Renting & Breed Specific Restrictions

[jetsmom]

[QUOTE=solara;6264612]
IANAL, but be VERY CAREFUL about this. You HAVE to give whatever notice you state is allowed in your lease, and you definitely can’t invade your tenant’s right to privacy (see here). I had more than one landlord do this to me, and let me tell you, no one liked it - we got woken up a 7am on a Sunday as they barged into the unit, none of us fully dressed, one of my roommates hungover, and the apartment covered in papers from studying. Not a pretty scene.

Make sure to spell out whatever arrangement you want in the lease, and make sure the tenant initials near it if you want to really cover yourself.[/QUOTE]

I’m referring to visiting the home the tenant is renting now and wanting to move FROM into one of my homes. Before I accept them as a renter, I want to see how they keep the place they are currently renting (from another landlord). There is no way to barge in as it’s not my home, and they agree to have me come over and visit. I’m not talking about going into my rental. I’m talking about before I agree to rent to them.
I will ask them during a phone interview when they are inquiring about renting my place, if I can stop by in a couple of hrs and drop off the app, and see how they keep their place/any pet damages. A couple of hrs, gives them time to straighten up, but not rearrange furniture to hide damage/paint, etc.

[LovelyBay]

[QUOTE=jrzeqrider;6263757]
Try renting from a personal owner, rather than a property management company. For insurance reasons a lot of PM companies can’t allow them.[/QUOTE]

This!

We have two large dogs, and live in a college town. The only rentals we’ve been able to find that allow our dogs have been through private landlords.

I hate moving, I know what you are going through, we spend that last two months trying to find a place. Good Luck!

[solara]

[QUOTE=jetsmom;6264801]
I’m referring to visiting the home the tenant is renting now and wanting to move FROM into one of my homes. Before I accept them as a renter, I want to see how they keep the place they are currently renting (from another landlord). There is no way to barge in as it’s not my home, and they agree to have me come over and visit. I’m not talking about going into my rental. I’m talking about before I agree to rent to them.
I will ask them during a phone interview when they are inquiring about renting my place, if I can stop by in a couple of hrs and drop off the app, and see how they keep their place/any pet damages. A couple of hrs, gives them time to straighten up, but not rearrange furniture to hide damage/paint, etc.[/QUOTE]

That is different - sorry I read your post wrong. Obviously, if they agree to your presence, that’s different than if you post a notice on their door two hours before you come over and then just come on in without confirmation that it’s okay. And, honestly, it sounds like a brilliant way to make sure you are getting the kind of renter that won’t trash your house.

[HydroPHILE]

1. No one is going to question you and ask you if your dog is a German Shepherd mix. It is a mixed breed, and it doesn’t look like any particular breed.

2. Try renting from an individual or a property management company versus an apartment complex.

3. Ensure your dog is up to date on all required vaccinations and some form of flea/tick preventative.

4. Find places without weight restrictions (or reasonable weight restrictions.)

5. Create a pet resumé for your dog (http://mypitbulllovesyourhonorstudent.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/pet-resumes-what-are-they/) including reference letters from your Veterinarian and previous landlords.

6. Ensure that you have a well-mannered and non-aggressive dog and ask the landlord/property management company if they would like to meet your dog prior to renting.

7. Do not say your dog is a German Shepherd mix. While I normally would say “don’t lie about your dog’s breed,” that really only holds water for dogs that are purebred or quite clear it is a particular breed type. Yours is not.

[QUOTE=jetsmom;6264801]
I’m referring to visiting the home the tenant is renting now and wanting to move FROM into one of my homes. Before I accept them as a renter, I want to see how they keep the place they are currently renting (from another landlord). There is no way to barge in as it’s not my home, and they agree to have me come over and visit. I’m not talking about going into my rental. I’m talking about before I agree to rent to them.[/QUOTE]

Based on your visit to either our former rental home or our current rental home, you would deny us from renting your home. Why? Former rental home had windowsills chewed up by the homeowner’s dog and then painted over, stained carpet from Georgia red clay ruining the carpet (from the homeowner’s dog,) a chewed piece of sheetrock in the basement…from the homeowner’s dog. Our current home? Chewed windowsills, chewed railings on the deck, a haphazardly-repaired hole in the sheetrock from a dog chewing through it (instead of a proper patch, they just threw some spackle over it, and painted,) chewed baseboards, claw marks on the bathroom door, etc. You get the idea.

Now if you had asked for rental references from landlords, you would receive stellar reports, no damage to the home from us/our dogs, etc.

[Canaqua]

I’d just say “Mixed Breed” and be done with it. She really doesn’t look much like a GSD at all. She actually looks most like the, recently dearly departed, official barn dog where I board, and that dog was a known Pit/Husky mix (don’t say that, though, even “worse”, from an uneducated management company perspective, than a GSD).

If you ask your vet, they’ll probably change the “breed” designation on the paperwork for you. I’ve been able to do that…when you are dealing with a mutt, it’s all just guesswork anyway. If I tell the vet it’s an “ACD mix”, that’s what they write down. If I later change my mind and say she’s something else, they’ll write that down too ;).

Our dogs are both officially “Mixed Breed”, though I KNOW one to be ACD/JRT and the other is very obviously mostly Border Collie. ACDs are restricted in some housing aroud here, so I don’t own one…I own a very nice “Mixed Breed”, who just happens to be 1/2 ACD, but no fools but me need that information ;). One of the vets at our practice is a Cattle Dog fan and owns several, she’s sees my old dog and sings her, made up, “Cattle Dog” song, because she knows one when she sees one and loves them, but she still writes “Mixed Breed” on the paperwork.

[vacation1]

@Pcostx;6263931

Some posters mentioned Boxer, around here Boxers and Boxer mixes are NOT allowed by most rentals either so I would be careful using that breed!

That particular wrinkle is the predictable result of “Tell them your dog is a Boxer mix!” advice given to pit bull owners over the years. It was never ethical, and it’s obviously proven ineffective over time. Tell the truth - your dog is a mix of some sort, short-haired and large. Don’t throw in a few “safe” breeds to slap some PR on it. You have a mutt who, judging by the head and coat, has a background in several working breeds which are NOT traditionally idiot-proof. Stress the dog’s virtues (for whatever reason, landlords prefer short coats) and emphasize how you are religious about keeping him on a leash in public, exercise him daily, etc. And good luck! Finding reasonabley priced rentals with a dog is a nightmare, even with a “safe” breed or a small one.

[BuddyRoo]

I’d just say “mixed breed” and you don’t know what is what. IME, beyond breed, it’s been a weight limit and typically it was 35-40lbs.

The whole reason I ended up buying a home a few years ago instead of renting (which I regret btw) was that I had an 85 lb lab. Well behaved in the house, but some folks are very strict about it.

I know that for my home owner’s insurance breeds like Rotties, pits, and shepherds were off limits.

It’s so silly really. A good dog is a good dog.

[irkenequine]

Agree with all the expressed sentiments here. Personally, I see a lot of Bully breed in the face in the close picture, but from far away just looks like a lanky mutt. For what its worth, shelter I worked at probably would have just listed as a Husky/Shepherd/lab mix. I can ONLY roll my eyes when people panic and site “But there’s some bully/pitt/aggressive breed in that mutt!” Shelter or street dogs are RARELY if ever some 50% hybrid of two purebreds strutting down the sidewalk. They are a variable genetic blend of 100’s of other blended animals to create this one unique animal. Breed standards are the product of 100’s of years of selection and inbreeding to clone and replicate a certain type and temperment. Mixes could not possbily be farther from that base. Renters and people who seek to explain their dogs personality based on an AKC paragraph because of a dog’s blue eye or curly tail which ‘may’ indicate ‘some’ piece of a breed makes me roll my eyes.

When I worked at a shelter we had a couple of work-arounds for this issue, that have all already been addressed it seems:

You can a) have the vet sign the rabies or shot paperwork with a different breed,
b) have a DNA test done (stupid and expensive but they often rule out bully breeds specifically which is what most people need to not be on their particular leases)
c) You USED to be able to put in a fake dog breed with the CKC and get them a basic registration. Look up exotic breed mixes online, send them a photo and 50 bucks, papers!

My roommate’s Sharpei mix (who is 80 pounds, built just like your dog and retains literally ONLY tiny ears as any visible sharpei feature) has papers with the CKC, as a joke.

[Rhyadawn]

[QUOTE=MunchingonHay;6263822]
I agree with IN_ boxer/smooth coat collie cross is what I see. maybe a bit of lab tossed in there for some good measure[/QUOTE]

maybe some Sibe too. They are known for “masks”

[jetsmom]

[QUOTE=HydroPHILE;6265082]

1. No one is going to question you and ask you if your dog is a German Shepherd mix. It is a mixed breed, and it doesn’t look like any particular breed.

2. Try renting from an individual or a property management company versus an apartment complex.

3. Ensure your dog is up to date on all required vaccinations and some form of flea/tick preventative.

4. Find places without weight restrictions (or reasonable weight restrictions.)

5. Create a pet resumé for your dog (http://mypitbulllovesyourhonorstudent.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/pet-resumes-what-are-they/) including reference letters from your Veterinarian and previous landlords.

6. Ensure that you have a well-mannered and non-aggressive dog and ask the landlord/property management company if they would like to meet your dog prior to renting.

7. Do not say your dog is a German Shepherd mix. While I normally would say “don’t lie about your dog’s breed,” that really only holds water for dogs that are purebred or quite clear it is a particular breed type. Yours is not.

Based on your visit to either our former rental home or our current rental home, you would deny us from renting your home. Why? Former rental home had windowsills chewed up by the homeowner’s dog and then painted over, stained carpet from Georgia red clay ruining the carpet (from the homeowner’s dog,) a chewed piece of sheetrock in the basement…from the homeowner’s dog. Our current home? Chewed windowsills, chewed railings on the deck, a haphazardly-repaired hole in the sheetrock from a dog chewing through it (instead of a proper patch, they just threw some spackle over it, and painted,) chewed baseboards, claw marks on the bathroom door, etc. You get the idea.

Now if you had asked for rental references from landlords, you would receive stellar reports, no damage to the home from us/our dogs, etc.[/QUOTE]

I hope you did a condition report/inventory form on the property before moving in. Most all states have them as forms from their Real Estate Associations. That gives you a way to document the propety’s condition when you move in so you won’t be held liable when you move out. I’d recommend ALL renters do one before you bring furniture in. Can save you money/stress when you move out.’
If I looked at someone’s home that they were renting and they said it was like that before, and they produced the condition form from moving in that showed those damages, I’d be fine with that.

[HydroPHILE]

[QUOTE=jetsmom;6266268]
I hope you did a condition report/inventory form on the property before moving in. Most all states have them as forms from their Real Estate Associations. That gives you a way to document the propety’s condition when you move in so you won’t be held liable when you move out. I’d recommend ALL renters do one before you bring furniture in. Can save you money/stress when you move out.’
If I looked at someone’s home that they were renting and they said it was like that before, and they produced the condition form from moving in that showed those damages, I’d be fine with that.[/QUOTE]

We took pictures with datestamps on them and marked condition of the property before and after our rental. I don’t know any rental that doesn’t perform this check.

I have rented for the past twelve years and have never once had a landlord ask to come over to my current home to check out its condition, but then again, I really wish there were times landlords would do so. When the persons that currently share the farm with us move out by June 1st, we will be taking inside/outside pictures of the condition of the property (per property owner’s request since she will be out of the country at that time.) I can assure you she will not be a happy camper with its condition and lack of respect/responsibility for the tenants’ dogs. And while someone can say, ‘well she should have visited there more often,’ she has A LOT going on with family members and terminal illnesses that she absolutely could NOT come visit.

Back to the OP, I think you’ve been given some great suggestions here

[wendy]

IME, beyond breed, it’s been a weight limit and typically it was 35-40lbs.

The whole reason I ended up buying a home a few years ago instead of renting (which I regret btw) was that I had an 85 lb lab. Well behaved in the house, but some folks are very strict about it.

I know that for my home owner’s insurance breeds like Rotties, pits, and shepherds were off limits.

It’s so silly really. A good dog is a good dog.

yeah- I’ve never understood the breed or size limits either. My complex takes dogs of any size, and the management have been heard to mention they may only take large dogs in future since it’s the little ankle-biters who seem to cause all the problems that landlords dislike: nonstop barking, ruined rugs, biting people, etc.

[Bacardi1]

I agree.

I don’t know what the current list is like, but a few years ago, some “list” (it may have been an insurance industry list) had the top dog re: reported dog bites as the Dachschund - lol!!

[EponaRoan]

I have GSDs and she looks more Lab-X to me. Except for coloring, I don’t really see GSD in her. And there’s no real way to tell! So, call her a Lab-X. :yes:

[Rikerkv6]

Thanks all for the great advice!

I found a place with no weight limit and the only breed restrictions are pit bulls, rottweilers, and cane corso, so I am going to check that out on Saturday. They are very dog friendly and even have a dog park on site.

Fingers crossed!

[cowboymom]

I’m no help on the rent issue but she looks like she has some blackmouth cur in her. Just to complicate matters for you.