A Dogged Dilemma

[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
Molotov_Coktease wrote:
Any legal input would be great, although I’m quite sure I’ll just have to contend with the bottom line. Maybe if somebody will just say ‘that’s bullshit’… perhaps that would suffice. Just yet another chapter in the book of life sucks.

Ask for a copy of the signed lease agreement if you don’t have one and find out what the pet policy is.

If it is a legit claim then pay the pet deposit so you don’t get evicted. That is bad juju on a credit report. You may be able to get away with not paying the extra $30/month if you are a good bargainer – these sort of things are always negotiable – especially if there are other empty, cheaper apartments that you can threaten to take your business to.

Hopefully the landlord is not litigious enough to take you to court to make back payments on rent.

If you were my tenant I would not make a big deal as long as you were respectful to your neighbors and I didn’t have to listen to loud partying all hours of the night. Try using that argument if it applies to you. If all else fails and your landlord is male use your female superpowers.

Good luck![/quote]

Excellent advice in this post.

[quote]jnnak wrote:
Eh, that seems about right. I’d check to see where $700 number came from but the $30 is pretty normal. My apartment has a $300 non-refundable pet deposit. The wear and tear on flooring will be much greater (usually)than without a dog. It is only a 4 pound dog but, one general lease is easier than making one for all dog breeds or weight categories. Just suck it up and pay it is the best thing you can do. [/quote]

You know, I wouldn’t mind if it were one or the other. If it were $30 extra per month OR extra deposit, the fact they are charging both reeks of greed to me. See, if they stuck a notice on my door saying $300…this thread would never have been made.

[quote]Molotov_Coktease wrote:
jnnak wrote:
Eh, that seems about right. I’d check to see where $700 number came from but the $30 is pretty normal. My apartment has a $300 non-refundable pet deposit. The wear and tear on flooring will be much greater (usually)than without a dog. It is only a 4 pound dog but, one general lease is easier than making one for all dog breeds or weight categories. Just suck it up and pay it is the best thing you can do.

You know, I wouldn’t mind if it were one or the other. If it were $30 extra per month OR extra deposit, the fact they are charging both reeks of greed to me. See, if they stuck a notice on my door saying $300…this thread would never have been made. [/quote]

$700 seems high but relative to your rent and location, is probably about normal. I pay an extra $40 a month on top of the non refundable pet deposit. It sucks but they just need to cover their bases. Put yourself in their shoes. Worst case scenario when you move out they need to replace the carpet (if you have carpet). Your deposit+pet deposit+montly pet rent should be able to cover most of the costs or replacement. I would check your lease to see if the $700 is legit or they just pulled that out of their ass.

[quote]Cortes wrote:
LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
Molotov_Coktease wrote:
Any legal input would be great, although I’m quite sure I’ll just have to contend with the bottom line. Maybe if somebody will just say ‘that’s bullshit’… perhaps that would suffice. Just yet another chapter in the book of life sucks.

Ask for a copy of the signed lease agreement if you don’t have one and find out what the pet policy is.

If it is a legit claim then pay the pet deposit so you don’t get evicted. That is bad juju on a credit report. You may be able to get away with not paying the extra $30/month if you are a good bargainer – these sort of things are always negotiable – especially if there are other empty, cheaper apartments that you can threaten to take your business to.

Hopefully the landlord is not litigious enough to take you to court to make back payments on rent.

If you were my tenant I would not make a big deal as long as you were respectful to your neighbors and I didn’t have to listen to loud partying all hours of the night. Try using that argument if it applies to you. If all else fails and your landlord is male use your female superpowers.

Good luck!

Excellent advice in this post.
[/quote]

It is in the lease. I would never deliberately not pay something and get evicted… I’m quite aware of consequences at this point in my life.

Also, I just want to point out again that there is no ‘landlord’ typical situation…these are apartments and they have an apartment ‘manager’… who doesn’t own this place or make the rules, but is paid to enforce them. My apartments are most likely owned by a corporation, who is owned by some big fat cat who owns a shitload of property. I will probably never meet my landlord in my whole life, unless I come to own a shitload of property and we coincidentally run into eachother at the countryclub one day and have a stuck up chuckle about how I could barely cough up $700 to save my chihuahua. Ohhh those were dustbowl days Winston…pass the grey poupon!

I’m actually pretty skilled in the bargaining arena and rarely if ever have need to resort to feminine wiles, not to mention this manager is female. In fact, I have just arrived from discussing the matter with her…and persuaded her to let me pay off the extra deposit money in some installments. That will definitely help, …I feel a little better, and my dog is worth it.

Thanks for the input all.

It is entirely legal for the landlord to charges this. The only thing you can do is look up your state’s pet deposit limit. If it is less than $700 (I know it isn’t) then you could bring that up.

[quote]Molotov_Coktease wrote:
I guess we’re just really used to being bent over. [/quote]

Are you really? :slight_smile:

Keep in mind that the dollar amount is not necessarily mathematically proportionate to the amount of estimated ‘wear and tear.’

Sometimes, an exorbitAnt compensation is meant to be a negative financial incentive, to turn people off from the idea of having a pet on the owner’s property.

Besides, you cannot throw the argument that ‘it’s just a 4 lb dog.’ There are no such tiered fee structures for the size of dog due to the amount of mess or noise it might make. It’s just a blanket rule: pets or no pets.

I know it sucks, but give up the dog if it bothers you.

The landlord won’t make a clause dictating different prices for different types of dogs.

A dog ruins the carpet in one room, and that’s your $700 right there, and many dogs will ruin more than one carpet. As PonceDeLeon said, sometimes the cost is just to make you avoid getting a dog in the first place.

Certain landlords (at least here) don’t even rent to people with dogs because of the extra hassle. Landlords don’t want to deal with the urine/fecal matter stained carpets.

Even if the dog is potty trained, the dog’s nails can catch in the carpet fibers and tear them, giving the carpet a ragged appearance. Your dog’s nails may not, but if the landlord made exceptions, someone with a bigger dog could sue for discrimination.

[quote]Molotov_Coktease wrote:

In fact, I have just arrived from discussing the matter with her…and persuaded her to let me pay off the extra deposit money in some installments. That will definitely help, …I feel a little better, and my dog is worth it.

Thanks for the input all.[/quote]

Good news. Glad that it worked out for you and your dog. Got any pics of the little guy?