Tips on How to Find Pet Friendly Rental Homes in India

Written by: Sumita Roy

Pet owning in any country has always been a matter of debate. There are many people who want to or already own pets, but cannot find properties on lease which allow them to have their pets live with them. 

It is mainly the danger of property damage that instigates this kind of distrust and disinclination, on the part of the home owner. 

If you are one of those tenants who want a pet friendly and secure neighborhood for yourself and your pet, you will have to strike a compromise.  And you should be prepared to look for more properties to rent than in general.

How should you go about renting a property?

These are the steps that suggest you how you should go about renting a home with an intention to keeping pets in them. 

Go ahead and ask

There are many tenants who do not disclose the fact of owning/ would own a pet. 

The problem with such a setup is the landlord gets upset when he finds out. He may even evict the tenant- if he is utterly discontent. 

A less problematic way is to mention the fact in the very first stage of searching for a property. 

You will be able to comprehend the extent of your landlord’s aversion towards pets. If he is strongly averted towards them, then do not go ahead with the deal. But if he is lenient enough and you find a little bit compromise will settle the deal then go ahead with it.

Offer more than asked

The best and easiest way is offering more rent than asked. 

When a person gets a bit more than he asked for, and does not mind a pet living in his property, he will surely be gladder to accept his tenants. 

A greater return on investment is always appreciated and shown in more than one way- which will be beneficial you and your furry flat mate.

And it is a small price to pay considering the benefits you will receive. it is a win-win situation for both you and your landlord. 

Pet references

A pet reference is a way to ensure your landlord about the least possibility of your pet creating a mess- running around without your information, messing up other tenant's things etc. 

You should provide him with important and necessary facts like the medical checkup your pet undergoes regularly, his age, temperament, training, vaccinations etc. 

This will issue more confidence on you and your partner. You can also make your present landlord speak with your previous one, who can assure your landlord of you and your pet’s performance.

Keep an updated record

With an updated medical record of your pet you can convince the landlord that it will create least problems. 

For that you need to retain all the certificates of vaccination, vet receipts and paperwork related to the treatment of your mate. 

Sharing this with the property manager/ landlord will give them a peace of mind about your pets health. 

It will also provide an additional advantage on your side. It will portray you as a caring pet owner and a responsible tenant.

Pet’s accommodation

Living with your pet does not constrict itself to you and your landlord’s convenience. It also extends to the convenience of your pet as well. 

Think about it, if you are living in a studio apartment and you have a Saint Bernard to accommodate, then will this limited space suffice? Of course not. 

Even a house with no adjoining parks or lawns would not be good for them.  Therefore, though you would like to live within the city, a better place for them would be near the country- with less traffic, less pollution, less noise and more space to run around.

Offering trial period

For property manager and landlord who are very skeptic about a pet’s presence- you can offer them a trial period. 

Ask them to try you and your pet out as tenants for a specific time period- like a year. If they think it is too much for them, then they will not have to renew the rental agreement at the end of the mentioned period. 

But give it a shot only when you are sure about the property. 

If it is good enough for both your lifestyle and accommodating for your furry friend then only talk about such a compromise, otherwise don’t.

Get written agreements

Whatever kind of compromise you reach, you should have everything written down in an agreement duly signed by yourself, your landlord and a witness. 

If you are paying extra, or will be under trial period for a while etc. everything should be there in writing. 

Another thing you can do is create a pet agreement and sign it. In it you will put down your responsibilities, and all terms and conditions of your stay with them. It should also mention the damage repairs, in case your pet create them. 

Clean living

Pets are trained to keep their nature’s call on check and go to the washroom when necessary. 

Training your pets is important to live a peaceful, civic and clean life in society. They are your companions and you know them perfectly. but they should also be friendly or at least non-violent with outsiders. 

If they are, then you need to leash them whenever you have company. 

An effective management can only ensure a good companionship and hassle-free living. 

Cleaning your carpets and keeping your house stench and germs free is something you will have to do. It is essential to a healthy lifestyle for personal living and communal harmony.

Choosing your pets

Suppose you already are a tenant in a particular property, and now you want to keep a pet. Just look around and analyze the area and the pet you can fit in the space. Choosing carefully is very important. Your area will give you an idea of the pet you can afford to keep, because sometimes it is not just money that decides. It is your family’s health, convenience and the pet’s way of living. Perhaps a pair of Lovebirds or Small Conures would be better than a German Shepherd.

Choosing is all the more essential for people living in the city and cannot afford to stay in the outskirts. City living usually inculcates limited spacious living which means your choice of pets gets categorized to smaller ones. For those I have chosen a selected kind of pets that you can easily keep in your downsized accommodation.

Dogs

The most favorite and popular of all pets is dog. Due to their friendliness, honesty and most of all- loyalty, they are the most preferred pets. 

Smaller sized pet would mean comfortable living for both you and your pets. 

Breeds like Maltese, Boston terrier, Pugs, Pomeranian, Chihuahua, Miniature Schnauzer, Shih Tzu, Miniature poodles, Papillion and Pekingese are some of the options you have, if you are living in a studio or 1 BHK apartment. 

It is not that you cannot have a Great Dane- if you wish to. But it will be problematic for both you and your pet to adjust in a small space.

Cats

All kinds of kittens and cats work wonders in small space. Just make sure they have climbing spaces, toys, scratching posts, and hiding and sleeping posts. 

Purchasing two or three cats at a time can be also a very good idea. They can use each others company and live peacefully, even when you are not at home. 

Cats love to keep themselves clean. This is an additional advantage of having them as pets. through you need to clean them often, but not as frequently as with the others. 

Guinea pigs and rabbits

Guinea pigs and rabbits are a good choice for small spaces. 

They are also highly social but need to have regular access to the outdoors- especially grassed areas, lawns etc. 

Guinea pigs are best kept in pairs. But be careful so as not to mix genders. You might end up having unwanted babies within the household. Same sexed companionship would be better for you and them. 

Fishes

They are the most perfect partners for small spaces. They do not need training. 

They are beautiful as they are. A school consisting of 5 to 10 in a small bowl will present an exquisite picture for your house. 

But they are delicate in nature therefore, you need to have proper filtration, aeration, water quality and temperature control to make their living easy.

Living in with a pet is always cozy. When you are living alone, they form a constant companion. But maintaining them and finding a perfect property to live in is essential for both of you. I think by following the above mentioned ways you can get hold of a good property on lease and have a good live with it with minimal chance of trouble from the landlord/ property manager.