Looking for realistic and reasonable suggestions.

[Daigga]

Ultimately you have to do what you are comfortable with. Im sure that you are going to get a broad spectrum of advice on this issue. Keep in mind though that many people on forums get very self righteous and uppity when they are dolling out advice to strangers about problems that will never affect them. Is it an ideal situation to be dishonest? Absolutely not. But it is much better than the alternative scenarios. IMO my animals are my full responsibility, and I would do whatever it takes to ensure their happiness and health, including lies to a landlord. Its very temporary situation. You don't have to have the snakes outside the apt ever. Likely your landlord would never even enter your apt. No one is going to evict you for having snakes. Likely they would just give you a time frame to find another arrangement.

I don't consider it "self righteous and uppity" to tell someone not to be dishonest when the welfare of their animals is at stake. I am responsible for all my snakes as well, and I am not going to risk my well-being and theirs for my own convenience. These problems affect everyone with snakes, do not assume any of us have it easier while searching for accepting places to live. Lies make things better in the short term, but not when an angry landlord decides you can't be trusted at all and issues an eviction notice because you blatantly violated your lease (Violating your lease is grounds for eviction if the landlord chooses that route, which some have). That isn't ensuring the happiness and health of your animals, that's being selfish, and you may feel free to call me "uppity" and "self righteous" for telling someone not to do it.