesticides in the unit. A no-pets clause could mean they wouldn't consider if the pesticides they use is harmful to pets. And they usually go in without notice.

(Disclaimer: This is just my personal reasoning, I really have no idea if pest control companies use pesticides that are harmful to pets.)

Most certainly talk to the highest-up person you can. Get them to put something in writing on the lease AS WELL as another paper just for the agreement that will go into your file. This is important!

Do Not just try and 'hide' the snake, since a snake that big is almost impossible to hide. And you could get into tons of trouble.

If they seem stubborn, ask about a pet deposit. When we first moved into this apartment complex, a pet friendly place, the manager had no problem at all with reptiles and didn't even charge the deposit since they weren't threats to the apartment (if I'd had an Iguana, it might have changed). Things went great...until we had to renew the lease. A new manager had taken over and she HATES snakes. The office ladies, sadly, let slip that I had multiple snakes and the manager was terrified. She couldn't make me get rid of them, since the apartments allow all sorts of pets, but she DID make us pay the $300 pet deposit normally reserved for free-roaming animals only. :rolleyes:

The point of this is, if your place gets new management and the manager isn't as 'understanding' as the current one might be and you only have a verbal agreement, things could get ugly. Any arrangements made should always be in writing, preferably in more than one source!

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Originally Posted by wilomn

What Jane said.

A verbal ok from an employee is worth about as much as used chewing gum.

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That's pretty much how I was feeling. I think it will be best to be open about the whole thing like many have suggested, I'm just going to be mad if they say no pets, no exceptions and for some reason I can't get my deposit back if I decide not to rent from them.

I am concerned since it is a real estate company, because I think they are less likely to bend their rules for tenants. I'm going to call them to figure out how I can meet with the landlord to make a clause for my snakes in the lease. Hopefully it goes without a hitch.

Thanks for the inputs everyone, I got a lot of helpful insight.:)
BTW I originally had asked if aquarium pets are OK and was asked "what kind of pets?" I'm glad I saw how someone could disagree with aquariums.

Also, I don't know if I could stand paying to keep snakes in an apartment while they cause no damage that I am aware of... dogs and cats are one thing, but 500/year to pay for snakes? that seems ridiculous... although it might be my only option for next year

sometimes those fees are refundable, sometimes they aren't. If you have to pay a "deposit" (yes some "pet deposits" are non-refundable, they should just call it "pet rent") make sure to find out which it is. Also find out if it is per animal as well, that would very well get expensive QUICK.

Deposits on snakes are ridiculous.