Apartment Pet Policies and You

For most of us, our pets are family. So, it's understandable that you'd want your furry friends to come with you when you move.

This page is your guide to navigating the pet policies you'll find at your chosen apartments. They can vary significantly, but most of them have similar elements. So, let's talk about what you should ask if you have a four-legged friend coming with you.

Does the apartment allow pets?

Although most apartments in the Houston area allow pets, there is no rule or law that mandates they do so. So, the first thing to find out is the most fundamental - whether or not pets are allowed at your chosen complex at all.

What kinds of pets are allowed?

Even if an apartment allows pets, it's not certain that your particular pet will be allowed. For the most part, the only pets permitted onsite are cats and dogs. Fish are almost always okay, but that's about the limit. Any exotic pet is unlikely to be acceptable.

Not all dogs are able to live in apartments, either. Many complexes do not let certain breeds live onsite, including pit bulls, rottweilers, doberman pinschers, and German shepherds, as their reputations for aggression toward humans (deserved or not) makes them too much of a liability.

Even if your dog is not a banned breed, you may still have difficulty if your dog is a large dog. Many apartments have weight limits for dogs simply because the dogs are too much mass and energy to have in the complex's units.

You're also likely to find yourself limited on the number of pets you can host. Any number higher than 2 may mean someone has to stay elsewhere.

How much do pets cost?

Of course, apartment complexes don't allow you to bring your pets out of the goodness of their hearts. You can expect to pay extra for any pets you decide to bring.

In fact, you may end up paying in three different ways. First, the apartment may charge a nonrefundable fee off the top - and its amount can easily move into the hundreds of dollars.

Second, it is almost certain that you'll have to pay a refundable deposit that the complex holds until you move out. You can almost guarantee that this fee will be several hundred dollars.

Third, some apartments may also charge a monthly fee for having the pet. This amount won't be as much as the others, but it should be part of your calculations when it comes to the rent and other fees you expect to pay.

Finally - expect all of the fees above to apply to every pet you have. So, although it's certainly important to have your furry friends, you need to budget for them, too.

What are the leash and behavior rules?

Be sure to find out what rules are in place regarding your pet(s) and how they must behave while they live with you. For the most part, all apartments are going to require that dogs be on leash whenever they leave their units UNLESS the apartment has an off-leash dog park onsite.

Every apartment complex that allows pets will also require you to clean up your pet's waste and may give fines to owners who are found to have left messes their pets made. However, that's probably not a shock, as cleaning up your pet's waste is usually a law, too.

Finally, find out about apartment quiet hours or any other restrictions that might affect how your pet must behave onsite. Get a good idea about how truly "pet-friendly" an apartment is before you sign up.

What sorts of pet-related amenities does the apartment have?

Speaking of dog parks, it's a good idea to find out what the complex has in terms of areas to walk your dog or let your dog play. Some apartments don't have much to offer, but others have dedicated dog parks with play equipment and dog washes.

What about service animals?

Service animals are protected by law, and apartment owners must allow you to have them to remain in compliance with the Fair Housing Act. So, provided that all of your documentation is official and in order, you won't have to pay any of the fees associated with pets because service animals are, well, not pets.

However, if your service animal has any particular issues, such as not being housebroken, being particularly aggressive, or otherwise creates some sort of undue burden on the complex, it might give the apartment management the ability to contest your service animal's residence. So, be sure to have your ducks in a row before you go that route.

Conclusion

Pets can come with you to most Houston-area apartments. However, be aware that you're going to have to pay for them, and you're going to have to manage them and their behavior in a way that you may not be used to doing.